ATTRACTION WILL DO (1)

CHAPTER 11

Breanna could barely hold it in as they drove back. One minute she was hissing and sighing. Next, she shot fiery darts from her eyes at Evelina. Throughout the hour and a half that they spent on the road, Evelina did not miss a single hint of the Countess's irritation.

"Now listen to me," Breanna grabbed hold of Evelina's hand as soon as they stomped into the drawing room. "You will not try the queen like that. Never again. Do you hear me?"

Evelina could have flinched, but she chose not to, as the Countess' nails dug into her skin. "I don't see any harm in politely pointing out a literary mistake, mother."

"Well, there was everything wrong with this one, and you are never going to pull a stunt like that again. Got it?"

At that Breanna maliciously ripped Evelina's hand off. Just in time for Violetta to witness the scene.

"Auntie?" Violetta called softly.

"Don't look at me. This girl is just so... Argh! I can't deal." Breanna groaned in frustration and stormed out of there.

"What was that all about?" Violetta asked, looking at Evelina.

"It was just... um, nothing really. You know how Mother can be hysterical sometimes," Evelina said, trying to brush it off with a laugh.

"But she mentioned that you had done something to the Queen."

"If a simple correction is considered a felony in mother's books. I would..."

"You corrected the Queen?!" exclaimed Violetta.

"It was more a case of pointing out that synonyms were being used incorrectly," Evelina said in her defence as she began her walk deeper into the drawing room.

"But the queen, how did she take it?" asked Violetta as she caught up with her.

"I dare say the Queen is a conservative by nature. She didn't say anything else to make me sweat, apart from commenting on my forwardness and ending the breakfast abruptly." Evelina said as she let her backside sink into the long armchair; the same one that Violetta had been sitting in before.

"That does sound like a bad thing," Violetta said in a low voice, sitting down next to her.

"Perhaps it does, and perhaps it would help to get my aloofness about marrying the prince into the right ear much quicker," Evelina said. She picked up a leaflet that Violetta had been reading, and studied it with pretended concentration.

"Was this the plan all along? To annoy the Queen and get the Prince to cancel?" Violetta had to ask.

Her tone revealed her concern, and once again Evelina was grateful that she'd been kept in the dark about her intentions last night where she'd been.

"Call it what you like. It was really a spur-of-the-moment thing. What is this? What have you been reading? 'Matters Arising: Are people of colour structurally and systematically discriminated against? - The answer is YES!!!'? What's this, Violetta?"

"Oh, nothing. Erm…" Violetta immediately stole the flyer, tucking it between her breasts. "Just some tired talk about how the anti-racist movement in England was tainted by the rule of the current king."

"You call that nothing? Violetta, this is garbage. You shouldn't have to feed your mind with stuff like that. It is thanks to the current monarch that discrimination is now a thing of the past."

"I know, I know that, couz. I was just bored and found it lying around so I picked it up. I don't believe a word of it!" Violetta cried in defense.

"Darling, I know, but even if you were bored, you could try knitting or something like that." Evelina hinted with a smile.

"But I am pretty bad at knitting," Violetta protested.

"You can always give it another try?"

Violetta shrugged at this. "Why are you so against marrying the prince? I hear he is a good man," she asked instead.

"Maybe so, but there is something more that I look for in a man, and Prince Laith just doesn't have it."

"Is it... that thing they call 'the spark'? Connection? Love?" Violetta asked expectantly, but just as Evelina was about to start answering, Abigail suddenly stood at the door.

"Lady Evelina, a guest for you," the maidservant said.

"A guest? For me?" Both Evelina and Violetta exchanged quick glances as Abigail nodded. "Please, send them in," Evelina finally said.

~ IN BURNSBURY

"Bulls-eye!" Colin applauded behind him as he walked up the field to stand next to him, having seen the image of the riffle shooting off and hitting the target right on the red mark. "That hit was pretty good."

"Not as great as you coming to my house unannounced, Viscount. What brings you here?" Alexander groaned as he took off his shooting gear and left it behind to begin the long walk back to the house.

"I wonder what kind of greeting this is for a friend who has been away for a long time." Colin said, calmly keeping up his pace.

Alexander laughed in response to this.

"How come I didn't know that I've been dealing with ghosts lately?"

"Not even as a joke, Montague. I was referring to me coming here, not to the fact that we saw each other last night in the Red Light District," Colin said.

"Oh, my mistake." Alexander turned to him and smiled cynically. They had neared the lawn that looked out over the side of the castle. "You're right, you haven't visited for ages. So if you're here, it can only mean one thing."

"You're wrong if that's the first explanation you can come up with." Colin sneered at him.

"How am I wrong?" Alexander laughed again. "If you're not here to talk about girl problems, I'll be damned. Come with me."

Alexander led the way right up to the double doors on the side that opened out into the castle. After winding the long corridors to find the stairs, they climbed to his bedroom. Then he led Colin out into the open-air gallery that arched out from it.

Make no mistake about it, the castle was big enough, with lots of rooms and parlours. But for Alexander, Colin was more like family. And since he hadn't been around for a while, he felt compelled to give him a special, private welcome.

The late morning air was also quite chilly. As they settled into adjacent armchairs facing the sun, Alexander helped Colin to a glass of Scotch. "Why are you here?" was his prompt question.

"To talk about some girl," Colin revealed as he took a swig of his drink.

Alexander stifled a laugh. "I wasn't wrong then." He also drank of his Scotch.

"Sure. Have a good laugh, but if it's your Cassandra I'm here for?"

Alexander's smile faded, as did his willingness to swallow anything. "Why did you have to bring that up?"

"Because someone has to keep you in check, so that you don't end up being as dictatorial and as masochistic as your predecessor."

"I'm nothing like my father." Alexander's eyes darkened, teeth clenched.

"You will become like him if you hope to keep this story going. You were attacked and then robbed? What do you think her fate will be if the authorities get hold of her on your false account?"

The Viscount had a point. "I thought it would help me find her faster," Alexander said in a low growl.

"Fix this. Or you won't deserve her love, which you now desperately crave."

"I long for something with her, but maybe love is too strong a word? Attraction will do. I'm helplessly drawn to her." Alexander let out a sigh.

"So you like her, so much so that you're willing to court her? I have never seen you show so much interest in a woman. And part of me wants to credit your ego for being so persistent about finding her." Colin leaned back in his chair.

"What do you mean by that?" Alexander said.

"For the first girl to ever reject you, I bet you're so into her because your manhood was hurt badly."

"What is the language that you are speaking now?"

"Chastity, my dear Duke. If what she said and did last night is anything to go by, she's as pure as a lamb."

"And?"

"To win her heart, you must try to speak the same language."

"Is there something you really want to tell me?" Alexander's voice was harsh. He was growing impatient with the Viscount's Mary-go-round style of speech.

"Lady Featherstonehaugh is holding a seasonal ball in the coming fortnight." Colin declared, amusement in his eyes.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Well, for one thing, your Cassandra would be there. And considering how easily the debutantes will swoon around you like bees, you're going to need to do a lot more to flirt with her if you hope to get her to like you that day."

"She has no choice but to like me. I am every woman's dream. What's more, you're unsure about the former." Alexander said.

"About her coming to this ball? Beats me." Colin pretended to be lost in thought for a bit and then he went on, "I spent a long time thinking about it last night. Why would a young girl visit the red light district so late at night and then go to such lengths to fight off the Almighty Stallion - Alexander the Great? Curiosity? Passions?

"No. The right answer came to me just before I closed my eyes. She was a damsel in distress, obviously fallen into the wrong hands, and you, my friend, may well have been the final trigger that made her lose all hope in men."

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