Page 50 of Measure of the Stars

Sabre de Valois turned, and Wes caught the flash of a bored, disinterested mask before it fell away to reveal true affection.“Delauney.I wondered if I might see you here.”He spoke with no dominance in his voice, which made Wes evenmorecurious.A submissive was setting every Starian noble on edge?What kind of a man was he?

“Is King Adrien here?”Delauney asked, taking Sabre in a quick embrace.“Or Laurent?”

“Laurent is already inside,” Sabre said.“Adrien’s been commandeered by your parents, so I thought I’d take a walk through your garden.”

“And climb in through the study window to read their accounts, I bet,” Ned murmured to Peter, just loud enough for Wes to hear.

“Well, I must find you and Laurent later to hear all about what I’ve missed in Duciel,” Delauney said.“I promised Rose that I’d see her next show, but I’m afraid I might have to miss it.”

“That’s a shame,” Sabre said.“Her character actually dies three times in this one.”

He smiled vaguely at Wes, Ned, and Peter, then turned to wander off down the garden path.

“I can’t believe you spoke to him,” Peter said.“He’s been sending spies into my uncle’s estate for almost a year, and you justspoketo him.”

“He’s an old friend,” Delauney said.“And you two need to stop listening to rumors.Sabre is as duplicitous as a lamb.”

Wes watched Sabre disappear into the shadows of the garden, unsure.He’d seemed to genuinely like Delauney, but his gaze had been like glass when it had passed over Ned and Peter.

The inside of Delauney’s childhood home was as ostentatious as its grounds.There were mirrors everywhere, catching the candlelight and casting disjointed reflections as they passed, making the entrance hall look twice as wide.Servants wound through everyone, taking jackets and shawls, serving drinks, and cleaning up spills.Everyone looked the same to Wes, dolls draped in masses of expensive cloth, moving like clockwork over the polished floor.

“Laney!”

Delauney grabbed Wes’ arm tight as an older woman in a violet gown swept toward them.She had a mountain of white hair teased over a net, jewels glimmered on her neck, and she was wearing a gown that Wes suspected was worth more than her servants’ wages combined.She flung her arms around Delauney’s neck.“Our little Laney!We’re so pleased to see that you could make it.Did Neddy bring you?Of course he did.Neddy, darling!”

Wes felt Delauney’s grip tense on his arm tas the woman embraced Ned, who smiled politely.“Your mother?”Wes whispered.

“She’s harmless,” Delauney whispered back.“The one you need to brace yourself for is—”

“Lane!”A thin, reedy man in the same shade of violet as Delauney’s mother strode over to kiss Delauney’s cheek.“Both my boys in one place!Look at you!You’ve gained some weight since the last time I saw you, boy.Captain Ned’s feeding you well on the ship, eh?”

“Father,” Delauney said, in a tone Wes understood as Delauney on the verge, “I’mthe captain of theManatee.”

“Of course you are,” his father said.He looked at Wes long enough to give him a knowing wink.

“He’s been in command for over a decade,” Wes said, but Delauney’s father seemed to have already moved on.

“There’s the man who’s taken such good care of my Lane,” Delauney’s father said, turning to Ned.Ned’s polite smile was already brittle.

“The fuck was that?”Wes whispered in Delauney’s ear.

“They think Ned is humoring me,” Delauney whispered back.

“Why?Because you’re a submissive?”

Delauney shook his head tightly.“Let’s just see Leo.”

He practically towed Wes across the dance floor, where a tall, anxious-looking man stood by himself in the shadow of a statue.He was undeniably Delauney’s brother, with the same light hair, painfully pale complexion, and soulful eyes, but he was a good half a head taller than Delauney, towering over most of the guests.He met Delauney’s gaze with a look of such relief that Wes wondered if he’d been dragged there by force.

“Oh spirits, Mother and Father already found you,” Leo said.Wes could only just catch the faintest hint of dominance in his tone, but it was muted, as though it were struggling to emerge behind the melancholic cloud that hovered around him.Delauney released Wes to embrace him, and Leo clutched Delauney’s jacket.“You needn’t bear them on my account.”

“Well, you’re apparently gettingmarried,”Delauney said.Leo sighed heavily.

“Yes.It was the best option for the Bellecourts, in the end.Anastasia and I drafted the agreement a few months ago.”

“Romantic of you,” Delauney said.

Leo laughed, but there was no mirth in it.His gaze lit on Wes.“I’m terribly sorry.I didn’t introduce myself whatsoever.I’m Leonide, Delauney’s older brother.”He took Wes’ hand, and Wes was surprised to find ink stains on his cuff.Somehow, that endeared him to Delauney’s lanky brother.It was as though a real human was lying under all that finery, hidden among the squawking parrots crowding the ballroom.