Fiona’s face became serious. “I’m sorry, Darby, I was just teasing. There’s nothing wrong with the way that you feel; I shouldn’t make fun of you.”
“It’s okay,” Darby said, giving her friend a hug. “Now, you’d better get going to the ball so you can make that dress pay for itself. This might just be the year you snag a royal.”
“Oh, do you think so?” Fiona said, shivering with excitement.
“In that dress, you’re guaranteed to attract someone’s attention,” Darby said, pushing her friend toward the door. “I’ll be here bright and early in the morning to hear all about it.”
As she drove the wagon home, she thought about how different she was from the other Fae and wondered what it meant. But as usual, she could find no explanation; no matter how much she wanted to be open to casual sexual encounters, it just wasn’t in her. Sometimes she wondered if she was immune to the Fae’s natural sexuality, if she’d ever feel that spark of attraction that seemed to fuel the wild passions that flourished in Ballentine.
When she passed the big stone arch that separated the common part of town from the royals, she slowed and looked up at the castle. It was brightly lit for the ball, and she could see people streaming in the big doors, which for this one night of the year were thrown wide open to all. Tonight, the royals and commoners would mingle as if they were equals, pairing off and disappearing as the night wore on.
A few lucky women from town would be chosen by royals, and for one night would live the life they were denied simply by birth. Darby had no desire to be part of the game they’d all play, but she would have enjoyed wandering around the streets, looking at the houses hidden behind the big stone wall. Imagining what it would be like to live there, to know that it would never be taken away from you, and you’d never worry where your next meal might be coming from.
Reminding herself that she had it better than most, she flicked the reins and headed for home and the quiet of the farm. It was nearly dark when she got there, but there were lights shining in the house, and she knew that Eli had waited to leave. He came out of the door when she stopped in the yard, and she wished for a second that she were attracted to him.
Dressed in his tuxedo, his hair slicked back, his blue eyes even bluer against the black of his suit, he made quite the picture of masculinity. But there was no response from her body, no tingling, no butterflies, no sweaty palms—just the happiness of seeing her friend grinning at her from the porch.
“You still have time to change and go with me,” he called, holding out a dress that looked a lot like Fiona’s.
Darby jumped down from the wagon. “Where did you get that?” she asked, horrified.
“Fiona dropped it off,” he said, the smile disappearing from his face. “Don’t you like it?”
She stomped up the stairs and ripped the dress out of his hand. “Does this look like something I’d wear?” she asked, then softened. “I’m sorry, Eli, it’s not your fault Fiona’s gone off the deep end.”
“Well, I didn’t think it looked like you, you’re more the flowy soft...” he trailed off, clearly embarrassed. “I mean, it’s not like I thought about it a lot or anything.”
Darby couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Eli,” she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. “If I were going to go to the ball, it would have been with you.”
His face turned red, and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times. Then he turned and started down the road without a word, leaving her standing there full of regret. It would have been so easy if she could have fallen in love with Eli; they both loved the farm, and it could have been a perfect life. But no matter how hard she tried, it was clear Eli wasn’t the one for her. She just hoped that the right one was out there somewhere.
Chapter Four
***Colin***
Colin stood bewildered in front of the Grand Ballentine Hotel wondering why the doorman seemed to be ignoring him. The man had looked at him once, then quickly averted his eyes, and now was studiously looking anywhere but at him, making his anger begin to flare to life once again. Climbing the steps one at a time, he felt his heart rate begin to quicken, and his blood boiled at the man’s rudeness.
“Are you going to open the door for me, or do I have to do it myself?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t let you go inside,” the doorman said, stepping in front of the door. “You might try one of the other hotels down the block.”
“I will not try another hotel. I always stay at this hotel,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “I demand you open the door for me, or I’ll be forced to report you to the manager. We are good friends, you know.”
The doorman looked him up and down. “I very much doubt that, sir,” he said, a slight grin on his face. “Now, unless you can prove to me that you can afford to stay with us, you’ll have to move along.”
The look on the doorman’s face was more than he could take. “Do you know who I am? I could afford to buy this place if I wanted to,” he sneered at the man.
“Then that’s what you’re going to have to do,” the doorman calmly said, “because I’m not letting you in here until I see some money in your hand.”
He stood staring at the doorman, sucking in deep breaths of air, his vision full of red, turning his options over in his mind. The packet rustled under his shirt as his chest filled with air, and he decided that the best plan was to simply remove the bundle and show the stupid man his money.
“I’ll be right back, and then you’ll be sorry you were so rude to me,” he said, heading back to the sidewalk with visions of his triumphant return fueling his indignance.
Spotting an alley that would give him the privacy he needed to retrieve some money from the packet, he crossed the street and stepped into the shadows. Not even wide enough to let a wagon pass, the alley was dark and quiet, and he wasted no time unbuttoning the loose shirt he wore and pulling the bundle out. His hands shook as he tried to untie the knot that held the bag closed, and he nearly dropped it twice.
Taking a deep breath, he tried once more, and to his relief, the knot slipped free. Plunging his hand into the bag, he felt around for the little bag of coins he’d slipped in first, relieved when his fingers felt the soft leather of the pouch. He pulled it out and held it up to the light. Pleased with his forethought, he was already planning the speech he would make when he went back to the hotel as he tied the bag shut again.
He was just about to strap the bag back on when a movement farther down the alley caught his attention, and he froze, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. Staring down the alley, he waited, listening for what felt like hours but was only a few seconds, then shrugged it off when he heard nothing else.
But when he turned back around, he came face to face with a man dressed all in black and holding a knife. “I’ll take that little sack,” he said, grabbing the bag.
Colin tried to fight him, but soon felt the cold blade of the knife slice through his arm and let go. He grabbed his arm, feeling the warmth of his own blood and nearly fainted, but managed to stay on his feet and stumbled after the man who’d faded into the shadows. Standing in the darkness of the alley, his arm bleeding, it slowly sank in that most of the money was gone, all he had was the little pouch of coins he’d shoved into his pocket.