A New Affair

It's time.

Tristan has delivered the letter to Melita. His father, Lord Thoricus, is at court, though reluctantly. Harris is back from his travels, which I now realize had nothing to do with business at all but were an excuse for his illegal activities as the bandit.

I still can hardly believe he has the capability and brain capacity for such deception. But it doesn't matter. Harris will be exposed soon enough.

Tristan arrives at my rooms at half past eight.

"She just excused herself from our outing in the gardens, saying she was fatigued and would turn in early tonight. She's taking the bait, Loralie!" Rhouben's excitement brings a smile to my lips. "What do we do now?"

"I've bribed a servant to follow Harris all day and send me regular letters with his whereabouts. What's next is for me to get him to Melita's rooms."

Tristan's legs fidget under his well-tailored pants. "How are you going to do that? Everyone's heard of the way he dismissed you in the entrance hall."

I toss my hair over my shoulder. "By appealing to his better nature. Don't you worry about that. Do you remember your part?"

Tristan wipes his brow with a handkerchief. "I tell my father Melita said she wasn't feeling well. I ask if he would like to accompany me to check on her in her rooms. I need to act as though I'm concerned for my bride-to-be." He grimaces as he says the words.

"You can do this," I tell him. "But remember, timing is everything. The good news is your father and Melita are staying on the same floor. Still, you must wait until you have Harris and me in your sights."

Tristan lets out a deep breath as he pockets his handkerchief. "All right. I'm ready."

He leaves me to retrieve his father, the Viscount of Thoricus, and I put on my best smile before seeking out Harris, a small bouquet of flowers in my hands. The last letter I received said he was turning in to his rooms for the evening.

Good thing I now know right where they are. He answers after two knocks. The earl is still dressed, and his face falls upon seeing me.

"Lady Kensington, I don't want to see you." He starts to close the door in my face.

"Lord Eliades, please wait a moment, won't you? I have something I need to say."

He stops with the door cracked open only wide enough for his face to be visible. I take a deep breath. If this doesn't work, I suppose I could always pull his bandit mask from my pocket and make him do what I need. But something tells me Harris wouldn't make a great actor.

"I admire your good deeds greatly," I start, careful not to wince at the outright lie. "I've been thinking about my actions of late and how I hurt you. I wish to change. No one is a more devout follower of the gods, and I can think of no man more righteous than yourself. I hoped you might be willing to help me change my character." I try for a humble tone, but since I've no idea what that sounds like, I'm not so sure that I manage it.

I relax as Orrin smiles, though faintly. "This is most admirable of you, Loralie. May I call you Loralie?"

"Please do."

"The gods are always willing to forgive. It is mortals like myself who need more time to heed their example."

"It is I who am in need of an example," I hurry to say.

"Yours, in fact. Listen, I've always been at odds with Lady Freson."

"Why? She's so delightful." If one considers the sourness of a lemon delightful.

"I wish to do something nice for her," I continue, ignoring his question. "I've just learned that she's retired early and is ill. I thought I might take these to her." I lift up the flowers.

"But I am not so sure I have the courage to go alone. Not after how terrible I've been to her in the past. Will you accompany me?"

"You make it so impossible to say no to you."

I beam. "Thank you!"

I put my arm in his before we take the stairs to the floor below.

"Tell me of your latest business trip," I say as we head down the corridor for Melita's rooms. Harris doesn't even notice Tristan standing outside his father's door as he tells me lies of selling crops and tending to his duties as landlord of various tenants. I nod politely and offer a few appropriate responses.

Tristan immediately knocks on his father's door as we round the corner out of sight. I hear the faint taps echoing behind us.

When Melita's room is finally in sight, I pause with Harris outside of it.

"Would you hold these for just a moment?"

Harris takes the bouquet without question, ever the gentleman. The corridor is far too quiet. Where is Tris? Perhaps his father is being difficult to coerce out of his room.

"Aren't you going to knock?" harris asks as we just stand there.

"In just a moment."

Awkward silence fills the space.

Harris cocks his head. "What are we waiting for?" Where the hell is tristan? We cannot go in without knowing he's right behind us.

"I just need a moment to gather my courage."

Harris nods in understanding. "Doing the right thing is not always easy. And being the bigger person, the first to reach out with kindness, takes great strength of character. You needn't fear, though, Loralie. Doing the right thing is never the wrong answer."

Harris has an oddly twisted sense of right and wrong. He lies to me about his business trip. He steals from his peers. Are those not wrong? And then I hear it. Soft footsteps on the carpet and the deep baritone of male voices.

Oh, thank the devils.

"Thank you," I say. "I needed to hear that. However, perhaps you wouldn't mind entering the room first? Maybe I could follow your lead in this instance?"

Sympathy alights in his eyes. "Of course." He turns and taps three times on the door.

"Come in!" calls Melita's bright voice from within.

Harris lets himself into the room, and I continue walking down the corridor as the voices grow loud behind me. "The poor dear!" Tristan's father is saying. "Do you suppose we should have the cook send something up?"

"Best to check on her first," Rhouben says. "If it's a stomachache, we don't want to make things worse by sending up food."

"Quite right," the viscount responds.

I round the next corner as I hear the door to the room open.

"What the fuck!" the viscount booms. "Melita! What— what are you doing?" There's a sound of shuffling feet.

"I—I don't know what's happening." That's Harris "You were kissing my son's fiancée! That's what was happening."

A voice clears. "I'm sorry, Lord Thoricus," Melita says. "I didn't mean to disrespect you or your son."

"Oh, this is far past disrespectful. How dare you ruin yourself while engaged to my son! What would your father say? This is a horrid scandal, and we will have no part of it! I can't believe you would tell him you were ill so you could meet up with your lover!"

"I still don't know what's happening," Harris says. "I came to support Lady Kensington. Lady Fresonjust threw herself at me!"

"Lady Kensington? Are you dallying with two promised women, then, Eliades? Shame on you," Thoricus says. "And you, Melita? I can't even imagine how disappointed your father will be. Come, Tristan. Your engagement to Lady Fresonis officially over."

And then the two men depart the way they came, Tristan with far much more spring in his step, I imagine.

"Are those flowers for me?" Melita asks.

"Yes, but they're not from me," Harris says. "They're from Loralie. She should be right out in the hall. I—I have to go."

I still can't see anything from where I hide around the corner of the corridor, but the viscount must have left the door to Melita's rooms open, allowing me to hear the voices of the two still inside.

"No, we must talk," Melita says. "I never knew you cared for me so! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Was it seeing me with Tristan? Did it make you so jealous? Oh, Harris you are one of the most handsome men at court! Of course I would choose you over Tristan. Tristan doesn't care for me one whit."

"You are mistaken. I don't even know your given name."

"But of course you do! You wrote it in your letter."

"My letter?"

There's a sound like paper unfolding.

"It's remarkably close to my handwriting and that's my seal, but I'm afraid I didn't write this."

"But of course you did!" Melita's voice grows frantic.

"I'm so sorry for your distress, but here." I imagine him handing her the flowers. "I must go find Lady Kensington."

"Lady Kensington? Why would you bring her into this?"

I take off down the corridor, making myself scarce before Harris has a chance to discover me.