XVII | The St. Vincents

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St. Vincent's family was entirely odd.

Aliya easily learned where her future husband took his boisterous personality. Simon St. Vincent was as loud and unforgivingly honest as his son. His large built, hazel eyes and greying unruly hair gave Aliya a picture of her husband's future.

She was not given enough time to assess Ellise St. Vincent, the brown-haired woman sitting very quietly beside her equally stoic mother because Simon St. Vincent was monopolizing the conversation.

"Now, tell me, child, why did you decide to marry my son?" St. Vincent's father asked, his hazel eyes very much like his son's—filled with mirth and excitement. "What did he promise you?"

St. Vincent loudly cleared his throat behind Aliya who was sitting in the middle of the parlor where they convened after the couple hastily dressed.

"He did not promise me anything," Aliya said, unsure if her statement was a lie.

"He promised to take you out of Belcourt, did he not?" asked Natalia St. Vincent.

Aliya veered her eyes toward the woman. "He did, yes."

"I also promised that I will be a good husband," St. Vincent growled.

"How much did you pay Belcourt?" his father asked, looking past Aliya to curiously gaze at his son.

"I paid for my way out on my own," Aliya replied.

Natalia St. Vincent frowned. "Why would you do that? You should have let him pay."

"Because it is my freedom? And because he is not a gentleman of Belcourt. It is against the law to solicit money from someone who is not a gentleman, or a flower as what we call them."

The word flower elicited a scoff from Ellise before she sighed beside her mother, her eyes drooping as though the conversation was starting to bore her.

"The first thing we read when we arrived in Coulway is the scandal that the two of you have wrought," Natalia told her son. "You did not only openly welcome Aliya into your villa, but you also brought her to Birth without a companion, all in the pretense that she is my guest. Did you truly believe the townfolks could easily be dimwitted by your obvious lack of strategy, Oliver?"

"It was all her idea," St. Vincent said, planting a band on Aliya's shoulder, which she immediately shook off. "But I do admit that they were done with my full support. We are not hiding our relationship, Mother. No strategy was ever concocted."

"Of course, you are not. You were flaunting it, my boy!" his father said with a laugh, standing to fix himself a drink. "I would not call it a scandal, darling," he said to his wife.

His father scowled from the liquor cabinet. "Do you mean to tell me then, Oliver, that you will let your wife suffer such a bad reputation?"

"No, of course not—"

"You marry immediately," Natalia ordered, cutting St. Vincent's statement. "Your reputation is bad enough."

"Now, now, Mother. Aliya's reputation is not—"

"She did not mean Aliya's reputation, Oliver," Ellise dryly interjected while she gave her brother a sardonic look.

"My reputation is quite all right."

"You are visibly demented," his father said with mock awe.

"Old man, I am the only living thing in this room that can be possibly related to you," he shot at his father. The man chuckled while Natalia rolled her eyes. "And Belles have a fairly bad reputation as well," Aliya heard St. Vincent add under his breath and she looked over her shoulder to throw him a sharp look. He cleared his throat. "Aliya wishes to wait a while for the wedding," he said to his mother.

"No, of course not," Aliya hastily added, looking at Natalia with a smile. "I already told you we can wed soon, Ollie."

"You can take your time, dear," Simon said, facing Aliya with brandy in his hand. "I do not want the two of you regretting the marriage later on." Over his shoulder, he said to his wife, "Of course, I was not talking about us, dear."

Ignoring her husband, Natalia St. Vincent stood to her feet. "If you are fine with the idea, Aliya, I wish for the wedding to happen here in Birth."

Aliya blinked. "But we have not prepared anything thus far."

"Those are already taken care of," Natalia said dismissively.

"I did tell you she has been planning for a wedding, Ali," St. Vincent said, stepping beside her. "But she has to agree first, Mother," he added to Natalia.

Natalia, Simon, and even Ellise looked at Aliya.

This was not how typical Sutherland families arranged marriages, Aliya knew. This was by far the oddest meeting between a bride and her in-laws.

"We can wait longer," Simon St. Vincent said, smiling at her through his grayish thick, bushy beard. "You can take your time."

