Chapter 3
Cassian stood.
“Dorian, this can be explained.”
“Good.”
I gestured toward the empty chair beside him.
“Start.”
Scarlett interrupted.
“No.”
Interesting.
Not fear for herself.
Fear of what he would say.
Cassian looked at her.
Something passed between them.
Agreement breaking.
Iris remained beside the head table.
I told a bodyguard:
“Take her hand to the house physician.”
She shook her head immediately.
“I can stay.”
Of course she thought leaving might cost her credibility.
“No one is questioning whether I believe you.”
Her eyes filled.
That mattered more than I expected.
She left.
Only then did I address Cassian.
“What was coming through the east corridor?”
He laughed once.
“No one.”
Rafe answered:
“Six Vaughn men were waiting outside the service gate.”
Scarlett went white.
Her family.
Not officially invited.
Not dressed for dinner.
Waiting.
Cassian looked at her.
“You said they’d stay in the cars.”
There.
I said nothing.
Scarlett closed her eyes.
Excellent.
People reveal more correcting each other than answering me.
Rafe continued.
The guards had been given instructions bearing Cassian’s authorization.
Once the orchestra stopped, the east corridor was to be cleared.
No one was to interfere with men entering under Scarlett’s family crest.
“Why?”
Cassian finally looked at me.
“To keep you from making a mistake.”
I almost laughed.
“What mistake?”
“Starting a war.”
Scarlett whispered:
“Cassian.”
He ignored her.
The Vaughns had been told I intended to humiliate Scarlett publicly tonight and break the engagement after securing their trade routes.
False.
I had planned to marry her in six weeks.
Her family believed tonight was a trap.
My own guards had been told the arriving Vaughn men were expected guests.
Two lies.
One doorway.
Then I asked:
“What happens to me?”
Cassian’s expression shifted.
Not good.
Scarlett answered.
“You were supposed to leave the ballroom.”
“With whom?”
“Me.”
“For what?”
She looked away.
Cassian said:
“You were supposed to become too tired to finish the dinner.”
Every nerve in my body cooled.
My glass.
The toast.
The orchestra.
Three minutes.
I looked down at the wine.
Cassian followed my eyes.
There.
May you like
They had not planned to kill me.
They planned to make me unable to control the room while everyone else decided what my absence meant.
