Chapter 162

Draven walked to the door and opened it, revealing Eugenia standing on the other side.

"Not even a day, Draven?" Eugenia clicked her tongue as she stood in the doorway. "Not even a full day of marriage, and you’re already keeping your wife all to yourself. Greedy, greedy man."

Draven closed his eyes briefly, gathering what little patience he had left.

"This better be important, or so help me." Draven grumbled petulantly. He had been a breath away from kissing Cassandra, and now his sister stood between him and any hope of resuming where they had left off.

Eugenia swept past him into the sitting room, seemingly oblivious to the murderous look he sent her way. Her gaze found Cassandra, and her teasing smile widened.

"Mother sent me to fetch you both. We still have guests downstairs, in case you have forgotten."

"We have not forgotten," Draven replied. "We shall be down shortly."

Eugenia made no move to leave. Instead, she glanced between them, plainly delighted by the interruption she had caused. Draven waited for her to take the hint. She seemed determined not to.

"Was there something else?" he asked testily.

She just shrugged. "Not particularly."

"Then perhaps you might leave us for a moment."

"But I have only just arrived."

Eugenia regarded him with the serene satisfaction of someone who knew she was winning.

She was quickly becoming his least favourite sister. Lorelei, by comparison, was an absolute sweetheart and would never dream of subjecting him to such deliberate torture.

Cassandra was still reeling from the shock of what she had nearly allowed to happen moments ago. Had Eugenia not interrupted, she would have let him kiss her, and God help her, she would have enjoyed every moment of it.

Surely dwelling on it could be good for her, so she distracted herself by watching the back and forth happening between Draven and his sister. She had never seen anyone so thoroughly frustrate Draven with so little effort.

At last, Draven gave up.

"Very well. We shall come down now."

"Splendid." Eugenia turned to Cassandra, her manner becoming conspiratorial. "Tell me, do you have any engagements tomorrow morning?"

"None that I know of." Cassandra replied.

"Excellent. There are still parts of the house you haven’t seen, and I would like to show you around properly," Eugenia said. "You cannot very well be expected to settle into a new home without knowing where everything is."

"That would be lovely. Thank you." Cassandra was touched by her consideration.

Draven shot his sister one final dark look before taking his leave, evidently recognising that she had found another means of depriving him of more time with his wife.

Cassandra gave him an apologetic smile, though she was not entirely sorry, not after what happened here. One moment alone with him and she nearly lost her sense completely. Lord knows what next she might be tempted to do if she ever left unsupervised around him.

Eugenia turned towards the door, and Cassandra followed her. As they left the sitting room, she cast about for something to say to fill the silence. A question came to mind, one that she had considered several times before.

"Is your husband really not coming?" Cassandra asked. "I had hoped to meet him. Her grace mentioned that he hadn’t sent word of coming to Caldor, but I wasn’t certain whether he might still arrive."

Eugenia’s smile lost some of its luster.

"He is overseas," she replied dismissively. "And it is hardly the first important family occasion he has missed."

She spoke lightly, as though the matter were of little consequence, but Cassandra heard the tinge of bitterness beneath her words. There was clearly more to the situation than she was privy to.

"I hope I’ll have the opportunity to meet him eventually," Cassandra said.

"I’m sure you will."

Eugenia moved on without elaborating, and Cassandra did not press her. She had only just joined the family; she would not pry into a matter she knew nothing about merely to satisfy her curiosity.

When they returned to the gathering, several guests were still gathered in conversation. Cassandra exchanged greetings with a lady she had met earlier, then noticed a dark-haired man standing near the fireplace.

She recognised him as the cousin Draven had been displeased to find at the celebration, the very man whose unexpected arrival had led to an argument between Draven and his mother.

Cassandra had never intended to overhear their conversation, but circumstances had conspired against her, leaving her with knowledge she was now uncertain how to broach with her husband. She hardly knew where to begin, much less how to raise the subject without making matters worse.

"Is that your cousin?" she asked Eugenia.