But they were still looking at her as though she would say, 'No, I shall give you an answer now.'

She cleared her throat. "I feel uncomfortable at the moment."

"Stop staring at her," St. Vincent ordered his family who all blinked and looked away. He took her hand and guided her to her feet. "Ali and I will talk first, and no—" he added, raising a finger at his parents to stop any protest, "—you are done trying to convince her."

"You may convince her to run away, son!" Simon called out after them.

"I convinced her to marry me, Father! There is no more convincing to do!" St. Vincent roared over his shoulder as he guided Aliya out of the room, up the flight of stairs and into the study.

She whirled around to face him as he locked the door. "Your family is peculiar, Ollie."

"I never said they are normal."

She scoffed and then she started to laugh. "Good Lord, Ollie, how do I live with them?"

"You do not have to. You will live with me."

She laughed harder and took the steps toward him, wrapping her arm around his neck. He dipped his head to kiss her.

"Your sister is quite beautiful, but she is too stoic. I fear she is worse than your mother."

"She is not my sister," he said, kissing her again. "She is not even human." At the sharp look she gave him, he chuckled against her mouth. "I am jesting. She stays in Herst with our father and has her own life there. Now, give me a proper kiss."

Aliya opened her mouth and closed her eyes, allowing him to wrap his arms around her, pulling her up against his chest, lifting her almost off the ground. He tore his mouth from hers and trailed kisses along her jaw; his hand was just right beside her breast, teasing her as he always did. She squirmed in his arms. "Should we follow my mother's advice?" he asked in her ear, blowing hot air that sent waves of tingling sensations through her arms.

"Yes, of course," she replied, moving her head in search of his mouth. They started to aimlessly sway around as they kissed, lost in the sensations, and the new truth that they were going to be married soon—here, in Birth. Cupping his face, she leaned away to look into his eyes. "Yes."

He grinned and cocked his brows at her. "You cannot wait to get me to bed, can you?"

Pulling his head back down toward her, Aliya murmured, "Yes."

*****

As Aliya exited her room later that afternoon to join the St. Vincents for supper, she was surprised to find Ellise St. Vincent standing just beside her door wearing a white muslin shirt tucked underneath a pair of buckskins.

Her straight, long brown hair was tied high behind her head and the tail was left to dangle like a horse's tail, baring her full face to Aliya. Earlier, her hair had been donned and she was wearing a dress, complete with a beautiful pelisse.

Tonight, she looked quite different.

Since she was still wearing the same stoic look on her face, Aliya could only judge St. Vincent's sister by her choice of clothing. Her outfit earlier when hey first arrived must have been Natalia's doing. This—this woman before her—was the real Ellise St. Vincent.

Being this close to the woman, Aliya also realized that her future sister-in-law was not just tall—she was slender and exquisitely beautiful. And she shared St. Vincent's hazel eyes.

"We had no chance to talk earlier," the woman said, voice flat and calm.

"No, we did not," Aliya said, assuming a cold tone. She did not even know why, but she felt she had to protect herself from this woman. "I did not realize you wanted to talk."

"No, I did not," said Ellise, meeting her gaze. "I just want to relay something. I fear that our parents will occupy most of your time from now on if my besotted brother does not. Before anything else, I want to make something clear. I will only have this discussion with you once, Aliya, for I hate repeating myself."

For someone younger than her, Ellise St. Vincent could easily make Aliya feel inferior simply by her tone and her gaze.

"First of all," Ellise said, looking at her up and down before settling on her eyes again. "I do like you."

Completely taken aback, Aliya blinked a few times in disbelief. "You do?"

"Yes."

Good Lord, St. Vincent was right. Talking to his sister was like talking to a bloody mirror. You get what you get and you could not expect anything more.

"But I do not like my brother. Do you know why?" Ellise asked. Aliya simply stared at her, aware that the woman would answer the question regardless of her answer. "People overestimate his size and his intellect, but he is far from belligerent and wise. He can be very sentimental and soft as a silk stocking." Aliya opened her mouth to disagree, but when Ellise added, "So be very careful," she blinked in confusion.

"Careful?"

"Do not hurt him."

Aliya coughed in surprise and she covered it by clearing her throat.

