Chapter Eighteen

NATE

Back at the Fortescues', we both went for a solo shower. I was glad not to be sharing mine because I sang at the top of my voice, belting out musical numbers as I floated on a cloud of happiness. Alex was amazing. And he wanted me. The grin wouldn't come off my face, not even when I got shampoo in my eye.

I realised as I was towelling my hair that we hadn't discussed how to handle things between us while around the Fortescues. He'd implied he was available to Steven, which meant we'd have to hide that we were together. Hopefully our absence last night hadn't been noticed.

When I went searching for Alex, I found a few dragons talking desultorily in the drawing room, but Alex wasn't among their number. The patio doors were open on this unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon, so I slipped outside and looked out over the city.

The mellow stone of Bath's historic buildings glowed in the sunshine, making the whole place beautiful and welcoming. Or perhaps it was my happiness making me think so, because I remembered how much I'd hated it on my return. My dragon luxuriated in the sunlight, letting me know he too was happy and satisfied, though he'd be even more so when Alex was here, and we could curl around one another again.

"Nate."

I glanced round to see Mrs Fortescue sitting on one of the patio chairs, a cigarette in her hand and a glass of something on the table next to her. "Come and talk to me."

I sat in the chair beside her. "Thank you for last night," I began.

She abruptly waved me into silence. "Where's Charlie?"

"I haven't seen him today."

"But you did see him last night? Where did he go?"

I shrugged. "He was going out. I don't know where he goes these days."

The end of the cigarette glowed as she took a deeper inhalation than my news warranted. Then she expelled the smoke slowly from her lungs, and a pungent cloud briefly surrounded us.

"I explicitly asked you to spend more time with Charlie," she said. "I'm disappointed in you, Nate."

It hurt, hearing that. "I'm sorry," I said reflexively. "It's been difficult because he's so rarely here." He'd probably bought himself a bolthole somewhere the family didn't know about. Well, if spending time with Charlie was the price for staying here, I'd just have to suck it up and pay it. I wasn't ready to leave Alex, not when I'd only just found him. "I'll do what I can," I promised.

She stubbed out her cigarette and rose to her feet, patting my shoulder on her way past. "Good."

I'd missed this, being part of a family. And then guilt swamped me as I realised what I was doing, deceiving them all.

ALEX

The drawing room had become the unofficial centre of the house for our group. Fiona, Sam and Jenna were sitting together, nursing what looked like stupendous hangovers.

I was about to go over and greet them loudly and enthusiastically when Margaret intercepted me.

"Just the dragon I've been looking for," she greeted me. "All damn day, by the way."

It had never occurred to me to let her know when she could expect me back. I'd been too caught up in Nate to think of anything else.

"Sorry," I said, and I meant it. "What do you need me for?"

"To take me to see some of Jane Austen's Bath. I hear you've become quite the expert."

"Alex!" Nate's voice. I'd know it anywhere. But he wasn't in the room—that had been the first thing I'd checked. Then I realised the balcony doors were open, and he was sitting out there, beckoning me over. Hell, no. I wasn't going out there, not even for Nate.

"I'm taking Margaret out to see Jane Austen's Bath," I called back, and he looked disappointed.

Unlike the drunkards three, who looked distressed. "Could you do it more quietly?" Fiona begged.

With a grin, I offered Margaret my arm, and we left them to their headaches.

The day was so warm that we ate ice creams sitting in a park beside the river.

"The younger Fortescue son's been pestering me," Margaret said. "He really is a brutish prick, isn't he?"

I snorted. "Understating it a bit. Sorry, it's probably because of what I told him last night."

"He wanted to know what would happen to the leadership of our family if I were to adopt a child as I'm evidently too ancient to have one myself. Impertinent sod. I told him that the crown was tied to blood, not name, and he then wanted to know how much I'd sell you for."

"He what?" I dropped my ice cream on the grass in shock. Damn it.

"More precisely, he wanted to know what it would cost to arrange a marriage between you and his sister. It's just as well he's the younger son, because he has the subtlety and guile of a brick. James would have his wings if he realised how much he gave away in his questioning."

"What did he give away?"

"That there's a cool couple of million on offer as a dowry if you'll fall into line, though it's dependent on the production of a child. I have to say, Alex, a couple of million would buy a lot of lovely things. You wouldn't mind taking one for the team, would you?"

"Very funny, Aunt Margaret."

"He appears to be under the impression you're bi, not gay."

"I take it he doesn't know that my mum's human." Wow, look at that. Nate's words had already had an effect if that was how I was describing my situation.

"He doesn't. And I didn't tell him because it's no one else's business."

"Are you going to tell James about your conversation with Steven?"

"Of course. Maybe that will get him to lay an offer on the table. I'm sure we're right about what's going on, and I don't understand why he's dragging his feet in telling me. Surely, the sooner he has me onside, the sooner he can act. And if I turn him down, he can forget that part of his plan. It's not exactly the most important element, is it? I wonder if he's holding out for it because he's a romantic at heart."

The very thought was hilarious. "I doubt that. But it's strange he's taking so long. After all, they've probed the Mortimer defences pretty thoroughly and got in at least twice, from what Nate says. Why isn't he just going for it?" And then it dawned on me. "We've been assuming it's only the Mortimers because of that email. What if he's trying to take out all competitors? The Swifts and the Carews? What if it's taking a while because he's got more ducks to get in a row than we thought?"

Margaret licked her ice cream, looking thoughtful. "That could explain it, I suppose, though his ego would have to be even larger than his bank balance to attempt something like that. Would he really be that ambitious?"

"I dunno, and you're not sending me off to Harrogate or anywhere else to try and find out." I knew what she was like once she had the bit between her teeth. "Nate still hasn't found the full story here."

"Ah, yes, you and the infamous Nate Mortimer. Anything you want to tell me about why neither of you were at Sunday breakfast?"

"Not unless you want the gory details. Don't worry—we didn't do anything at the Fortescues'. Nate got us a hotel room."

Her lips thinned in disapproval. "He took you to a hotel? He's very sure of you, isn't he? Are you his dirty little secret?"

For the first time in my life, I was angry with my aunt. "No," I bit out. "We wanted space and privacy. That's all."

"Okay, Alex." She patted my knee. "Sorry."

But as we left our bench, I was aware that her eyes on me were filled with concern.

There was no need. Nate wasn't like she thought. He wasn't like I'd thought he was when I'd first met him. Things between him and Charlie were well and truly over. I was determinedly not thinking about what would happen when we both left Bath. It was Nate, so it wouldn't be a repeat of the holidaymakers. I knew that it wouldn't.