Page 10 of A Rose Among Snakes

Ms. Blaise glanced over her shoulder and said, “How do you do?” Without waiting for my reply, she turned back to her brother. “I need the carriage. I’m meeting a friend in town.”

Velian’s polite expression disappeared as his eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. “Which friend?”

“Velian, please. Don’t even try to pretend you know who any of my friends are.” She mimicked his stance, crossing her arms.

He didn’t break his stare, but his jaw began to work. I felt like an intruder watching their battle of wills.

Ms. Blaise lifted her chin even higher, one finger tapping on her forearm. “I’ll only take your horse if you say no.”

I kept my face neutral, but it was a struggle to not let my jaw hinge open. The rumors Taz heard were right; Kezara Blaise wasindeedquite the spirited young lady.

Velian heaved a long-suffering sigh, relaxing his posture. “Well, Ms. Nowen, it appears you have arrived at the perfect time. Kezara needs a chaperone.”

“Velian, I’m not a child–”

He cut her off by holding one finger up in the air. Keeping his tone gentle, he said, “You’ve made enough waves in society. It’s not up for discussion, Kez.”

Kezara softened her stance by uncrossing her arms. Her chin, however, did not drop an inch. “Fine. I’m ready to go now.”

“Very well, Milner just got back. Mrs. Shulling, do you mind passing along the message?”

“Not at all, sir.” Mrs. Shulling turned on her heel, her skirt swishing as she left the room.

Kezara sniffed and stomped out of the room leaving me alone with the two men.

Velian gave me a lopsided grin. “Welcome to Blaise Manor, Ms. Nowen.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said, curtsying.

“Velian,” he corrected amiably, his voice deep and rich. “Please close the door behind you on your way out.”

I stiffened at the blatant dismissal, worrying I had overstayed my welcome. “Of course,” I mumbled, turning on my heel and walking out the door.

“Oh, and Ms. Nowen?” Velian called.

I paused with my hand on the knob and stuck my head back through.

“Best of luck with my sister. You’re going to need it.” He winked, wreaking havoc on my heart.

I nearly found myself gaping again, and to save myself any further embarrassment, I threw him a wobbly smile and shut the door. I walked a couple of steps away and paused, resting my handson my hips and looking up at the ceiling. Never in my life had I made such a fool of myself in front of anyone, let alone a man. I blew air out of puffed cheeks and shook my head. I had bigger things to worry about.

The manor was silent as I made my way to the front door. Even though the heavy door opened quietly, the weight closed it shut with more force than I had intended. Kezara stood waiting in the narrow patch of grass in front of the door and whipped her head around when the door slammed. She clucked her tongue at me, eyeing me up and down before craning her head around the corner and crossing her arms. Wonderful. I was making excellent impressions left and right.

Kezara tapped a finger against her forearm while rocking back and forth on her heels. She stepped into the driveway and shaded her eyes with her hand as she looked at the stables.

“Milner!” Her shrill voice rang out over the peaceful grounds. A moment later, the same brougham I had just been in emerged from the stable, a chestnut horse leading the way this time.

“Is there anything you need before we leave, Ms. Blaise?” I asked.

“No, and there’s no time anyway. Let’s go.”

The carriage had hardly rolled to a stop before Kezara wrenched the door open and climbed inside. Milner landed on the ground, his lips pressed firmly together. I offered him a shrug before stepping up behind Kezara.

Milner sighed and clambered back up to his seat. I shut the door behind me and sat next to Kezara on the bench. Her bodywas shifted away from mine, leaning toward the window. The brougham lurched forward and we were off. As we began the descent down the hill to town, Kezara took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat.

“Brothers,” she said, closing her eyes. “Do you have any?”

“I do.”

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