A Thief for a Bride

Thief for a Bride (chapter nine - The Party)

"I think you might need to start without him, my lady," Isabel said to her a minute before she was supposed to be announced. 

"I can't! I have no idea what to do!" Genevieve protested just as she felt someone's strong fingers lace between hers. 

"That's why I'm here," he said as he smiled faintly at her. Isabel curtsied and left them alone. 

"Nothing like showing up at the last minute," she hissed but Desmond just smiled. 

"You'll forgive me," he said confidently. 

"Oh really?" Genevieve said skeptically. "Why do you say that?" 

"I don't know. Just a feeling." 

"What happened to your face?" Genevieve asked with a touch of concern when she noticed the bruise on his left jaw. 

"It's nothing." 

Two well dressed servants opened the large double doors and Genevieve felt her heart leap into her throat. How many people did Desmond know? There had to be at least one hundred people there or more. Desmond calmly held out his arm and Genevieve looped her arm through his. The walk down the stairs as a man announced their presence and everyone turned to look at them. Genevieve looked out over the sea of unfamiliar faces. She suddenly thought she saw...no, it wasn't possible, she knew no one here among the rich; except for one odd Frenchmen. 

"Bonjour, mon ami," Jean-Luc said with a smile before turning to Genevieve. "It is nice to see you as well, Lady La Croix." Genevieve nodded at him and everyone returned to what they were doing as Desmond led Genevieve around followed closely by Jean-Luc. "I told you no one would want to miss meeting your new bride." 

"I wasn't concerned with how many people would attend," Desmond told him. "I'm only concerned if he came or not...and I hope it's the latter." 

"I haven't seen him yet but I'm not sure if he came or not," Jean-Luc replied with a grimace. Genevieve had no idea who they were talking about but at the moment she didn't care very much. She looked around at the people who surrounded her and found no interest in any of them, except one who caught her eye. A man about her height was standing quite a ways off with his back to her. He was speaking with a few people she didn't recognize but Genevieve was sure she knew the man. She dismissed herself from Desmond and made her way through the crowd of people towards the man. She reached him just as the people he was talking to said their goodbyes and departed. Genevieve stood behind him and knew exactly who it was. 

"Crispin." 

The man turned around and gave her a brilliant smile. 

"Hey Gen," Crispin said. "Or should I call you Lady La Croix?" He managed a short bow and Genevieve laughed before throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. He hugged her back and she felt a chuckle vibrate through his chest. "You're going to smear your make-up." Genevieve suddenly felt a cold sense of dread as she looked up at her brother. 

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "You could be thrown in prison or killed or-" 

"Let me explain," Crispin cut in. "La Croix asked me to come." 

"Excuse me?" 

"He said you weren't feeling well and he thought seeing your brother would help," he explained. "He found me this morning walking down the street and told me you needed help. Naturally I thought he had hurt you or put you in harms way so I," he cleared his throat, "punched him." Genevieve simply stared at him, too shocked to speak. "I left a pretty impress mark, if I do say so myself." Genevieve suddenly laughed and covered her mouth to muffle the sound.