"Do you understand me?" Ellise asked. "You do not hurt my brother."

Aliya nodded. She was lost for words.

Aliya had always prided herself with her talent to remain in control, but there she was, biting her lips to fight off the laughter, while Ellise St. Vincent faced her with her expression the same as it was their conversation started.

"That is all," Ellise said, turning away from her.

Aliya scoffed as she watched the woman walk away, strides long and certain, her hair swaying with each step.

Belatedly, she followed Ellise downstairs into the dining room and arrived just in time to hear Natalia St. Vincent comment on her daughter's clothing.

"You are not in Herst, darling," she said. "Did I not tell you not to bring your pants?"

Ellise wordlessly sat beside the woman.

"Let her be," said Simon. "She will wear a dress on the wedding day, will you not, darling?"

"Of course," Ellise replied. "If you do not drag me into a ball this season."

"I will not dream of it!" Simon cried out with a laugh. "But your brother will."

"No, I will not," St. Vincent said, standing to assist Aliya in the chair beside his. "She is a wallflower. She is practically on her way to the shelf!"

"I am," said Ellise. "And I have no qualms about it."

"Nonsense. You will find a husband. And you will attend a few balls, Ellise," said Natalia. "You missed last year's season."

Ellise ignored her mother and Aliya bit her lips again.

Natalia sighed and turned to her. "Once you marry Oliver, you will have to help me with my daughter."

Aliya smiled. "I will be very happy to do that, my lady."

"And you can stop addressing me as such, Aliya," said the woman. "You may call me Natalia."

"Of course."

"Good."

"Simon for you, my dear," St. Vincent's father said from the head of the table. "And Father after the wedding."

Aliya swallowed the lump in her throat. She smiled at her future father-in-law. "Yes, of course, Simon."

*****

Oliver finished his glass of brandy and poured himself another while his father watched from his seat by the fire.

"Are you certain about this, Oliver?"

"Yes, of course," he said, going back to his chair across the old man, crossing his leg over the other.

"And how certain are you that she is not spying on us?"

He shrugged. "I cannot say. I simply feel that she is not."

"The Circus will force you to use her."

He shrugged. "We shall see. Once she is my wife, the Circus will be forced to protect her."

"Son, she is from Belcourt. Considering what we suffered after Elizabeth Blackwood, you are bound to be tested."

"I know, but Aliya is not Elizabeth Blackwood."

"What does Eaton think?"

"He is not against it, but he is not happy about it."

"And Lord Darcy?"

"Always doubtful and suspicious, of course."

His father nodded. "She will be tested."

"I know."

"And as her husband, you will have to let it happen."

Oliver hung his head back and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. "I know."

*****

By now, Aliya had gotten used to Natalia St. Vincent. The woman invited her to tea in the parlor with Ellise who chose to stay in one corner, sitting as still as a statue, doing nothing.

"Being Oliver's wife will not only mean being a wife of a doctor, Aliya," said Natalia. "You will soon realize that it requires great responsibility from your part."

"I understand."

"People in his circle, the very few of them, will not be friendly in the beginning."

Aliya felt chills run up her spine. Was Natalia talking about the Circus?

Seeing the question in her eyes, Natalia's lips twitched into a small smile. "You will discover things sooner or later. You are a wise woman."

"Yes."

"But I want an honest woman for my son."

Again, the chilling sensation. "Oliver and I have talked about how to deal with our secrets."

Natalia slowly nodded. "Soon, you will realize that secrets in a marriage will bring nothing but destruction. I hope that the two of you will learn to trust each other."

"We do trust each other, and we care for each other. Which is why we are dealing with our secrets accordingly."

Again, the woman nodded. "Good. Because you will be tested."

Aliya frowned. "Tested?"

Natalia sighed. "You will learn soon enough." Giving Aliya no time to ask further, she asked, "Are you ready to be a St. Vincent? It shall not be easy—and I am not talking about us. We are talking about the variety of burdens that are attached to the name."

Aliya swallowed, turned to stare at Ellise who only stared back at her, and looked back at Natalia's blank face.

She squared her shoulders, looked into her future mother-in-law's light green eyes, and smiled. "Yes."

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