Henry,realizing her discreet advance, gently pulled away. “Thank you, Iappreciate it, but it’s truly not–”
“Again, Iinsist.” She crossed her arms, causing the exposed cleavage toheave. “When have you ever known me to take no for an answer?”Roselyn then glanced in my direction, as if suddenly realizing Iwas standing there, and grinned maliciously. “I can have somethingsent for you as well, Dianna. Something to fit over that lovelybelly of yours.”
I wanted toyank the silky black waves from her damn head and step on herperfect face. But I squashed the jealous rage and pulled Henryclose to me, resting my head against his shoulder.
“That won’t benecessary, Roselyn.” I held my smile as her eyes narrowed at theuse of her first name, something I sensed she didn’t like. “I’lltake care of mine and Henry’s outfits for the party while he’sfetching your wine.”
All of mysuspicions about Wallace’s intentions or the past she shared withHenry were confirmed in one single glare. Her deep brown eyes bore into mine, mirroring myjealousy but quickly faded awaywith hopelessness. I may have been jealous of her beauty, but Henrywas mine, a comforting fact I carried with me all the way tothe carriage.
Henry grippedmy hand as I placed a foot on the first step, but gave it a gentletug before I could get in. “Don’t you think you should rest whenyou return?”
“No, I’mfine,” I told him. And I really was. The sense of something toprove kick started my energy once again. I grinned and tugged atthe collar of his leather trench, bringing his face to mine. “Don’tworry, I’ll get you something nice to wear.”
He failed tohide his look of concern. “Dianna,” Henry’s voice lowered justabove a whisper, “You have nothing to prove.”
My eyebrowarched, and I leaned in to place a long, sensual kiss that I knewwould linger on his lips until we met again later that night. Myhand slipped inside his jacket and squeezed the hard muscles of hisback, pressing my chest against him. I pulled away and delighted inthe fire that had lit in Henry’s hungry gaze, then threw achallenging glance over his shoulder to Wallace who stood seethingin jealousy on her front porch. Hemay have been mine, but I didn’t trust that woman. And my instinctshad never steered me wrong before.
I took thesecond step and held Henry’s gaze as I let go of his hand andsmirked. “Don’t I?”
ChapterFive
I scrambled out of the carriage, leaving behind theawkward silence that had filled it on the way back to The Kraken’sDen. Lottie tried to strike up general chit chat, I could tell shefelt bad for the way things went down at Wallace’s. But I waspissed. Not at her. Well, not entirely, anyway. I just feltbetrayed. Blindsided. How could my crew not tell me about thegorgeous, dark goddess that clearly has a thing for the man I’m inlove with? How could Lottie have not told me? Given me a heads up,at the very least. I stormed through the tavern, bypassing thecurious innkeeper for thestairs.
“Dianna,”Lottie called at my back. I didn’t reply. “Dianna!”
I stopped onthe first stair and spun around. “What?”
“Why are youangry with me?”
“I’m notangry,” I told my friend. Her face twisted in confusion. “I’m just…I feel like a fool.”
Tearsunexpectedly began to pool in my eyes and Lottie quickly jumped tothe stair on which I stood and wrapped a comforting arm aroundme.
“Oh, Dianna,I’m so sorry. Come on, let’s go upstairs.”
We entered theroom I shared with Henry and I paced the floor, trying to keep inthe emotions that had rushed to the surface. Where did they comefrom? I was fine. Full of energy and a burning desire to show upRoselyn Wallace at her own party. Now I was threatening myself tofall apart.
Stupidpregnancy hormones.
Lottie openedher mouth to speak but I beat her to it. “How could you not tellme?”
She shook herhead. “Tell you what?”
“Abouther!” I cawed. “That Wallace was actually RoselynWallace. Beautiful, flawless, and clearly in love with Henry! I wascompletely blindsided. I wasn’t prepared for that entireexperience.”
My flailinghands flew in the air around me as I paced some more. Lottie sighedand rubbed her face tiredly before taking a step in my direction.Gently, her sturdy hands took my shaking ones and held themtightly.
“Dianna,” myfriend said softly but sternly. “I’ve never met the woman before inmy life. Didn’t even know she was a woman at all. My father hadnever let me go with him and, from what I can tell, when he paid atrip to see Wallace and square up his dues, it was her father. It’sbeen years since I’ve been back here, she would have been a younggirl then, too.”
“But she knewwho you were,” I replied, a little calmer.
“What do youmean?”
“Outside, whenwe first arrived,” I began, “She glanced around and said sherecognized everyone’s faces except mine.”
Lottiecouldn’t have faked the pure look of bewilderment that spreadacross her face. “I-I have no idea, Dianna. I swear. Please believethat.”
I closed myeyes and inhaled deeply. “I do.”
I immediatelyfelt bad for tearing into my best friend the way I did, the reliefthat flushed from her body was hard not to notice.
“It appearsthat, perhaps, the men in our lives have some explaining to do,though,” she added.
I pinched thebridge of my nose. “Yeah.”
“I can pryAugustus for information,” Lottie offered. “See what sort of pastWallace and Henry may have had.”
“No, no,” Itold her. I’d ask him myself.
I chewed at mybottom lip as I pondered. What if I never got the full truth fromhim? He’d kept a lot of details about the woman from me already.Clearly there was something he felt was worth hiding.
“Actually,yes.” I regretted the words as soon as I spoke them.
Lottie raisedher eyebrows in surprise. “Really?”
I let out aslight moan of annoyed agony. “No, don’t. I’ll ask Henry myself. Ishould give him the chance to explain. I should trust him to tellme the truth.”
“I wish I hadthat sort of faith in men,” she said jokingly and took a
