The Countess Conspiracy (14 page)

“Uh…”

“Did she refuse to come? I know that we’ve been, um, a little out of sorts, but I didn’t think she’d actually avoid my company with the rest of you lot around.”

Robert bit his lip. “About that…”

“You
did
invite her, didn’t you?”

Robert looked away. “I thought…she’s only an honorary member…”

“An honorary member!” Sebastian took another step forward. “You didn’t even
ask
her? Is that what you’re saying?”

“She isn’t a brother,” Oliver put in defensively, “as she isn’t a boy. She wasn’t with us at Eton. And she isn’t even left-handed. Honestly, the honorary membership has always seemed to me to be something of a gift. She doesn’t meet any of the criteria to be a Brother Sinister, and it is only in light of her—”

“In light of the fact that we grew up with Violet,” Sebastian said through his teeth. “In light of the fact that she has been with us through our hardest times and never once complained about her own life. In light of the fact that
she
helped Jane last month with her uncle—something I think you should try and recall, Oliver.”

Oliver had the grace to look ashamed.

“And you two think it’s no problem to shunt her aside simply because she isn’t actually left-handed?”

Oliver pursed his lips. “All of that is true, but in the interest of technical accuracy, I did not meet her until I was fifteen.”

Sebastian slammed his fist into his palm. “Irrelevant. Robert, I told you to make sure the Brothers Sinister were present. It was your only task aside from helping with the sign. I wrangled the pig, the pastries, the sesame cakes, the…” He sputtered in outrage. “And you couldn’t take three seconds to speak with Violet?”

“I forgot!” Robert said. “She didn’t come on our walk, which is when I’d planned to talk to her. Besides, when the two of you are together, you take over everything!”

“We can’t help being the most interesting people in the room,” Sebastian shot back. “But this time, it will be different. We’re…not entirely at ease with one another right now; why do you think I told
you
to invite her instead of doing it myself?”

Oliver turned to Sebastian. “Still? You have been arguing with one another since May.”

Sebastian shrugged. “In a manner of speaking. It’s complicated.”

“Arguing with Violet?” Robert echoed. “Good God, Sebastian. What on earth is there for you and Violet to argue over?”

Sometimes, Sebastian wondered if his cousins saw him at all. It had been years since he’d given his first lecture, but neither of them had ever managed to reconcile themselves to his career as a scientist. That actually came out in their favor most days, as his career as a scientist was based on fraud and deceit. Still, he sometimes wondered if they ever took him seriously.

That was partially his choice. After all, he was so rarely serious.

And so now, he simply shrugged. “It shifts. At present, we’re arguing over the fact that I’ve been in love with her for half my life. This does not comport with her view of me, and so she wishes I had not told her.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s likely.”

Sebastian looked away. “Your opinion, dreadfully uninformed as it is, is noted and discarded.”

Robert let out a sigh. “Really, Sebastian. Talk sense and be serious.”

No. Of course they didn’t believe him. “Very well. Give me a moment.” He spun in a circle, putting his hands over his face as he did. He held his hands in place for a few dramatic heartbeats, and then flung his arms wide. “Behold! I am now Serious Sebastian. Serious Sebastian can say only Serious Things.” He scowled at them both. “Right now, Serious Sebastian wants to know why you are not bitterly ashamed to have forgotten Violet.”

“Right,” Robert said. “That’s a convincing representation of a serious man.”

Sebastian pointed a finger at the duke. “Serious Sebastian is not amused by your attempt to change the subject. Serious Sebastian insists that you stop arguing with me and go get Violet
right now.”

“Oh, come on, it can wait a minute. I’ve just poured champagne, and I thought we might have a toast before—”

It was one thing for Robert to shrug off Sebastian. Sebastian consciously tried to lighten things up, after all—a necessary role when his cousins were both too serious. But to shrug off Violet? Brittle, brilliant Violet, the one who had fostered the bond between Sebastian and Robert in the first place?

Sebastian took a step forward. “You want to see me serious?” He glared at Robert. His cousin was an inch taller than him, but when Sebastian took another step toward him, he blinked and backed away. “Here. I’m serious. Violet is upstairs in a room all alone. She doesn’t know anyone else here—nobody except Jane, who is busy tonight with her sister.” He jabbed a finger into Robert’s chest. “You’ve known her since you were four years old. And maybe you can’t remember, but I can. She made games for us when we were young. She had half of Eton playing cards by her rules, except they never knew they were hers.”

Robert frowned reluctantly. “I suppose there is something to that.”

“Stop supposing and use your brain. She’s widowed. She has no children. Her mother is…not warm. Her sister is a viper who does her utmost to make Violet feel inadequate.”

“Lily? Little Lily? Are we remembering the same girl?” Robert’s eyes narrowed. “She’s a little vapid, but sweet. I thought.”

“You’re a terrible judge of human nature,” Sebastian muttered. “We
are
her friends. Look at what she’s done for you. She put herself out to help Minnie survive those first years after you married her. And Jane—she befriended Jane the instant we realized Oliver was falling in love with her. And you just forgot she existed.”

“I…” Robert’s eyes dropped. “You’re right. That was bad of me. As soon as we toast—”

“None of that. Get Violet right this instant,” Sebastian snapped, “or I’m leaving this room.”

“Of course. But first—”

And that was the end of it. Sebastian wasn’t quite sure what came over him, but he simply held up one finger, interrupting his cousin. “Oh, look. The instant has passed.”

“Very funny, Sebastian.”

Ridiculous. A joke. Not serious. They’d never taken Sebastian seriously—and they’d never appreciated Violet, either.

Robert and Oliver had found each other at the age of twelve and called themselves brothers. Sebastian had always stood a little outside their friendship. He was the one who donned the comic mask, the one who made them laugh.

