Page 6 of A Rose Among Snakes (Gardens of Ruin and Revival)

Chapter Five

M y heart hammered in my chest as heat rushed to my face. I felt utterly ashamed, positive he would send me home. Why would he allow a woman with a Ziffem-using brother to attend to his sister?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nowen,” he said, dipping his chin, “but please, call me Velian. Mr. Blaise was my father, and I prefer to do things a little differently than him.”

I met his polite gaze but saw no spark of recognition. Maybe I was mistaken, but there was no way I could forget those eyes. Velian blinked, his smile faltering, and I realized I was staring.

I cleared my throat and bowed my head in acknowledgment of his wishes as the heat from my cheeks prickled the back of my neck. Taz would never have been so ruffled by a man, and she would die if she could see me now. I flicked my eyes over to the other man in the room to counteract the flush flooding my body. He was a portly, mustachioed man with ruddy cheeks and yellowing teeth bared in a grimace rather than a smile—the perfect extinguisher. He crossed his stubby arms over his rotund belly and tapped his foot .

The sound of heeled footsteps echoing off the wooden floors drew both men’s gazes to the door. In strode a young woman, brunette curls cascading down the back of her lacy cream gown. With her narrow chin lifted in the air, she marched past Mrs. Shulling and me to stand directly in front of Velian, the scent of rosewater perfume trailing after her.

“Kez, meet your new maid, Ms. Nowen,” Velian said.

Ms. Blaise glanced over her shoulder and said, “How do you do?” Without waiting for my reply, she turned back to her brother. “I need the carriage. I’m meeting a friend in town.”

Velian’s polite expression disappeared as his eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. “Which friend?”

“Velian, please. Don’t even try to pretend you know who any of my friends are.” She mimicked his stance, crossing her arms.

He didn’t break his stare, but his jaw began to work. I felt like an intruder watching their battle of wills.

Ms. Blaise lifted her chin even higher, one finger tapping on her forearm. “I’ll only take your horse if you say no.”

I kept my face neutral, but it was a struggle to not let my jaw hinge open. The rumors Taz heard were right; Kezara Blaise was indeed quite the spirited young lady.

Velian heaved a long-suffering sigh, relaxing his posture. “Well, Ms. Nowen, it appears you have arrived at the perfect time. Kezara needs a chaperone.”

“Velian, I’m not a child– ”

He cut her off by holding one finger up in the air. Keeping his tone gentle, he said, “You’ve made enough waves in society. It’s not up for discussion, Kez.”

Kezara softened her stance by uncrossing her arms. Her chin, however, did not drop an inch. “Fine. I’m ready to go now.”

“Very well, Milner just got back. Mrs. Shulling, do you mind passing along the message?”

“Not at all, sir.” Mrs. Shulling turned on her heel, her skirt swishing as she left the room.

Kezara sniffed and stomped out of the room leaving me alone with the two men.

Velian gave me a lopsided grin. “Welcome to Blaise Manor, Ms. Nowen.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said, curtsying.

“Velian,” he corrected amiably, his voice deep and rich. “Please close the door behind you on your way out.”

I stiffened at the blatant dismissal, worrying I had overstayed my welcome. “Of course,” I mumbled, turning on my heel and walking out the door.

“Oh, and Ms. Nowen?” Velian called.

I paused with my hand on the knob and stuck my head back through.

“Best of luck with my sister. You’re going to need it.” He winked, wreaking havoc on my heart.

I nearly found myself gaping again, and to save myself any further embarrassment, I threw him a wobbly smile and shut the door. I walked a couple of steps away and paused, resting my hands on my hips and looking up at the ceiling. Never in my life had I made such a fool of myself in front of anyone, let alone a man. I blew air out of puffed cheeks and shook my head. I had bigger things to worry about.

The manor was silent as I made my way to the front door. Even though the heavy door opened quietly, the weight closed it shut with more force than I had intended. Kezara stood waiting in the narrow patch of grass in front of the door and whipped her head around when the door slammed. She clucked her tongue at me, eyeing me up and down before craning her head around the corner and crossing her arms. Wonderful. I was making excellent impressions left and right.

Kezara tapped a finger against her forearm while rocking back and forth on her heels. She stepped into the driveway and shaded her eyes with her hand as she looked at the stables.

“Milner!” Her shrill voice rang out over the peaceful grounds. A moment later, the same brougham I had just been in emerged from the stable, a chestnut horse leading the way this time.

“Is there anything you need before we leave, Ms. Blaise?” I asked.

“No, and there’s no time anyway. Let’s go.”

The carriage had hardly rolled to a stop before Kezara wrenched the door open and climbed inside. Milner landed on the ground, his lips pressed firmly together. I offered him a shrug before stepping up behind Kezara.

Milner sighed and clambered back up to his seat. I shut the door behind me and sat next to Kezara on the bench. Her body was shifted away from mine, leaning toward the window. The brougham lurched forward and we were off. As we began the descent down the hill to town, Kezara took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat.

“Brothers,” she said, closing her eyes. “Do you have any?”

“I do.”

“Just one?”

“No, I have two.”

“Are they always sticking their noses in your business like mine does?”

I had to rein in my eye roll at her juvenile view. “No, one is only ten years old, and the other has always been too preoccupied with himself.” Jem had talked a good game before I’d left, but only time would tell if he was truly maturing.

