He knew she was thinking about finding someone besides him. The stab of hurt he felt at that was unexpected—and entirely inappropriate. He hoped she'd find her one true love, or two or three should she think that possible. With all the grief she'd suffered in the past few years, she still saw happiness in her future. Bless her for that.
Life had taught him to be more cynical.
As they came in view of the vineyard where her brother knelt by the pipeline in the distance, she slid her fingers from his and gave him a soft, apologetic smile.
He was very glad they were friends again.
But it was a good thing he was leaving tonight.
GRIFFIN MADE dinner that night into a celebration, toasting Tris and their success with champagne. Conversation flowed along with the bubbly wine. Her tongue loosened by spirits and Tris's offer of friendship, Alexandra was very much a part of it.
But while she watched everyone else eat Juliana's strawberry tarts, a melancholy mood began settling in. When Tris's horse was saddled and waiting, she defied her brother's wishes and walked Tris downstairs.
The stone entrance hall felt cold this evening; the carved beasts that topped the newel posts looked fierce and forbidding. Although it was still light out, the sun had shifted, throwing shadows through the open oak doors.
They both paused on the threshold. "I don't know when next I'll see you," she said.
"I wouldn't count on it being soon. I don't go about in society."
"You could visit again. You and Griffin are still friends."
Tris's gaze flicked to that friend, who stood on the staircase watching them like a hawk, his fingers gripping the gray marble handrail. "I won't be visiting for a while, I expect."
"Not until I'm married," she said to the floor.
In spite of Griffin's vigilance, Tris reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to his. "I wish you a happy life, Lady Alexandra."
Captured in his intense gray gaze, she remembered him saying the same words years ago.
And as then, she had no reply.
THIRTEEN
THE NEXT MONTH passed in a whirl of preparations for the ball. Though Alexandra had spent the first few days in a forlorn blur, she'd long since recovered from that. She wasn't the sort of woman to mope around. After all, a mere four days from now, the great hall would be filled with the most eligible men in all of England. Surely one of them would sweep her off her feet and make her forget Tris.
In fact, due to her own determination, she'd half forgotten him already. She was hardly thinking about him at all as she slogged through the household bills and prepared them for sending to Griffin's solicitor.
"Mrs. Webster is overpaying for meat again," she muttered, referring to their housekeeper.
Corinna mixed two colors of paint on her palette. "Griffin can afford it."
"That's not the point." Pushing back from her mother's rosewood desk, Alexandra wandered pensively to one of the drawing room's windows. Outside, the morning was gray and dreary. Her reflection in the glass looked rather dreary, too. "I shall have to have a talk with her and set her straight."
Juliana looked up from her copy of La Belle Assemblée. "You should be paying attention to other matters now, Alexandra."
"Everything for the ball is in place."
"I meant personal matters."
She turned from the window. "Like what?"
"You'll want to present yourself—"
"Your skin, yes. A Lady of Distinction says a flawless complexion is key." Adding a dab of white to the hue she was creating, Corinna nodded toward Juliana's magazine. "I read in there that if you hang a sprig of tansy at the head of your bed, a few inches above the pillow, you won't be bitten by any bugs as you sleep."
"Not her skin. Her skin is beautiful." Juliana shook her head. "Her deportment. She needs to practice enticing men."
"Practice?" Alexandra scoffed. "I've never had trouble enticing men—I simply haven't been afforded the chance." She certainly hadn't had any trouble enticing Tris into that kiss. But since Juliana seemed to draw men like moths to a flame, she couldn't help but be intrigued. "What sort of practice?"
"For example, smiling in the mirror. You should have many smiles, you know, for many different occasions. And if you wish to make men fall at your feet, you need to practice the look."
"The look?" Alexandra and Corinna asked together.
"The look." Setting down her magazine, Juliana rose and faced them. "First you locate the man you wish to entice. Then you command his gaze."
Her sensual, blatant stare had both her sisters swallowing hard. "And then?" Alexandra prompted.
"Look down, bowing your head slightly to display your lashes against your cheeks—lashes you will have darkened, no matter what that twit lady says—and then sweep your eyelids up, gaze at the man full on again, and curve your lips in a slowly emerging smile."
When she demonstrated, both her sisters sighed.
"Where did you learn that?" Corinna asked.
"I was born knowing it." Juliana plopped back on the sofa and picked up the magazine, idly flipping pages. "But I have no doubt you can master it with enough practice."
Corinna stared hard at Alexandra, shut her lids, opened them again, and grinned.
"Not like that!" Alexandra rolled her eyes. "She's right—you need practice."
Likely they both needed practice. There were no mirrors in the drawing room, so while Corinna gave up and frowned critically at her unfinished painting, Alexandra turned back to the window to use her reflection there.
Command his gaze, look down, then sweep your eyelids up—
She blinked at the scene beyond the glass. Astride a black horse, a man was galloping toward the castle. A man she'd have recognized at any distance.
Juliana heard her soft gasp. "What is it?"
"He's here again." As he rode around the side of the castle out of view, Alexandra
