Rainey couldn’t possibly enjoy these men being paraded in front of her, could she?
But yesterday, I thought of something. These men saw what they thought was a stunning woman. If I showed up and evoked the real Rainey, the bachelors might think twice about pursuing her. Then I wouldn’t have these buffoons in my life and a situation such as last night.
I met Rosalie at a gathering two days prior to attending the theater with her. She was in town visiting friends or family. I can’t recall. All that matters is she was beautiful and lush and didn’t have a hot retort for every word I said. And she was available last night and eager to attend the theater.
What I said to Rainey about the betting books was true. At my favorite drinking establishment, I discovered Rainey was the raucous topic of conversation. I attempted to push all thoughts of her aside, but their debauched words lingered in my mind and made me see red. I know she’s not a child, but when did the rest of the men start to see that?
And if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Rainey enjoyed the attention. She had a mesmerized look on her face when she spoke to Beau in the ballroom, and that didn’t change as they sat beside each other in the theater. She was beguiled by the man.
I knew what my intent was when I sat beside Rainey. She undoubtedly thought it was to drive her mad. To an extent, she was right, but as I sat there, my stance changed. I felt protective of her and found myself looking at her and Beau from the corner quite often. But there was something different about the protection I felt last night. I’ve been protective of her as a child even when she drove me mad. Only I could be the one to retaliate against her.
I should have tried to understand why there was an imbalance between us before we played the write hand. Because that ended up being the biggest oversight of the night.
Never in all my years of taking part in the write hand game has it ever been so … erotic. Rainey wasn’t aware. Why would she be? The write hand game was a rite of passage between the Lacroix and Pleasonton children. Several times we had sent messages or tried to uncover what the other was saying with our parents being none the wiser. That’s what I set out to do last night. Find out if Rainey truly intended to see Beau again.
I did not plan on becoming aroused by my sister’s closest friend. It was a mere touch, but I think it showed how desperate I was for female companionship because when her fingertips dragged up my arm, I focused on the touch. I barely breathed when her nails lightly dragged against my skin; all I could think was how they would feel moving down my back. The image flashed in my head so quickly there was no time to fully process who I was thinking about until later.
The last time I attempted to be intimate with a woman, Rainey stormed into my room with her damn bow and arrow.
I left the theater with Rosalie on my arm, and in a rare act, I did not take her back to my home. I gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek and left with Rainey in my thoughts.
Instead of nightmares of war and echoes of screams, I dreamed of the Belgrave ballroom. Rainey stood in the middle of the room. I stood to the side, but she didn’t see because she was staring at the selection of bachelors before her. Just as she would narrow down the list, the bachelors would multiply, until the entire room was filled with men vying for her attention. It was a nightmare all on its own. When I woke up, I was undecided which was less alarming—my nightmares of war or this entire bachelor event.
“Livingston,” Étienne pants out, breaking my train of thought. I look at his red face. “We need to take a break.”
Our fixed distance becomes broken as Étienne takes several strides backward. His clothes are soaked in sweat like mine, and his hair clings to his temples.
“We’ve been in here for quite some time,” he says.
Have we? It feels as though we’d barely begun. This type of exertion brought my mind relief. I could think clearly when I was finished, breathe better, feel the blood coursing through my veins. Although respite has an expiration date, that did not stop me from trying again and again to find the momentary bliss.
I seemed to be forever chasing after peace, and I didn’t know how to stop.
“We can cease … for now. Let’s continue in fifteen minutes,” I say.
Étienne shakes his head and walks to the chairs that are lined against the ballroom wall. He places his sword down, picks up the towel he brought, and dries off his face.
Reluctantly, I follow him and stand beside one of the windows looking toward the long, winding driveway. There is no Rainey to pay us a call. Or her long line of bachelors. It’s probably for the best. If I did see one of them, I might attempt to drive the tip of my sword clean through their heart.
“You seem more focused than usual.” Étienne looks at me from the corner of his eye. “Is there somethin’ on your mind?”
Stepping back from the window, I shake my head. “Nothin’. Other than this bachelor debacle.”
Étienne snorts and drops his towel. “You do realize you were not invited to last night’s engagement, correct?”
“I did not know you four would be at that theater.”
“Charleston is not that large. How many theaters do you think this city has?”
“I’m not goin’ to answer that. My date was eager to see said film, and I obliged.”
“Clearly,” Étienne murmurs. “Tell me, was your date Rosalie or Rainey?”
My head whips in Étienne’s direction so fast that I swear I pull a muscle. Étienne grins, but I don’t return the smile. “I don’t understand what you’re implyin’. Perhaps you’re gettin’ them confused? Might I suggest you wear your readin’ glasses more often?”
“I could see just fine last night. Your date was to your left, and she was the one you overlooked. And Rainey was to your right, and she was the one you continued to speak to and stare at.”
“I did not stare. Why would I stare?”
“You did. And that is a good question. Why were you starin’ at Rainey?”
“For the last time, I did not stare. And if I did look in Rainey’s direction, perhaps I was ponderin’ over her choice of escort for the night.”
Étienne crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. “Beau is an upstandin’ man.”
“But not for Rainey.” I know my brother is far from finished with this discussion, and as much as I want to exert more energy fencing, sitting down and gathering a deep breath isn’t so bad.
Placing my sword next to my chair, I sit, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee. We’re quiet for several moments. Voices from inside the house filter through the cracks around the double doors. There’s the faint yet undeniable sound of a giggle.
The corner of Étienne’s mouth curls upward.
Marriage, love, whatever you prefer to call it, has changed my brother into a man I barely recognize. Even the elite of Charleston have noticed the slight difference. The general consensus on Serene isn’t favorable, but no one can deny she is the woman who’s tamed the untamable. For that, she gained a certain level of respect.
Étienne clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “Rosalie seems … lovely.”
I give a noncommital shrug. “She is.”