Page 82 of Forget Me Not

Some reassurance that he thought of her would have eased much of the pain of his absence. She’d needed so desperately to know he cared enough to lessen the blow of his departures by telling her of them and by being so happy at the prospect of seeing her again that he would be eager to tell her of his return.

That reassurance she had needed then had been even more forthcoming of late. He wouldn’t forget or dismiss her so readily now. He wouldn’t leave her out of his life. She had learned to trust that he wouldn’t.

He pulled her arm through his, setting his hand over hers, where it rested on his arm. “Shall we go dazzle our hosts?”

“I think we had better.”

He led her from her guest chamber and into the corridor.

“It is a shame little Lord Falstone will not be in attendance,” Julia said. “I suspect I would enjoy making his further acquaintance.”

“He certainly has perfected his ducal air, hasn’t he?” Lucas laughed. “One feels one ought to bow and scrape and ‘Your Grace’ the little boy, no matter that his father is the actual duke. But, somehow, I found myself also longing to invite him to undertake a game of chase or to climb a tree.”

“You are fond of children, I suspect.”

He grinned. “Children are far better company than most adults.”

“I take exception to that,” Digby said as he stepped out into the corridor as well.

“No need for offense,” Lucas said. “No one who knows you considers you an adult.”

Digby bowed to Julia. “You look lovely, Lady Jonquil. A rose silk gown with white crepe accents and satin flowers is quitede rigueur. An absolute vision.”

“I would return the compliment,” she said, “but I fear your head will swell terribly and your wig will no longer fit.”

His mouth dropped open, and his brows darted low in an overdone look of offense. “Wig? Every strand of this is mine, I will have you know.”

“And for once, not powdered to within an inch of its life.” Though she made the remark saucily, she was touched that he had forgone his usual fashion in support ofher.

“Our jester has refused to powder his hair, so I assumed there must be a shortage of powdering materials.” Digby nodded solemnly. “Far be it from me to contribute to a fashion famine.”

Kes arrived a moment later, his hair also unpowdered. He quietly looked over them, an eyebrow of indulgent annoyance tossed at Digby. “Yellow jacket and pantaloons? You could not have chosen a quieter color?”

“Quiet? The King?” Lucas shook his head. “Impossible.”

“Charity is kind, gentlemen,” Henri said as he stepped from a bedchamber into the corridor.

“It also suffereth,” Kes added dryly.

With a sigh of tried patience, Aldric joined them as well. “Do you suppose the lot of you could behave for the length of an evening?”

Digby walked regally ahead. “We declare ourselves ready to mingle.”

“The royal ‘We.’” Kes shook his head. “I warned you all not to call him the King. This was the only possible result.”

Grumpy Uncle suited Kes, though Julia had seen a great deal of compassion and patience in him, as well as a friendly regard, especially when interacting one-on-one.

They walked as a group back through the maze of corridors. Thank the heavens the gentlemen had paid enough heed upon first arriving to remember the way back to the ballroom; she wasn’t certain she could have managed it.

Julia’s breath caught as they stepped into the glittering expanse of silk and lace and jewels. A small grouping of musicians on a dais across the ballroom filled the grand space with the glorious strains of a minuet. The idea of so large a social event had generally filled her with dread, but entering this one on Lucas’s arm and flanked on either side by her valiant knights, Julia felt a surge of excitement.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The vow Lucas had madeyears earlier, that he would live fully the life his brothers and sister had been denied, came closer to being fulfilled during these evenings than nearly anywhere else, except, perhaps, for when he traveled. Seeing the world they never would brought him a sense of peace in the midst of the grief he wasn’t certain he would ever entirely escape.

But never had his heart been so full upon arriving at a ball than it was this night. He’d missed Julia terribly the last eight years, though he’d not truly realized as much before fate had brought them together again. With her at his side, he felt... whole. He’d always believed the emptiness that had dogged his heels the past years had been fully explained by his grief over Stanley and his siblings. He’d not realized he was mourning her absence too.

It was more than that now. She was no longer his little childhood playmate and partner in mischief. She had captured his heart, and he would never be whole again without her. The pull of adventure and travel and Society was too much a part of him to ignore it the rest of his life, but knowing her preference for home and quiet, he would not force his inclination on her. She’d been robbed of choices too many times.

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