Victoria watched Vail’s movements carefully. Eyes like a hawk. She knew he was stronger, faster, perhaps smarter. Although if he [i]were[/i] smart he would have hid Lady Silvia Macey more from public eye. If he were courting the lady for real, he would have done a better job concealing her from Victoria altogether and deny the whole thing. The fact he mentioned his father had arranged it, she could see why he would have now. To dissuade his son from seeing the human lover he had taken. The story could be plausible, but she wasn’t sure.

The way Vail protested, however cautiously, she didn’t detect any hints of lying, yet, he could have been so well practiced at lying after centuries, that it could be undetectable. The only way to be sure was by his actions, what he did to prove she was the only one he wanted. She set the rapier aside so he wouldn’t have to be afraid of her stabbing him now. She allowed him the opportunity to come closer. She liked the fact she could have some influence of authority over a vampire, it was good practice for the Wynters.

He apparently didn’t want to bed the Lady Sylvia, he only wanted Victoria. A breath of relief escaped her ruby lips. “How can I be so sure of that though? She can give you what I cannot. A family that approves of her. All her long years of life and youthful appearance. While I’m just…considered the other woman, unwanted and cast out like I’m an inconvenience.” She gazed sadly at the floor. “We can’t even get married, so you’ll always be thought of as a bachelor and free to marry Sylvia. How do I know after years of persuasion from your father and…my ageing body, you wont just leave me for her in the end?” She shrugged lightly. She knew this was a petty issue in the midst of preparation for war. There were much bigger things at stake, yet, here she was fretting over her insecurities in front of her vampire lover, whom by rights was her enemy. The Saints were not particularly fond of her choice of lover either, however they had the decency to stop Lord Spencer from getting to her now after learning why he really wanted her as his bride – her blood to use as a weapon to take over London. If they didn’t stop them there, they would take over the country. And eventually, the world. 

“If you really didn’t want to be with her…then why did you [i]kiss[/i] her?” She looked up at Vail with a pained expression. It hurt to see that. Men did not kiss women who they were not courting or had no intention of courting. To her, it was an intimate act between man and woman. She had obviously gone far beyond that with Vail in the passion of forbidden romance but still, seeing him kiss another’s cheek, was like a stab to the heart. She then hid her tears behind her long hair as she turned her head away from him.