Her companion followed her gaze, her expression changing the moment she spotted the man in question.

"Yes. It would seem so." Something in Eugenia’s manner shifted, turning colder, less friendly.

It was a subtle shift, but Cassandra caught it nonetheless. She was beginning to suspect that there was more to Simon’s presence in the family than she had initially understood.

"Would you introduce us?"

Eugenia regarded her for a moment before nodding. "Of course."

She led Cassandra towards Simon, clearing her throat to draw his attention. He turned to them, his gaze passing briefly over Eugenia before settling on Cassandra.

"Simon, allow me to introduce Cassandra, Draven’s wife and the newest addition to the family." Eugenia’s smile was courteous but brittle.

Cassandra noticed this as well but she refrained from commenting on it.

Between Draven’s evident dislike of his cousin and Eugenia’s unexpected coldness, Cassandra was beginning to understand that Simon was a rather sore point in the family.

Simon bowed and took the hand Cassandra offered, clasping it briefly before releasing it.

"I’m charmed to make your acquaintance. I’ve heard a good deal about you." He drawled, effecting the polite manners of a seasoned gentleman.

"I wish I could say the same," Cassandra replied, keeping her tone pleasant. "Your name has scarcely been mentioned in my hearing."

His lips curved with amusement, as though he found her candour rather entertaining. "That is hardly surprising. Your husband is not my greatest admirer."

Cassandra hardly expected him to be so blunt and matter of fact.

"Nevertheless, I’m glad we’ve had the opportunity to meet."

"Likewise. Though I suspect your husband would disagree."

Before Cassandra could respond, Simon’s attention shifted towards someone approaching them. She followed his gaze and spotted Draven crossing the room, his displeasure evident in the set of his brows and narrowed eyes.

Draven stopped beside her and offered his arm. "Come, my dear. There are others I wish you to meet."

Cassandra accepted his arm without protest. Draven hardly spared Simon a cursory glance before turning away, dismissing him with such complete indifference that he might as well have been an insignificant stain on the floor.

Without a word to his cousin, he led Cassandra away as though their brief exchange had never occurred.

She glanced at her husband, curiosity stirring. She had known he disliked Simon, but witnessing the hostility firsthand left her with more questions than answers.

Unfortunately, with so many guests still gathered around them, this was hardly the place to ask them.

Whatever his reasons, Draven made certain she remained at his side for the rest of the afternoon. Cassandra soon realised that his attentiveness had more to do with preventing Simon from approaching her again.

The celebration continued, although the number of guests gradually dwindled as the afternoon gave way to evening. By the time the remaining guests began gathering their belongings, her cheeks ached from smiling, and she had grown weary

She was therefore grateful when Octavia approached her with an affectionate smile.

"You must be tired, my dear. It has been a long day."

"A little," Cassandra admitted. The wedding, followed by hours of socializing, had left her completely worn out.

"Then you ought to retire. There is no reason for you to remain downstairs until the last guest has departed, especially when there is scarcely anyone left."

Relief washed over Cassandra at the suggestion. She had been reluctant to excuse herself without permission, uncertain of the expectations that came with her new position in the family, but Octavia had spared her the trouble of asking.

"Thank you, Your Grace," she said gratefully.

"Oh, none of that, please. You are my son’s wife now. You should call me ’mother’ from now on," Octavia instructed.

Cassandra offered her a sweet smile. "Of course. Thank you, mother. I shall take my leave, then."

With that, she excused herself and made her way upstairs to her private chambers, eager to shed her wedding gown and exchange it for something more comfortable.

Nora and Rachel were waiting in her bedchamber when she arrived. Seeing their familiar faces brought her a measure of comfort, easing some of the unfamiliarity of her new surroundings. Having her lady’s maids beside her made the prospect of settling in seem considerably less daunting.

They came forward to assist her with her gown, carefully unfastening the intricate buttons and loosening the fabric that had kept her dressed in splendour for most of the day.