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.Faulder, who had followed Hugh and Ross into theroom, stood absolutely rigid, as did the footmen.They knew something was badlyamiss.The guests showed varying reactions, from thinly veiled contempt on the part ofthe Earnshaw brothers to Mr.Macalister‟s frank curiosity.Sir Averil was clearly at a loss, and Gillian knew why.If he should repudiate Hugh‟sexplanation, he would appear to have allowed his own son and a total stranger tomanipulate him, a sure sign of weakness he didn‟t dare show.But Gillian was certain that he had already guessed who “Charles Keating” really was.Sir Averil would have to contend with the possibility that his despised American “guest”might reveal that he was the father of Gillian‟s son.Oh, Ross, Gillian thought.What have you done?Marcus Forster chose that moment to circle the table and offer his hand to Ross.“Howdo you do?” he said.“Marcus Forster.”His preemptive action was just short of rude, but Sir Averil had made his decision.AsForster stepped back, Sir Averil took his place.“Welcome, Mr.Keating,” he said, staringRoss in the eye and gripping Ross‟s hand as if he intended to break it.Ross didn‟tflinch.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 226 of 530“You have a beautiful place here, Sir Averil,” Ross said mildly.“Very different from whatwe have in Arizona, but most impressive.”Sir Averil dropped Ross‟s hand without responding.“Allow me to introduce you to ourother guests,” he said.“Aldous and Kenneth Earnshaw—” he gestured to the twins, whostiffly inclined their heads “—Mr.Graeme Macalister.Mr.Forster you have met.”“Glad to make your acquaintance,” Ross said.“Sorry for the bad timing on my part.”Each of the men took Ross‟s offered hand and, like their host, tested the Americaninterloper for any discernible weakness.Ross grinned imperturbably.“Never been to Scotland,” he said to Macalister, “but I hear you have some excellent elkhunting up your way.”“We call them red deer,” Macalister said.“Do you prefer to hunt as man or wolf?”Ross cocked his head.“I think it‟s a mite too easy to run a stag down as a wolf.I likebow hunting, myself.”Macalister grunted and waited for Gillian to resume her seat.Sir Averil wavedpermission.“Would you care to join us for the cheese, Mr.Keating?” he asked.“Or, if you it is moreto your taste, our cook will provide you with a sandwich in the kitchen.”His manner was discourteous, but Ross—or the character he was playing—showed nosign of noticing.He patted his stomach in a flagrantly vulgar gesture.“That soundsmighty good to me, Sir Averil.” He sat in the chair Faulder had belatedly sent a footmanto acquire.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 227 of 530Her stomach roiling, Gillian declined the cheese and fruit.She was careful not to look atRoss, afraid her expression would give her away.Disbelief, anger, fear and desireconducted a war within her that left her weak.She continued to smile impartially at thetable, refusing to look up when she felt Sir Averil‟s harsh stare.He thinks I arranged this, she thought.I agreed to the marriage, but he thinks I amplaying games with him.As if I would dare.But he knew she had seen Ross in New York.That would be evidence enough of herduplicity in Sir Averil‟s eyes.And while he silently condemned her, the other guestsresponded to the newly charged atmosphere.Conversation faltered.While Mr.Macalister seemed neutral in his stance toward the American and Forster was friendly,the Earnshaws radiated superiority and disdain.Gillian feared that would be the typicalreaction as the other delegates arrived.Ross‟s behavior—his speech, his commonmanner, even his way of eating—would serve to convince them that he was an outsiderwho could never belong among them.And he couldn‟t.Every werewolf who came to Snowfell would be able to Change, andwould prove it during the great hunt Sir Averil had arranged.Ross‟s defect wouldbecome common knowledge, and the other loups-garous…were not uncivilized beasts,for all their dual natures.The wolf was in all of them, but surely, even if the Continentaldelegates followed traditions differing from those of the British Isles, they would notattempt to do more than harass Ross into leaving Snowfell.And how civilized were you when those gangsters came to the hotel?She threw off the memory.The greatest danger Ross faced was Sir Averil.She had todiscover what Ross intended at Snowfell, make absolutely certain he understood thathe must not provoke her father any further.And she must prepare to endure Sir Averil‟s furious interrogation.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 228 of 530“So, Mr.Keating,” Macalister said, unexpectedly breaching the quiet, “you have noConvocations in America.”Ross paused to swallow.“Not that I‟ve ever heard.I hope that‟ll change soon.”“And do you subscribe to the necessity of purifying the werewolf race?” AldousEarnshaw asked, each word clipped and precise.“We-ell,” Ross drawled, leaning perilously far back in his chair, “it‟s a bit morecomplicated in the States.It‟s a big country, and our kind are pretty spread out, not likeover here.Might be necessary to let a few mixed-breeds in at first, just to get thingsgoing.”Earnshaw‟s expression of disgust was instantaneous, and his brother slightly bared histeeth.Gillian knew Ross well enough to realize that he was deliberately mocking notonly Earnshaw, but the entire purpose of the Convocation.“Do you know any of these creatures yourself?” Kenneth Earnshaw asked.“Mixed bloods? I‟ve met one or two.” He let his chair fall forward again.“Sir Averil tellsme you use the Convocation to arrange marriages.Where are all the ladies?”Sir Averil, who had been maintaining a dreadful silence, abruptly stood.“Gillian, Ibelieve it is time for you to retire.” She obediently rose, pausing to test the steadiness ofher legs, and the men stood, as well.She politely made her good-nights, and then, withher head high, she made her way through the entrance hall and up the stairs.Shecontinued to the second floor nursery, tucked away at the end of the corridor with theservants‟ quarters.She quickly dismissed Miss Rownthwaite, who had been finishingher own meal on a tray.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 229 of 530Toby was sitting straight up in bed, his eyes very wide.He leaped up as soon as Gillianclosed the door.“Father is here, isn‟t he?”Gillian didn‟t ask how he knew.He had always displayed the same keenness of hearingand smell as any full-blooded werewolf…but then again, so did Ross.What troubled herwas how unsurprised he seemed.She sat on the edge of the bed and concentrated on keeping her voice soft and calm.“Did you know he was coming, Toby?”His cheeks reddened, and she could see him weighing a possible lie.After all, she haddeceived him more than once, and the old trust between them had been strained.But he decided against it.“Yes, Mother.I knew.But he had to come, don‟t you see?”There had been only a few times in her life when Gillian had felt the desire to take Tobyover her knee.This was one of them.“I see only that Mr
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