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Marco had been overjoyed when he learned that his cousin would become a father. And that joy was doubled when his wife gave birth to twins. It was a tremendous blessing, and Marco doted upon the tots. He had to smile just thinking about them.
“And how are my sweet Evelina and young Silas?” Marco asked merrily.
“Well, Evelina seems to have inherited my impishness,” Giovanni said. “She gets into everything and tends to try to eat anything she can get her hands on.”
“That is true,” Silas said, his earnest face suddenly splitting into a grin. “Why, she tried to eat Caleb’s favorite toy just this morning!”
Giovanni and Silas laughed at the memory of separating the warring children. "Yes. And little Silas takes after his namesake. He rarely cries, and the look on his face often makes me fear he is concocting some scheme."
“It is never too early to learn strategy,” Silas said, smirking into his drink.
Marco felt a tug of envy for the bond between the two men, brothers through marriage rather than blood, raising their families with women they loved. Marco spent so much of his time and energy on his business and thoughts of his thwarted revenge that he rarely lamented his bachelor status. He saw to his sexual needs with various willing widows. He ensured his partners knew that the encounters were merely for mutual pleasure, so they did not last long before both parties moved on. But times like this illustrated just how alone he really was. The thought filled him with a cold melancholy, but he shook it off and smiled at the two men.
“How are your children, Silas?” Marco said, glancing around the room and catching sight of his wife standing by the windows conversing with the Marchioness of Bath. She was a pretty lady with soft, ethereal features. In contrast, her sister-in-law, Beatrice, had inherited her brother’s striking looks, with dark hair, eyes, and pale skin. Next to one another, they often reminded Marco of the English fairytale of Rose White and Rose Red.
“They are very well, thank you,” Silas said. His eyes followed Marco’s gaze and settled on his wife with a fierce, protective expression. “Caleb seems to grow more every day and is a perfect little gentleman.”
“And your second son?” Marco enquired. Silas’s wife, Anna, had given birth around the same time as Beatrice had, so the youngest Klane boy was the same age as Evelina and young Silas.
“He is also well. Joshua is a rascal,” Silas said, smiling broadly. “He reminds me so much already of how Beatrice was when she was a child. There is something about being a second child that brings out the devil, I think.”
“Who is the devil?” Beatrice asked, approaching the group with Anna at her side.
“I was just asking about the children,” Marco said, smiling at his cousin’s wife. He enjoyed Beatrice’s company immensely; always lively and witty. Now that she was a mother, she had a ferocity and a playfulness about her that made her even more fun to be around. She gave him a sly look and grinned.
“Do children interest you, Marco?” Beatrice teased. “If that is the case, perhaps I should set my mind to finding you a wife this season. Or even better, set Anna’s mind to it. Once her mind is set upon a match, it rarely fails.”
“I beg you then, do not think of me,” Marco joked. He could not imagine having time for courtship as he struggled with his business. Especially since Silas had just suggested such a promising line of inquiry concerning his revenge. Anna smiled at him gently and tucked a delicate hand into her husband’s elbow.
“Do not worry, Mr. Alegria. I have others I have already set my mind on and have no time for you,” Anna said with a smile. She turned her head towards a pair of women standing against the opposite wall. “The poor dears, they do look so uncomfortable. How can we help them?"
Marco watched the women for a moment and saw that the other guests seemed to make a point of avoiding them. There was an invisible circle around them that no one appeared inclined to broach. Other ladies were near them, but no one spoke to them directly. They were, however, the subject of furtive or even cruel glances, and some of the women were clearly gossiping about them.
Marco did not have an unimpeded view of both women as people moved in and out of his line of sight, but he could see that one was older than the other. Perhaps the mother of the lady standing next to her. They both carried themselves genteelly, but the older one did look quite unsettled. He wondered why they were the subject of such hostile stares.
“I have tried my best,” Beatrice said, sighing heavily. “But no one can stem the gossip surrounding that particular young lady.”
As she spoke, a rotund gentleman stepped aside, and Marco caught a glimpse of the young lady in question. She looked nothing like any other young lady he had met. Those were awash in a sea of pastels, and this girl was wearing a dark dress.
He initially mistook her gown for black and wondered if she was in mourning. After a brief observation, he realized it was a dark iridescent green. She accessorized the slinky gown with black satin gloves. Her outfit was reminiscent of Italian fashion, which favored boldcolors. He wondered if she was a fellowItalian, but dismissed the thought. He'd never met an Italian with hair the deep red of autumn leaves and skin the color of fresh milk.
The lady turned toward him as if she felt his regard and caught his eye. She possessed a proud bearing with a slightly pointed chin and a stern nose that made her incredibly striking. Marco absently thought that her face was perfectly formed in every way. Her eyes shone, and she stared back, face utterly unmoved by his perusal. Most ladies would duck their heads and flush if a man dared give them more than a passing glance, but not this young lady. She merely returned his appraising gaze for a moment and then looked away as if she found him lacking. Marco felt the absence immediately and longed to be the subject of her stare again.
“Do you something that interests you, cousin?” Giovanni asked under his breath, a smile creeping across his lips.
“I do indeed,” Marco replied and smirked at his cousin.
“I fear you are doomed for failure if you plan to find that one a match, my dear,” Silas said.
Marco turned his attention back to the conversation rather than staring at the beautiful young woman who had easily dismissed him.
“It is well known that the Fitzroy Heiress disdains any suitor who dares to address her,” Silas continued.
“Fitzroy?” Marco repeated, but the others clearly had not heard him, for they continued to chat.
"Well, Beatrice did the same, once upon a time, and look at her now? Her reticence does not mean she does not wish to wed,” Anna said, receiving a smirk from Giovanni. “And if anyone needs help among the brutal world of theton, it is Alice Fitzroy.”
“Perhaps her reluctance stems from her fortune. How can she ever be certain a suitor wants her for more than her wealth?” Giovanni asked. "The Duke obviously took great pains to ensure she was well taken care of financially."
