Afterthought by M J Marlow (red white royal blue .txt) 📖

to Luc. “He is still under sentence.” She saw him wince. “Unless you managed to see what I asked you to look for, Monsieur Luc?” “I admit that I am mystified,” Luc replied, even as he went to sit next to Daria; “but she is amystery I am quite willing to unravel.” He raised her hand to his lips and his heart flipped over when she smiled on him. The image he had just had of Evangeline was repeated with the golden angel at his side and he was enthralled. “Lady Daria. You are looking quite lovely this morning.” Paul went to stand next to Yvette and planted a discreet kiss on her cheek. Evangeline noted her companion’s slight blush and she was enchanted. She liked them both and wished them a long and happy life together. “Madame Martine,” she said as she looked to the woman; “have you anything in day wear we could see? Dresses and gowns are quite lovely, but there are times they are not…” “Martine!” an imperious voice cut across her words. They all turned to see a cold-eyed matron standing on the landing. The large-figured woman was dressed in a shade of purple that clashed with her overly made-up face and stiff silver hair, and there was a fur stole around her shoulders. In her arms she carried a small Pekingese. “When was your salon turned into a sorority house?” “Madame la Duchesse!” Martine smiled as she approached the silver-haired lady. “May I present you to the Princess Roza and her companions?” “Roza?” The woman looked down her nose at the girls and tried to decide which was the princess. She knew it immediately as she saw Evangeline. “Your Highness,” she bowed her head. “You look exactly like your dear mother. I should have known you at once.” “I cannot say the same for you, Madame Duchesse,” Evangeline replied a bit tightly. She could see from the expressions on the other young people’s faces that they did not care for this odious woman either. The fact that she had not been invited to her birthday ball was enough of a censure for Evangeline. This was not a person her father wanted her associating with. “We are obviously in your way. We shall depart now.” She waved the woman’s protests away. “We have an appointment elsewhere. Madame Martine,” she turned to smile at the woman. “Thank you for showing us your beautiful gowns.” “You are most kind, Your Highness,” Martine bowed low and smiled at the girl in a way that nearly brought a giggle from Evangeline’s lips. “Madame Clermont shall contact you to arrange another appointment for us,” Evangeline told her. “She will know then what I am looking for in casual wear.” Evangeline and her entourage left the salon and she noted that Luc did not look at all put out at having to remain at Daria’s side. She had not liked the Duchess’ haughty manner. She had no time for people who acted as if they were better than other people simply because they held a rank or title. A golden haired man with the chiseled features of a Norse god walked up to her and bowed. In his hand he held a single red rose. Paul frowned as the man waited expectantly. “Your Highness,” he said tightly as he turned to Evangeline. “May I present Mikhael Evanovich?” Evangeline nodded absently, her eyes locked to the handsome face. For some reason she was having a hard time seeing beyond the face to the truth and it bothered her. “He is a cultural attaché from the Russian embassy.” “We have a friend in common, Your Highness,” Mikael smiled as he held out the rose. “I was quite grieved to hear about the horrors he subjected you to.” He put the rose in her unresisting hand. “I always thought better of Landry than that.” He leaned close as if to kiss her cheek and his voice was cold. “He is very annoyed, Princess. He is not going to be gentle when he comes for you.” Evangeline whimpered and let the rose fall. The mask fell in that moment and she knew the truth. This man was one of Edward’s associates sent to deliver a warning: Landry was not dead. She fled, leaving her companions to make her excuses. They caught up with her half a block away and no one said a word s as she struggled to control her reaction to what had just happened. When she was calm, they walked down the street to the gallery and spent an hour admiring the artwork. Evangeline saw her brother coming out of the back talking to a tall stick thin man dressed in a robe sporting all the colors of the rainbow. Sebastian saw her and smiled. He said something to the man and the rainbow turned his head with its ornate tattoos of several famous paintings on his bald scalp and beamed at her. He came towards her with his arms outspread. “Princess Evangeline!” he beamed as he kissed her hands. “Your adoring brother has just been telling me about you.” He pulled her away from the others to where Sebastian was waiting. “He failed to mention that you are a goddess.” “Sister,” Sebastian smiled as he kissed her on the forehead. “This is Maximilian Otto. Father asked me to approach him about finding a teacher for you.” They went into the office where she saw one of her sketches. “I have shown him some samples of your work and he agrees with us that you are quite brilliant.” “But they are nothing,” Evangeline shook her head. “Sketching is just something I do to amuse myself.” “Nonsense! These are the work of a person of great talent and insight,” Max argued as he sat behind the desk. The flamboyance was gone now; he was all business. “They are so good, Princess; that you should consider putting them on exhibit. There is great feeling