Blackcurrant Fool by Victoria Goddard

Author:Victoria Goddard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Victoria Goddard
Published: 2019-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“Cousins”

“OH, BY ALL THE GODS!” Jullanar Maebh cried, then flinched and lowered her voice again when half the room glared at us. “Please tell me you’re not my brother.”

“It’s almost as bad,” Mr. Dart said miserably. “I’m technically your uncle.”

Jullanar Maebh digested this for a moment. Her disgusted expression gradually softened, until she started to snicker softly. “By all the gods indeed! I thought I felt oddly comfortable with you.”

Mr. Dart glanced at me, then firmly down at the table, face flushed with embarrassment. They had been flirting shamelessly, I reflected, then reflected further that at least it could not have gone any further than flirtation given the time and opportunities they’d had.

“Well,” I said, when neither of them spoke further, “moving on: Miss Dart, may I introduce you to your uncle, Mr. Perry Dart?”

He cast me a grateful look, she an amused one, and they nodded courteously at each other over the table.

“And may I ask my uncle for a proper introduction to his friend?”

Mr. Dart took a moment to consider the room. No one seemed particularly interested in us, but Jullanar Maebh’s exclamation—and the fact that we were by far the youngest people in there—did mean we were not being entirely ignored, either.

“I think full formal introductions are better left until we’ve left the city. Mr.—Snorry here is avoiding attracting the notice of a lady with whom he’d at one point had an understanding.”

“A misunderstanding the whole time,” I muttered darkly.

Jullanar Maebh gave me a rather disdainful crook of her eyebrows. “That seems a trifle cowardly, sir,” she said.

Mr. Dart breathed in sharply. I felt an immediate wash of fury, but I forced myself to take several long, deep breaths. I had not responded as I wanted to Jack Lindsary; I could hold my temper for this.

“Miss Dart, I might say the same of you, as you seem to be running away in fear to throw yourself on the mercy of a family you do not know in the least. I do you the honour of presuming there is more to the matter than the face of it, and that this is prudence, not poltroonry. I ask you to leave your judgment of me until you know more of the facts.”

I was proud I managed to keep my voice relatively even, albeit cold. Jullanar Maebh blushed hard, eyes bright with shame.

“That was out of line of me,” she said after a moment. “I apologize. I am sorry, sir, I am most on edge from my situation and this new discovery—”

I cut her off. “I do understand, and I accept your apology. Once we both know the truths of each other’s actions we can decide if we wish to call the other out.”

She stared at me open-mouthed. “You ... you truly would grant me that equality?”

I was coming to hate Tara. That would never been an acceptable response at Morrowlea. “Yes; why not? If you have not studied the art of defence ...” I trailed off, then smiled at her.

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