Page 19 of Summer Storms

Christine gave her a cool smile. “As a matter of fact, I do know. I was there when it arrived, and Abby was very pleased. She said she would write you a thank you note as soon as she had the chance, Mrs Nash. If you visit, she can thank you in person.”

Mrs Nash flushed with pleasure and Izzy scowled.

“Miss Starling?” Zek had arrived, smiling and holding out his hand as if ready to whisk her safely away from Izzy’s hateful glare. “I hope you are free for the next dance?”

Christine tried to act nonchalant about his question. “Oh. I believe I might be.” In fact, she was supposed to have another dance with Will, but under the circumstances, she knew he would understand. She thought about turning to look at Izzy’s reaction, but she already knew what the expression on her face would be. The situation with her was becoming ridiculous, and yet Christine was reluctant to talk to Zek about it. What if he told her it was all true?

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked with a smile when the music started.

“Yes, very much.” Christine admitted it was very pleasant being so close to him like this. He was just the right height for her, and he danced so well. If only she could have ignored his sister glaring at them from the sidelines, it would have been perfect.

“Izzy still doesn’t like me.” She blurted it out without meaning to.

Zek frowned, his dark eyes fixed on her face. “Izzy doesn’t seem to like anyone these days. Ignore her.”

Christine had no idea how she was supposed to do that. She thought again about telling him about his sister’s warning, but it felt too much like telling tales. And Zek did not seem to hate her. Quite the opposite, in fact. But could she trust him? The way he was smiling at her now... Was that real or a performance?

“Did you meet my uncle?” Zek asked.

“Your mother introduced me to him earlier.” The old man had all but claimed Zek as his adopted son, his face alight with pride for his nephew.

Zek hesitated. “I admit, when I first went to London, I found it hard to forgive him. If he had sent for me sooner, we might not have had to live so long in such dire circumstances. But he is genuinely remorseful, and I have grown fond of him.”

“You said he and your father had a falling out. May I ask what it was about?” she asked curiously.

Zek leaned in closer. “It was over my mother. My uncle met her first and wanted to marry her, but then she fell in love with my father. My uncle became very bitter. He believed his brother had stolen her away from him.”

“That is very romantic, in a way,” Christine said uncertainly. “Though I can understand why your uncle would have felt hard done by. Do you think he still has feelings for your mother?”

Zek pulled a face. “As far as my mother is concerned I don’t think it has entered her head, but on occasion, when I see him looking at her, I suspect my uncle still loves her. He feels very remorseful that he waited so long to reconnect with us and if he had known how dire matters were, I’m sure he would have come to her rescue sooner.”

“It would make a nice ending to the story.”

He laughed, but not unkindly. His eyes smiled into hers. “Life is not like a play, Christine.”

No, she supposed it wasn’t. Perhaps that was why Christine had always preferred make-believe, because one could turn even the worst disasters into happy endings.

“We make our own lives, our own choices,” Zek went on. “I am a man who makes spur of the moment decisions, but I have found they are also usually the right ones.”

The dance came to an end. They stepped apart, but Zek did not let her hand go. “May I speak to you?” he asked quietly. “In private?”

Christine’s heart gave a jolt. Was this when he told her he was in love with her and then she would have to decide whether to believe him and share her own feelings, or deny those feelings in the belief he was false? There was no safe answer for her. But he was staring at her with an intensity she could not ignore, so she bravely nodded.

“Meet me outside on the terrace,” he said. “Five minutes. Eh, make that ten,” he corrected himself as one of the guests moved to intercept him.

Christine smiled back, but she was left unsettled. His hand squeezed hers.

“Courage,” he whispered, and then he was gone.

Courage? Because he was about to destroy her hopes and break her heart? Because she had fallen in love with him, just as he’d planned? Could she act her way out of the situation, pretend she had been lying to him too, show him complete indifference? Christine wasn’t sure she was that good an actress after all. Not when Zek was the man she wanted.

Ten minutes later, she was waiting on the terrace as instructed. The evening was warm, though somewhat humid, and the moon and stars had been covered by increasing banks of clouds. Perhaps another one of those violent summer storms was about to unleash itself upon Barton Lacey. It seemed appropriate somehow.

She heard a step behind her. She turned, her heart racing, only to see that it wasn’t Zek, but Izzy, looking sweet in a white dress with flowers in her hair. But her malevolent expression was anything but sweet.

“You’re wasting your time,” Izzy announced with a delighted grin. “I told you so, but you were too silly to listen. Zek is going to make you sorry for what you did to us.”

As Christine stood there, alone and vulnerable, she came to a realisation. Zek was a kind and decent gentleman. She did not believe he would do such a terrible thing to her. Deep in her heart she did not believe Zek would behave in that way to anyone.