you display for each of your subjects that is there for anyone with eyes to see.” He could see she was unconvinced. “I would like you to consider putting a few of these in other mediums. You have worked with oils and watercolors before?” “No,” Evangeline shook her head. “I never thought of my drawing as anything special…” “Than whoever taught you did you a great disservice, Princess,” Max said tightly. “Such a gift should be shared with the world; not kept as a private ‘amusement’.” He looked her over closely. “You do not appear to me to be a selfish child, so I will take on the task of teaching you about the different mediums personally. Our first lesson shall be tomorrow at three at your residence. Expect me.” “But, I…” Maximilian had already turned away. Sebastian picked up the portfolio and took Evangeline back to the others. They were all quite pleased to hear his report. And they all agreed, to Evangeline’s amazement, that she should think seriously about studying. Sylvie had never made an issue out of her sketches like this. Evangeline had always been of the opinion that they were meaningless and of no value to anyone but herself and her Grandmother Deborah. She remembered Grandmother now and realized that she had seen, back when Evangeline was only eight, what these people were telling her now; she had talent. They moved to a nearby restaurant and took a table outdoors where they could watch the people go by. Sebastian’s phone went off as they talked about the birthday party. “Doctor Roza,” he said without thinking. He smiled as the person calling told him what he obviously wanted to hear. “We’ll be right there.” He hung up and turned to Evangeline. “Sister. We have a new boarder at the stables who would like to say hello to you.” He nodded to the others. “You are all welcome to come along.” Everyone came along and it was a veritable convoy that arrived at the Roza estate and parked in front of the stables. Sebastian took Evangeline by the hand and led her to a corral where a palomino Arabian mare was strutting and shaking her pale mane in the air. She was the most beautiful horse Evangeline had ever seen in her life. Evangeline walked towards her slowly and the horse lowered her head to look at the intruder. “Hello you beautiful girl,” Evangeline said softly as she opened the gate and slipped inside. “And who do you belong to?” “That would be you, little sister,” Sebastian told her. Evangeline turned to look at him and he nodded. “Our uncle Silvano bought her for you. Her name is Shalimar.” He watched his sister and the horse closely. “Her breeder says she is partial to apples.” “Apples are very good for growing girls,” Evangeline nodded as she turned her eyes back on the mare. She laid her hand on the mare’s nose so that the horse could learn her scent and kept her voice low and gentle. “Pretty Shalimar. Do you want to be my friend?” She laughed as the mare nosed her pocket. She backed away and Sebastian handed her a sliced apple. She held one up and the mare took a step towards her, nostrils quivering eagerly. “Would you like this, pretty girl?” Evangeline went to get a bridle and harness. “Let me put this on?” The mare backed up and shook her head and Evangeline laughed in delight. This was no pushover, this horse. She would be a challenge. She managed to get the bridle and harness on after three slices of apple and then just led the mare around the corral as she stroked her neck and murmured to the horse gently. When she finally left the corral, she was certain that the mare was her friend. Evangeline slipped out after the last slice was given and threw her arms around Sebastian’s neck. “She’s perfect!” Evangeline laughed in delight. “When can we go riding?” “Tomorrow,” Sebastian told her; “after breakfast. Goliath will be arriving then and we’ll both need to be here to soothe that old monster.” He saw her confusion. “Uncle Sterling gave him to me as a birthday gift. I seem to be the only person the horse will listen to.” “So tell me, brother dear,” Evangeline smiled as she linked arms with him and they went back to the cars; “when is your birthday?” “The same day as yours, sister,” Sebastian smiled at her. He nodded at her look of disbelief. “It is true. Mother and Father gave me a beautiful and talented baby sister for my birthday sixteen years ago, and I have needed no other presents since.” They arrived back at the castle and Evangeline went up to change for dinner. Sebastian and Paul went to find Emilio and show him the note Evangeline had received. She had just finished with her hair when there was a knock on the door. She went into the sitting room and no one was there. She went to the doors and no one was outside of them, including the guards. Something was very wrong. She picked up the receiver on the phone and no one was on the other end. Evangeline knew her brother had left with Paul and her cousins were out for the night with the Grimaldi children, so she didn’t look for them. But there should be servants and guards around. She had no one to tell her what to do so she made her own decision and went down the servant’s stairway to the guards’ barracks. The door was barred on the outside. “Princess,” Emilio smiled as she removed the bar and stepped into the room. She saw all the guards inside. “How did you get here without alerting them?” “They probably expected me to use the main staircase,” Evangeline told him. “Sometimes being underestimated can work to one’s advantage.” She saw them strapping on their pistols. “What is