Ayla is not feeling well, which means Eileen is at this ball alone. She has only been here for a few minutes and already it feels like it has been far too long. If she was being entirely honest, she didn’t find the scene too off-putting. In fact, the food at the party was great and she found the decorations to be tasteful as well.
It was the people she was finding to be a little annoying. And she wasn’t talking about the nice ones who engaged her in conversations. No. What made this all the more excruciating and made her long to simply go home were the ones whose eyes she could feel boring into her.
Some of them had already came up to her and asked what she was doing at this function alone. By the gleam in their eyes, she could tell their curiosity was far from having innocent intentions. Especially when she could see a glimmer of disappointment enter their eyes when she told them it was because Ayla was sick.
If she thought hard enough about it or even really cared to know, she had feeling she knew exactly why that was. Even not wanting to know, she couldn’t simply ignore the looks she was getting. For the strangest reason, she felt a little like prey.
The thought was easily shaken off as she took a sip of the wine to blend in with the crowd. Her main objective for being there was to see if she could find out more about either of her suspects for their former employee turned hermit.
Grandpa had agreed that it was suspicious and also hinted that he was going to investigate the titanium for her. Which was good, because that was far from her area of expertise. She knew Bea could find out a lot more from a sample than she could.
In his reply to her letter, he had also enclosed a copy of his findings on the village. From its location, Eileen suspected that their target was more likely Joseph Ellis. But the description of the man sighted in the area could fit either men. Seeing as her last outing had been fruitful, she had hoped this one would be as well.
However, so far that was not the case. Yet the night was still young and there was no knowing whether she wouldn’t be able to get more information as it went on. She hadn’t lost hope in doing so quite yet.
Over the course of the next few minutes, Eileen found herself surrounded by many people who hoped to engage her in their conversations. Most of which were simply guises for them to introduce her to their daughters. In an attempt to be polite and not to draw unnecessary attention to herself, she had agreed to dance with them.
It wasn’t really the worst way to spend an afternoon. The girls were very nice and she did enjoy talking to them as they danced. However, her skin itched with the need to excuse herself so she could focus on her task. There was something she could find here. She just knew it.
A very irrational thought process to have when the only thing she had to base it off was her own instincts and a vague overheard conversation. A part of her felt like she was being crazy and should just go home already. But for whatever reason, she couldn’t make herself do it.
Somewhere in between conversations and dancing, she found herself back at the food table with a refill of wine. She was absolutely parched. Her hand came up to lift the metal cup up to her lips, savoring the taste, when the most obnoxious voice she had ever heard made her eyes shoot open.
“Why the hell are you over here hogging the wine? Move over will you.”
Something about the gleam in the man’s brown eyes rubbed her the wrong way. And the way his black hair was parted didn’t help either. Eileen couldn’t put her finger on it, but it reminded her of something.
“And who would you be?”
The man’s face immediately scrunched up, his head lifting snootily in the air as he huffed. “Are you telling me you don’t know?” A scoff. “They really do let just about anyone in here.”
Eileen had to exert a lot of effort to stop her annoyance from showing on her face. So he was one of those types of people. “No I don’t. I make it a habit to only remember the names of people who are important.”
“Are you trying to imply you don’t find me important?” By his aghast expression, Eileen could sense that the man may have an overinflated sense of self-worth.
“This is the first time we’ve met,” she pointed out before shrugging. “But if the shoe fits.”
The strange man’s eyes narrowed at that. “Just what are you trying to imply?”
“I’m not trying to imply anything,” she told him, “I’m only saying that you’re free to take the words in whatever way you see fit.”
“And if I take them as an insult?” He drawled, eyes narrowed menacingly.
It was laughable how hard he was trying to be threatening, all Eileen saw was a preening peacock. “Then you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong,” she shrugged flippantly. “Although I suppose it would be an indicator of your intelligence.”
“I am not stupid!”
“And I didn’t say you were,” Eileen’s eyes lifted up, “but if that is how you took then I suppose it may be an hint to an underlying insecurity.”
“I am not insecure.” He sounded offended at the thought, “Who would you be to imply such things to casually?”
She took a sip of the wine, not really bothered by his obvious annoyance. “I make it a point not to introduce my self to self-important idiots.” She waited until he registered her words enough to look indignant to continue, “Besides I asked first.”
He gritted his teeth, “I should get the guards to throw you out of here.”
“On what grounds?” Eileen immediately shot back.
“They’ll do so because I told them too.”
“That’s not how the world works.” She shook her head, this man was delusional, “and if they do listen then I suppose they’re just as lacking in common sense as you.”
That seemed to make him even angrier. Eileen could see his slightly tanned skin growing red as his eyes narrowed on her further. She got the sense that he might be trying to make her disappear with his eyes.
“I’m Nathaniel Prince, you cannot be implying that I am stupid.”
“I just did.” Eileen couldn’t help but shoot him a smug smile as she said the words.
Although the introduction did tell her why he acted like he owned the place. Having so much money would mean very few people would disagree with you. Unfortunately for him, Eileen was a Devencrux and they weren’t in the habit of letting other people tell them what to do.
“Who are you! How dare you speak to me so impudently!?”
Eileen shot him an unimpressed look, “Just because your surname is Prince does not mean you’re one in truth.” Her eyes flicked over him before going back to meet his increasingly infuriated ones. “It’s absolutely embarrassing to hear someone be so self-important.”
“How dare you-”
“I dare.” Eileen thumped her glass on the table as she placed it down. Her eyes narrowing on his in return as she took one step closer, making sure to keep her stance a little relaxed. “I dare to say all of that and more.”
“You!” He seethed as he fumbled with something to say. “You will pay for this!”
