Chapter One
Stunned, Reid stood there, not sure what to say or do. Finn nudged her hand, trying to get her to pet his head again. However, she couldn’t spare a thought for the dog because this woman—Anna—was her mother. Reid was certain of it.
“Why don’t you come inside so we can discuss the matter?” Anna said.
Duke Ellington shifted his weight from foot to foot while watching his daughter, not bothering to offer any explanation. Had he known Anna—Brianna—was alive this entire time? Or was he just as stunned as Reid was? She had so many questions, but she didn’t know where to start.
“Reid?” Duke Ellington said.
“Give her a moment,” Anna whispered. “She appears to be in shock.”
Reid did not want or need a minute to compose herself. And this woman had no right to presume to know what was best for Reid. Fury started to rise as a plethora of emotions warred with one another.
“Duke Ellington,” Dexter said, his loud voice cutting through the quiet evening. “Would you be so kind as to show us to our rooms? It has been a long, trying two days. Once we’ve had a chance to settle in, we can talk.”
The duke nodded before heading into the manor.
Colbert ordered a couple of stable hands to take the horses to the barn.
Finn barked and sprinted inside.
Dexter placed his large hand on Reid’s back, ushering her up the steps and through the front door. They went straight to the staircase, then up to the second floor. Reid walked of her own accord, not even aware she was moving. Anger, happiness, fear, and more anger consumed her. How could her mother be alive?
“Ackley, you can have this room,” Duke Ellington said. “And Gordon can take the room across from him.” He turned to face Reid and Dexter. “Are you two married?”
Reid opened her mouth, planning to tell her father that the king’s announcement of Henrick’s death had interrupted the wedding ceremony. She still couldn’t believe Eldon had tried to assassinate Ackley, blaming the Knights for Henrick’s death. She rubbed her temples, a headache forming.
“Yes,” Dexter said, surprising Reid. “We’ll be staying in the same room.”
Duke Ellington nodded, then opened another door. “You two are in here. You have one hour. Then I want to discuss what happened over supper.”
Reid entered the room, not even sparing a glance at her father. After removing her heavy cape and tossing it on a chair in the corner, she observed the single bed, nightstand, two armoires, and wash basin. Everything had a subtle elegance to it.
The door clicked shut. Dexter unclasped his cape, folding it and setting it aside before stretching out on the bed. Stubble covered his usually impeccable chin.
Reid crawled onto the bed, sitting beside him. “Why did you tell my father we’re married?” Duke Ellington would discover the truth soon enough.
His eyes intense, Dexter scrutinized her, making her stomach flutter. “I don’t want you in a room alone right now.” He reached out, taking hold of her hand. “We need to stick together. I’m not sure who we can trust.”
Everything was a mess. Her own mother, the leader of the Knights, had been lying to Reid this entire time.
“You looked like you were about to attack Anna, so I got you out of there. Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
What was she thinking? Flopping onto her back so she could stare at the ceiling instead of the man beside her, she tried organizing her jumbled thoughts. Only, she couldn’t. There were too many warring for attention. “My mother’s not dead.” Anna had been alive and well all these years. “I think my father knew.” There wasn’t any other conclusion—not since he’d gone to see the leader of the Knights, and he was here with Anna.
“Did Duke Ellington ever hint at or give any indication she might be alive?”
“No. Never.” A tear slid from the corner of Reid’s eye. Her mother had abandoned them. Why? To serve a cause? To lead the Knights? Was being a woman in northern Marsden so deplorable she’d had to leave her husband and five young daughters? Reid punched the bed. Anger and hurt mixed together, making her frustrated and confused.
“Maybe you need to talk to your parents,” Dexter said. “Allow them to explain before you draw your own conclusions.” He rolled onto his side, facing her.
Reid felt him watching her. She kept her eyes focused on the ceiling, trying not to cry. It didn’t work. The tears started falling. “I’m hurt.” An ache bloomed in her chest.
“I’d be hurt, too.” He reached out, wiping her tears away.
She rolled onto her side to face him, studying the man she’d feared only a few weeks ago.
His right hand cupped her left cheek. “Have you considered the possibility that Ackley first came to Ellington to seek you out for a specific reason?”
The room went unnaturally quiet. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe he didn’t stumble upon you as you’d thought. Maybe your mother sent him to recruit you as a Knight.” Dexter’s hand slid over Reid’s shoulder and down her arm, taking hold of her fingers.
She hadn’t considered that.
“Reid.” Dexter licked his lips, his eyes darkening as intensity shone through.
Her breath caught, and she leaned forward.
“I hardly think now’s the time to be cuddling in bed,” Ackley said as he sauntered into the room, not even bothering to knock.
Reid flew upright. “What are you doing in here?”
Gordon entered behind Ackley, shutting the door. “We need to talk.” Gordon scanned the room, looking everywhere but at Reid.
Dexter sat up, propping himself against the headboard. “While I do agree we need to talk, I wanted a couple of minutes alone with Reid.”
“Just a couple?” Ackley smirked as he leaned against the wash basin, folding his arms.
“Reid just discovered her mother is alive,” Dexter stated. “I hardly think now is the time for snide comments. Wouldn’t you agree, cousin?” He cocked his head, watching Ackley.
Ackley glanced between Dexter and Reid. “You know you’re not married yet, don’t you?”
“Shut it, Ackley,” Gordon murmured. “We need to talk while we have the chance.” He paced at the end of the bed. “We have to get the Melenia soldiers out of Marsden. Then I can set things right.”
“What do you mean by that?” Reid asked, folding her legs under her.
Gordon stopped pacing, eyeing her.
“He thinks we can control Eldon,” Ackley explained. “That we can convince Eldon to want the same things we do. Well, in case you haven’t realized it yet Gordon, we no longer hold any loyalty to our half-brother. After he killed our father, he went and killed his own.”
Reid glanced at Dexter, who seemed to be handling the loss of his father remarkably well. It was probably too soon for him to have processed everything that had happened over the past forty-eight hours. She’d been so shocked by her mother being alive that she hadn’t even asked Dexter how he was doing.
Someone knocked on the door. “Everyone in there?” Colbert said from the hallway.
Ackley opened the door. “We’re plotting my brother’s demise.”