He brought us to a stop at the edge of the crowd surrounding his parents. With very few words, the two in charge instructed the guests to back away and clear a path for us. All conversation stopped as everyone prepared to ogle at the spectacle.
“Here we go,” I muttered under my breath, hoping my heart wouldn’t jump out of my chest and land in a squishy, bloody mass in front of the pretty lady’s feet.
Luke let go of me and straightened to his full height, bending his head and bowing a little at the waist. Lady Eveline dipped next to me.
Trying to remember the quick lesson, I placed my left foot behind my right and bent at the knee, keeping my hands to my side. I feared I would tip over, but despite my slight inebriated state, I managed to rise again without incident.
As soon as we showed our respect, the regal man and woman in front of us did the same, although their intense focus weighed heavy on me.
Luke stepped forward and bowed again. “Mother. Father.”
I held my breath and waited for someone to break the heavy silence.
Although she kept a watchful eye on me and glanced at Lady Eveline in puzzlement, Luke’s mother broke first. She opened her arms and plastered a wide smile on her face.
“My beloved son,” she crooned, speaking in perfect English. “At last, you have finally returned.”
Chapter Ten
Luke closed the distance between him and his parents. Much kissing of cheeks ensued, and I stood with Lady Eveline, watching the reunion in fascination like a spectator. I touched the spot where the family’s token would have been if I hadn’t taken it off, missing Granny’s presence.
After a short discussion in Italian in low voices between the three of them, Luke said something that upset his parents. His father frowned, but his mother touched her husband on his arm and nodded in my direction.
Luke held out his arm for me to join him, and I strode to his side, linking my fingers through his for strength and comfort.
“Mother, Father, I would like to introduce you to Ruby Mae Jewell.” He smiled at me. “She is…”
I waited for him to say the word that would spark an immediate reaction from his parents.
He paused and swallowed hard. A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. “She is my special friend.”
An ache rose in my heart like a kudzu vine, wrapping itself around the organ. “Hey,” I said, doing my best to ignore the pain from his denial and relying on all my Southern charms to cover up my disappointment.
When neither of the parents extended me a hand in welcome, I freaked out. Unsure of what to do, I wobbled into another curtsy.
“As you are not under our rule here,” his father declared, touching the impressive ruby laying against his chest, the gold of the chain and elaborate design of the setting glittering with richness. “You do not have to show such displays of respect.” He glared down at me with thinly veiled contempt.
His mother regarded me for an extra beat and let out a sigh. “Do not be impertinent to the poor girl, Lorenzo,” she chastised her husband. “Her gesture was well done. Let me be the first to officially welcome you to our home, Miss Ruby. And Eveline, I am more than surprised to find you here as well. I do not recall extending an invite as far as your domain.”
My new friend stepped forward, her stilettos clicking on the stone ground. “Damiana, I did not know we needed formal invitations to visit with one another.” Lady Eveline embraced Luke’s mother and kissed her on both cheeks. “It has been a long time.”
“It has,” Damiana exclaimed. “And I would be glad of your company if I did not suspect its timing and your familiarity with my son and his guest.”
Lady Eveline glanced back at me. “Ah, yes. Ruby Mae and I met through a mutual acquaintance, and since I had business on the continent, I thought why not stop by? Being here allows me to see you and to vouch for this charming young lady at the same time.”
Luke stiffened at her words, and I looked between the four vampires.
“Do you do so in an official capacity?” his father asked in a stern tone.
Lady Eveline considered his question before sighing. “Yes, if I must, Lorenzo. Although I rather think you should be the ones to extend your reassurances to the woman that your son brings to your home.”
“I don’t understand,” I blurted. “What reassurances?”
Luke squeezed my hand. “Your friend has vouched for you.”
“What does that mean?” I hissed under my breath at him.
“It means that per our edicts, we must ensure that no harm will befall you during your stay with us,” his mother explained. “And were you not so quick to jump to conclusions, Eveline, you might have witnessed our generosity. However, I do apologize if this introduction is not going as smoothly as one would hope.”
Maybe the lack of food weakened my barriers or perhaps the wine clouded my senses. But in that moment, I wanted to smooth things over and put everyone at ease.
“I promise I’m housebroken,” I joked. Nobody laughed, and Luke shifted in awkward embarrassment next to me.
Lady Eveline shot me an annoyed look and lifted her eyebrows to remind me of all the advice she’d offered. I pursed my lips tight to keep anything else from spilling out.
Luke’s mother bowed her head to me. “You are welcome here, and as my son explained, we will not tolerate any harm to you while you remain our guest.”
“Thank you.” My voice shook as I spoke.
More awkward stillness followed our exchange. The longer it stretched, the more I wanted to hide.
“Do you have anything you would like to say to us?” Luke’s father asked.
“Such as what?” My fiancé’s voice sounded hard and wary.
“Lorenzo,” his mother warned. “Now is not the time for confrontation. We held this reception in hopes to welcome
