Before He Was Mine (Before Series, Book 2)

A Dance with Deadly Weapons

England, 1836

Emilia was at Prince George's funeral, crouched on the dusty floor of a church. Her ears were ringing. Her head was spinning.

It had been spinning for the last several days. Or months, rather.

She wasn't quite certain how it happened, but Emilia went from a quiet life in the countryside to one where she was embroiled in a plot to save England from a treacherous monarchy. And, of course, all tangled in that plot was none other than Will Graham.

For the two years after he'd ruined her, Lord Trotten ignored Emilia. He avoided her at all costs, as if she'd been the one to humiliate him. And Emilia hated it. For two years, Emilia hated Will with a fierceness that she admittedly knew only meant one thing.

But now they'd been thrown together to help Princess Adelaide take back the throne, and Will was doing things like passionately kissing her in parlors. It was all rather confusing. It made her head spin, her ears ring.

However, presently the haziness in her brain was attributed to how Emilia just kicked the traitorous arse of a man whose gun was pointed at Adelaide. And then that gun had gone off. Loudly.

There was a blur of movement, guards pouncing on the sprawled body of the assassin. Will, who had been sitting across the aisle by the King of England, rushed over to Emilia. She released an unrestrained sigh of relief at seeing he was alright.

She could not help that. She could never help her feelings when Will was involved.

"You need to get out of here," he breathed urgently.

Emilia shook. The noise around her was muted, a contrast to the ringing in her ear, painfully loud and constant. She gripped Will but looked past him, straining her neck to see what had occurred at the front of the abbey. There were too many people in her way, too much commotion to be able to see.

"Emilia, let us go!" Will repeated, grabbing her by the elbow to pull her out through the throngs of people. They emerged onto the street, and he pushed Emilia against the abbey's outside wall, sequestering them behind a jut in the weathered stone.

"Stay here," he demanded, giving her a meaningful look. "I mean it, Emilia. For once in your life, do as I say."

"But Adelaide—"

"Do as I say, Emilia!"

Emilia opened her mouth to argue once more, but then Will was gone, disappearing amongst the somber-colored pelisses and dress coats. He liked to do that—act as if she were the most important thing in the world and then promptly abandon her. He had done it two years ago. And then again just the other day, after kissing her in the parlor of Rosecrest Manor.

He'd pull her in and then push her away, and it drove Emilia mad.

People were screaming, drawing her attention to the chaotic present. The words were disjointed in her brain, nonsensical noises ricocheting about. Emilia began pacing along the wall.

She hoped to God that Adelaide had not been hurt, and that Theo was alright as well.

Emilia's head whirled. She recognized the gunman as one of the footmen who used to work at Kingfield House. Adam? But she did not understand how that was possible. Well, she supposed it was possible, but definitely not probable. What in heaven's name did he have against Adelaide enough to shoot her?

"Lady Emilia, are you quite alright?"

A man approached her, shouting through the throngs of people as he did. Lord Travis? Or was it Lord Trevor?