At that Eileen once again picked up her glass and held it up in mock toast. “I’d advice you to get over yourself, but I’m not sure if you have that much forbearance.”
Not dignifying that with a response, he simply twirled his cloak and walked away. She wondered whether he was aware that you needed to know someone’s name to tattle on them. Somehow she doubted it. The disgusted expression he’d made when he was talking about who he was gave her the sense he relied too heavily on his parents to get him things.
Idly she wondered, as she took another slow sip of her wine, if he knew the money didn’t truly belong to him. Eileen grimaced as she realised that she most definitely would be seeing him again. Ayla’s mother had insisted they go to a Prince ball to make up for the disaster that the last one was.
She dreaded it already. A headache forming at the very prospect. The only consolation she felt was that the man still had no idea who she was. Well none of the people here did, but he didn’t know who Kiran Knightwood was either. At least that was the impression she’d gotten from his endless preening.
Shaking her head, she took another sip of the drink. Alas she didn’t get a chance to savor it before she was once again interrupted. Except it wasn’t by a pompous idiot, but a nearby conversation. Her eyes trailed the sound to see a growing crowd gathering to join in.
“Have you heard what Calvin O’Quinn said about the Devencrux the other day?”
“You mean when he said the Great General isn’t as good as he’s said to be?”
The woman next to him gasped, “He said that?”
“Oh yes.” The man’s friend nodded solemnly, “I was next to him earlier and heard the whole thing.”
“Really?” Another woman wearing red leaned in, “What has he been saying?”
Eileen wanted to know that herself. As far as she knew her grandfather had never even met the man. What the hell could be saying about a man he’d never met? Trying not to seem too interested in the topic, she turned around to take some of the appetizers.
The first speaker, a man with a sleeked back black hair, leaned in conspiratorially. “The young general says that when Emmett Devencrux was young, the army led by him was overrun with the worst kind of things. He says that the man allowed his soldiers to get away with most heinous things.”
A gasp left the mouths of his audience, “But that’s preposterous!” The sentiment was echoed by more than one voice.
“It’s all conjecture at this point mind you, but I heard him say that his mother knew them to be horrible people.”
“In what way?” The man next to him seemed unconvinced but curious at the same time.
“Well, according to O’Quinn, his soldiers would kill innocent people on their crusades and none of them would be punished.”
At that a series of out bursts could be heard from his listeners, protesting the very idea. They shook their heads and shot him a wary glance. People on the outskirts seemed to have lost interest in the topic entirely, rolling their eyes as they went back to their conversations.
“Of course they were punished!” One of the listeners told him, “Anyone who was around at the time knows the way Emmett Devencrux put them on public trial after they killed that man.”
“You mean when he discharged and shamed Everton and Lucas for killing a man when drunk?” The woman gave a solemn shake of her head when the man nodded. “Yes. I heard he sent money to the man’s widow and a personal apology as well.”
Another man shook his head, “No one would have even known about it if the nitwits didn’t put up such a fuss.”
“Oh yeah, weren’t they going around complaining about it at every pub?” Someone said wryly, “Served them right to be banned after that.”
The speaker who had started this topic also voiced his agreement and shook his head, “It most definitely did.” At the pointed look’s he was getting, he held up his hands in surrender, “Look I didn’t say I agreed with it, only that he’s been saying these things.”
“Then why bring it up?” The woman in red responded dubiously, “The man has fought for us for years, risking his life in war. And then lost his entire family and you’re spreading around such slander about him.” She tsked, “I should give General O’Quinn a piece of my mind.”
The woman next to her turned her head and flicked her eyes over the woman, “He’s here tonight, why don’t you go over to him and do just that?”
She sputtered, “Well, I…”
Someone interrupted whatever point she was going to make with a big sigh, “Still, it makes you wonder what grudge he has against the Great General to go around spreading such things. Doesn’t it?”
It most certainly did. Eileen tuned out whatever else they said afterwards as she picked up one of the hors d’oeuvres and put it in her mouth. Her mind whirled from the contents of the conversation. Her grandpa had never punished his troops like how he had apparently punished Lucas and Everton.
She’d never heard anything about them. Although she supposed that may have something to do with her grandfather’s unwillingness to talk about the past or even bring it up. He liked to live in the present, said it was easier that way.
Still. She didn’t think anyone from the troops now would do such a thing. She knew they wouldn’t, so it seemed her grandpa might have set tighter constraints after this alleged incident. Something about the information bothered her and she made a note to bring it up in her next letter to him.
Although it didn’t seem the incident was linked to Calvin O’Quinn. Considering he was quoting his mother, she thought it was a safe bet that he hadn’t personally seen such “horrible” happenings. It angered her that he was spreading such nonsense around, but more importantly it made her wonder why he seemed so sure about it.
Why did he hate her grandpa so much? She knew about his war efforts enough to know he did so on the order of the king or for a good cause. And she, of course, knew him enough to know that he hated being the center of attention if he didn’t need to be. Especially since she’d heard him complain about Teodes high society numerous times.
There was a story there. It niggled at her and made her foot tap impatiently. A moment later she froze as a thought came to mind. He might not be old enough to know her grandparents personally but, if he had enough of a grudge, he might be behind the fire.
At the very least he was a likely suspect. If he was bold enough to spread such slander about her family in a place where most of it thought well of her grandfather, there was no saying he wasn’t also bold enough to do other things as well. Eileen mentally put his name on her list of suspects.
Emptying her cup in one swig, she carefully placed it sharply on the table. She had her first lead and she wasn’t going to waste it. Hadn’t the man said Calvin O’Quinn was at this ball? Good.
They needed to have a chat.
