The Autumn Palace by Ebony McKenna Page A

through her as she saw remnants of a blue stain on his hand, left over from the night they’d caught him robbing the family hotel. Did he not wash, or was itsheer guilt keeping the stain there? Not for the first time, Ondine wondered what she’d ever seen in him. He might have been handsome if he weren’t so ugly on the inside.
    â€˜What are
you
doing here?’ she asked.
    â€˜What are you doing
here
?’ he asked straight back. ‘And don’t stand there like an idiot. Bow to your betters.’
    Just because you’ve got a title it doesn’t mean you’re better than me
, Ondine thought. The memory of the night he slapped her hard on the face came flooding back. 34 In defiance, she kept her back ramrod straight. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be in Fort Kluff?’
    â€˜It didn’t take.’ He examined a fingernail and said, ‘Why are you here?’
    â€˜I’m working.’
    Vincent mimicked, ‘
I’m working
.’ He made no sideways movement to let her pass.
    Frustration surged through Ondine. ‘May I pass?’
    Silently he stepped to the side and made room. Ondine took a step but something smacked her hard in the shins. A lurching, falling sensation lasted all ofhalf a second before she hit the floor with a thud. She looked up and saw a smirk on his face.
    â€˜Not quite a bow, but it will do.’
    Picking herself up, Ondine brushed away the hurt in her palms. ‘You’re a –’
    â€˜Tut tut! When I’m Duke, you’ll show me more respect.’
    â€˜When you’re Duke I’ll emigrate to Slaegal!’ 35 Ondine stomped off as best she could, head high, limping slightly, but all the same savouring the victory of getting the last word in.
    Just as she turned the corner Vincent yelled out, ‘Witch!’
    His tone carried such a sting, it was the first time Ondine heard someone use that word in a derogatory sense. Indignation on behalf of her great aunt surged through her. A retort sprang to her lips just as Old Col arrived, carrying a prone Shambles in her arms. Around his neck she’d wrapped a white linen napkin.Correction, some of it was white but mostly it was covered in deep burgundy stains.
    â€˜Shambles!’ Ondine cried.
    Lurch
. Ondine’s stomach did that horrible sinking-with-fear thing as she looked at him. Then
lurch
again as another nagging, awful, this-is-not-right feeling took hold. She was standing right next to him, close enough for her to touch his head and say, ‘Oh, you poor darling.’
    So why hadn’t he changed back into a man now that they were close again? Did he not want to?
Gasp
. Was he too injured?
    â€˜Quick, let’s get to my room,’ Old Col said. They ran up the stairs and rushed down the hall, and shut the door behind them for privacy.
    Ondine grabbed a couple of towels and placed them on the bed, so they could lie Shambles down without staining the duvet.
    With a waver in her voice, Ondine asked, ‘How did it happen?’ All the while she gently stroked Shambles’s soft ferrety head and even kissed him twice. Did his eyelids flutter open? Did he muttereven one saucy comment about kisses? No.
    Which made Ondine worry even more.
    â€˜Jupiter’s moons, he’s dying.’
    â€˜He’s not dying,’ Old Col said, unwrapping the cloth to reveal Shambles’s matted wet neck.
    His furry body gently rose and fell with his breathing.
    â€˜But there’s so much blood,’ Ondine said.
    â€˜That there is. Fortunately, most of it belonged to Biscuit. That’s the Infanta’s crazy dog, by the way. Thank goodness the dog bite missed anything vital, otherwise Shambles would have bled to death.’
    Fresh pain seared Ondine and her tummy curdled like lemon juice in milk. She felt like she might stop breathing. Her strapping, handsome lad was simply lying there in his fragile ferrety state and there was nothing she could