Sebastian didn’t usually blame them…much. Robert had been so dreadfully lonely; Oliver had been brought up with a family who, despite their sterling qualities, hadn’t prepared him to travel in higher social circles. Sebastian had his own brother; he hadn’t needed them the way they’d needed each other.

It was one thing to discount Sebastian—he was used to it. He expected it, courted it, even. But Violet? Nobody ever saw her. She made everything happen, and still she remained invisible even to the people she loved the most. Every slight that had ever been laid on him, she’d felt three hundredfold.

He was beyond furious. He had always thought “I couldn’t see straight” was a ridiculous turn of phrase, but the room narrowed around him, the banner floating over his head darkening. “Right,” he heard himself say from a great distance. “I’m done.”

He turned.

“What?” he heard Robert saying behind him. “What in the world was that?”

“I think he really
was
serious,” Oliver said.

Sebastian stalked away, slamming the door shut on them both.

A
POLITE RAP SOUNDED
on Violet’s door.

She blinked and looked up. Her eyes hurt—why did her eyes hurt?

Ah. Because it was almost full dark and she had been reading without a lamp. She hadn’t even noticed the fading of the light; it had come on so gradually that her eyes had strained and strained…

Another rap came at the door and she shook her head, discarding the question of light and reading. She remembered herself long enough to shut her copy of
La Mode Illustrée.

She hadn’t been perusing the woodcut fashion plates. But the size of the periodical was so perfect that she often brought one along. She could slice journal articles out and lay them between the pages. When she did, nobody ever paid attention to her reading.

She steeled herself for the sight of Sebastian, and when she had a sufficiently indifferent look on her face, she called out. “Come in.”

The door opened. It wasn’t Sebastian; it was Robert, and behind him, Oliver.

“Good heavens,” said Robert. “Why are you sitting up here all alone in the dark?”

“I was reading,” Violet explained.

“Without a lamp?”

“It was…engrossing,” Violet said. She folded her hands in front of her and raised her chin. So long as she acted as if her little foibles were ordinary, most people didn’t ask too many questions.

Robert glanced at the magazine on her desk, barely visible in the gathering gloom, and shook his head in confusion. “I…see. Well, Oliver and I are here because we’re having a little get-together of the Brothers Sinister tonight. We wanted you to come.”

She frowned at him. “I’m only an honorary member—”

They exchanged more pointed glances. Then Robert did his best to give her an engaging smile. “I don’t want to hear about you being only an honorary member. That is… I think…which is to say,
we
think…” He took a deep breath. “We’ve realized that calling you an honorary member is something of an insult. I’ve known you longer than almost anyone in the entire world. You’ve brought me through hard times, and, well… I’ve been an ass. I’m sorry.” And he extended his left hand to her.

Slowly, Violet reached out and shook his hand. She had no idea what he was apologizing for.

“I have been an ass,” he said again. “I
am
sorry. I hate feeling left out of anything, and to think that I did that to you…” He shook his head. “God. I really am sorry, Violet.”

“Don’t worry too much about it,” she said in puzzlement. “I usually don’t notice.”

“So you’ll come downstairs with us?”

Violet stood and smoothed out her skirts. “Of course I will. What does one do at a gathering of the Brothers Sinister, the night before one of the members marries? Is this going to be entirely proper?”

“Oh, no,” Oliver replied happily. “Tonight, we’re running a gambling hell. We plan to play deep.”

Violet raised an eyebrow. “You do?” she asked. “Does Jane know about this? Will you be staking any of her money?”

“Uh…” A smile played across Oliver’s face. “She won’t mind.”

Violet shook her head in bemusement and followed along.

She had never played cards with Oliver, but she had with Robert. Robert was simply terrible at cards. He had the potential to be very good—he kept a count on the cards and had an excellent grasp of strategy—but he would always get distracted by what
might
happen instead of concentrating on what was
likely
to happen. He had a tendency to convince himself that his hand was better than it was, that somehow, he could not lose with even middling cards because it would make a better story if he won. He played with great, reckless abandon. Luckily for him, he also never played for money.

Oliver, on the other hand… She glanced over at him. She suspected that he would be the opposite of his half-brother. He would play carefully. Too carefully. He’d hoard his best cards until it was too late for them to do any good.

“Oh, good,” Violet said, rubbing her hands together. “I don’t need any more money, but it can’t hurt, can it?”

Oliver and Robert exchanged amused glances.

“A little presumptuous, don’t you think?” Oliver said.

“It’s not a presumption,” Violet said. “It’s a demonstrated fact based on lengthy empirical evidence.”

Robert snorted. “I
have
become better since last we played.”

Proof that he hadn’t. If he had actually become any better, he’d have had the wits to withhold that information.

They led her to the private dining room downstairs. Oliver made a point of opening the door for her and holding her chair out as she sat. Robert asked what she would like to drink. They were being overly solicitous, and that was when Violet began to get suspicious.

She fixed them both with her most fearsome glare. “I thought this was a gathering of the Brothers Sinister.”

“It is!” Robert said, a little too jovially.

“Then where is Sebastian?”

He and Oliver exchanged glances. “Not…here,” Oliver finally said. “He’ll be back. I think.”

Violet folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, you did it again, did you?” she said.

“Did what?”

“That thing you do—you two are so tightly in each other’s pockets, and sometimes you don’t notice. You ignore Sebastian—”

“Ignore Sebastian! As if anyone ever could! Have you ever watched the man?”

“—and then pretend ignorance after you’ve completely left him out in the cold.” She sniffed. “That’s awful of you. I may be…a little uneasy around him at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can start without him.”