“As always, you’ve outdone yourself, Antoinette. I’m sure he’ll be surprised.”
She beamed and bounced giddily, her short dress dancing about her curves. “Come on, Ev, let’s get
a drink.”
Lucian’s hand tightened over her gloved fingers. She glanced back at him. Drawing her close, he
pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered, “I have plans for tonight. Three drinks and that’s it. Pace
yourself.”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, but didn’t argue. He was in charge and she was a lightweight. Besides,
she’d much rather see what he had in store for her than get plastered. Last time she had too much to
drink she’d made a fool of herself.
As they went to the bar, Evelyn forgot she was in Toni’s home. Everything was so grandiose. The
splendid guests laughed and the quartet played. Even the bartender seemed to be a bit in character.
Toni tittered on about how anxious she was for Jamie to arrive. Soon a guest Evelyn didn’t know
pulled Lucian’s sister away.
Servers began to butler hors d’oeuvres, and she scanned the now-full condo for Lucian. When she
didn’t see him right away, she stepped closer to the wall, trying to blend with a feathery palm. There
had to be over a hundred guests there.
She took note of every man connected to a tuxedo, looking for his handsome face. When she spotted
dark hair, she smiled then stilled as the man turned slowly from the woman he was speaking with. It
wasn’t Lucian, but he also was no stranger.
Slade.
Her smile faltered as those piercing blue eyes connected with hers. He tipped his head ever so
slightly in acknowledgement of her presence and she tightened her lips. Not only had that man never
liked her, he’d betrayed Lucian. She was half tempted to march over to him and tell him just how
unwanted his acknowledgement of her presence was. Screw him.
As always, he seemed to pay her no mind. He turned and she watched his head move as though he
were looking for someone. She had a feeling they were searching for the same person.
“He’s on his way up! Everyone, quiet!” Toni yelled.
The guests and quartet hushed as everyone collectively turned to the door where Dugan waited. Just
then, she spotted Lucian stepping in from a balcony door she hadn’t noticed. A man whispered in his
ear and Lucian nodded, his eyes scanning the area. He was looking for her most likely. She turned
back to Slade and saw that he had indeed been searching for Lucian. His gaze welded to Evelyn’s lover
in a way that had her bristling protectively.
She abandoned her feathered shelter and found her way to Lucian’s side. He smiled and took her
hand. “Alistair, this is Evelyn.”
“Please to meet you, Evelyn. I’ve heard lovely things about you.”
The man clasped her gloved fingers lightly and she replied in kind, though she’d never heard of him
before.
There was a knock, and rather than ask for a password, Dugan opened the door wide. The room
bellowed a heartfelt “Surprise!” and Jamie’s jade eyes went wide, his fair skin flaming a bright shade
of red. Toni clapped and laughed, then threw her arms around him. He smiled tightly and gently
pushed her away.
“Well,” he said, with a grin that seemed slightly forced. “This is certainly unexpected.”
The guests laughed and Toni wound her arm through his and escorted him through the crowd. The
chatter continued to escalate at a gentle roar. Evelyn caught sight of Isadora and whispered to Lucian
that she’d be right back.
She made her way through the crowd, and Isadora smiled when she saw her. Lucian’s sisters were
so very different. While Toni was a bottle of energy and youth, Isadora was a tower of elegance.
She wore an emerald gown trimmed in gold. Her dark hair was slicked back into a simple bun that
only a woman with such elegant bone structure could pull off. She didn’t have the accessories some of
the other women opted to wear. Yet, in Evelyn’s mind she was the most stunning woman in the room.
It struck her as odd that Isadora was always alone.
“Isadora,” she greeted.
Lucian’s sister smiled and kissed her cheek. “Evelyn, you look stunning. Are you enjoying
yourself?”
“Yes. This is incredible.”
“Toni loves to put on a party. I think Shamus would like to strangle her, but he’ll get over it. She
means well.”
They laughed and chatted about the guests and touched on her plans to visit Europe in the upcoming
months. There was something mysterious about Lucian’s older sister, but not in a suspicious way. She
radiated kindness and always seemed to put Evelyn at ease, whereas Lucian’s younger sister seemed to
fill her with a sense of urgency.
The Patras siblings were like seasons. Lucian was beautiful, but could freeze someone with his icy
stares and intense moods. He was the winter while Toni was summer, vibrant and bursting with light.
She couldn’t decide if Isadora was spring or autumn. While she was nurturing and maternal, there
seemed something innately sad about her. That unnamable sadness was what reminded Evelyn of fall.