Kezara sniffed. “Must be nice.”

I stayed silent, unwilling to divulge my family dynamics further.

She finally turned to me after several minutes and said, “I apologize, I seem to have forgotten your name.” Some of the tension she had been carrying had lifted from her face. Her chin was lower and the line of her mouth had softened. I looked her full in the face for the first time and found that, like her brother, she really was stunning. Her eyes were a warm hazel framed by dark brown lashes. She had high cheekbones and full, pouty lips all sitting in an oval face.

“Mihrra, or Ms. Nowen. Whichever you prefer. ”

Her lips turned up in a pretty smile. “Mihrra it is. You may call me Kezara.” Her eyes shifted to the window past my face and she jolted forward, knocking on the front of the carriage where Milner sat outside. I hadn’t realized we had entered the town yet, but Kezara had obviously been keeping track. The carriage came to a rolling stop and once again, Kezara did not wait for Milner’s assistance. Her curls bounced as she landed on the ground and cool air swept inside the carriage. I followed behind her as Milner stepped forward to offer me his hand.

The town was loud. The commotion of vendors advertising their wares, carriage wheels squeaking and clattering over the occasional rock, and laughter drifting out from inside a tavern all melded together.

Kezara faced Milner and said, “Please return in three hours, Milner, and thank you for the ride.”

Milner inclined his head. “Of course, Ms. Kezara.”

With that, she spun on her heel and marched into the crowd. Milner shot me a look with raised eyebrows, mouthing “Good luck.”

I chewed on my lip as I wondered why that was the second time someone felt the need to say that to me.

On quick feet, I hurried after Kezara, squeezing between two burly men, apologizing as I bumped one of them. I heard his grumbled curse but ignored it as I caught up to Kezara. She had walked into the tavern and stopped. With narrowed eyes, she scanned the room, not pausing on any of the patrons. From the plain wooden exterior of the building, I had imagined a dark room filled with sloppily drunk men, sticky ale-coated floors, and shady dealings occurring in smoky corners. Instead, neatly dressed men and women were seated around the dim space, some turning in our direction as we stood there. A few people whispered behind their hands to each other, but most remained engrossed in their own respectable affairs. Barmaids bustled around with food and drink, wearing cheerful smiles as they served patient customers.

Once again, Port Deering was not living up to my mother’s nightmarish descriptions, and I fought the smug smile tugging at my mouth.

Kezara turned her head to the back corner and marched forward with me on her heels. A wooden door with a small, round window let in a ray of sunlight, and she pushed it forward with a grunt, stepping through to reveal a private, walled-in courtyard.

A few sets of tables and chairs scattered the area, decorated by planters overflowing with flowers. In a corner, shaded by the tall cypress trees that blocked the view to the street outside, a man in a white tunic and pants sat waiting. He wore a pompous hat with a matching white feather low on his brow, obscuring his face. Kezara stifled a squeal when she saw him, then turned around to face me.

“Mihrra, please make yourself comfortable over here. Food and drink will be brought out for us all shortly,” she said and waltzed over to her friend. I narrowed my eyes at the pair, my mouth pressing into a thin line. The man did not stand to greet her and Kezara plopped herself into the seat next to him .

From within the shadows, a second man emerged, dressed head to toe in black with a shortsword strapped to his waist. He shot me a glance as he stalked across the courtyard and took up a protective stance by the door to the tavern. There were not any shaded tables left, so I picked the one closest to me and sat. A moment later, a knock on the door sounded and the guard moved to allow a barmaid to enter the courtyard, a sizable tray in her hands.

She brought me a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits, then took the rest of the tray to Kezara and her friend. The smell of roasted meat wafted behind her, making my stomach growl. I poured the tea into a cup and grabbed a biscuit, biting the corner of it. The flavor was sweet and buttery, and the edges crisp; the crumbly interior melted on my tongue. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning back in the chair. Maybe chaperoning a wealthy lady wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The sun warmed my face and I reveled in the feeling as a salty breeze brushed by, lifting a strand of hair that had come loose from my braid. Time passed slowly, and soon I grew bored. I couldn’t even entertain myself by observing the town thanks to the full cypress trees blocking my view. It didn’t take long before the sun became too hot, and my face began to burn. Sweat dripped down my back, and my neck ached from keeping my face down toward the table trying to avoid getting burned further. To make matters worse, I drank the entire pot of tea myself and was suffering the consequences. I crossed my legs, but the need for relief became unbearable .

I was torn between my body’s request and performing my duty as a chaperone. I glanced toward the stony-faced guard. He was there for a reason, right? Kezara would be fine if I left for a moment. I looked back at her, her musical laughter floating through the air. Their voices were too low for me to hear their conversation from this distance, and her back was turned to me. She wouldn’t even notice I’d left.

Scooting my chair back gently enough to remain silent, I made my way to the guard. He didn’t look at me, keeping his eyes trained straight ahead.

“Excuse me, I need to get by,” I whispered. He stepped to the side and opened the door for me, and I thanked him as I scurried through the doorway. Inside, I found a lavatory and went about my business quicker than ever before. Stepping around a crouching barmaid cleaning up a broken glass, I hurried back through the buzzing tavern and nudged open the courtyard door. I tried not to hit the guard, but when I poked my head out to check on him, he wasn’t there. I walked through and looked around, my head whipping from side to side. No one was in the courtyard.

Kezara was gone.