Chapter 206: A Name Too Many

The Earl hesitated for a moment before looking at Ravian, who answered with a small nod in return. Ravian knew that putting off the conversation would do nothing to make it less unpleasant when it finally took place, and he had no desire to spend the night wondering what the old man might choose to do the next time the two of them met.

Patrick agreed and went out to escort Charlotte after Shmichael had finished gathering the remaining papers, while Larette followed them quietly and with complete composure, without so much as a glance in Ravian’s direction; then the door closed behind them and the voices outside gradually faded.

Ravian waited until the footsteps had receded before turning his gaze back to Grand Duke Alexander and repeating his question:

"Did Lysandra really tell you about me?"

"No." Alexander said it simply, then added as he watched Ravian’s face, "I learned that she had met you in this house, but I didn’t hear what passed between you from her."

Ravian had expected that answer, yet it still left him with an unwelcome urge to laugh. He had spent two whole hours carefully weighing every word he spoke in front front of a man who had used a single fabricated statement to make him behave as though his secrets had already been laid bare for the old man to examine.

"And yet you told me she had mentioned me to you," Ravian said, unable to openly accuse a Grand Duke.

"Indeed I did." Alexander nodded in acknowledgment, giving no sign that he was at all concerned with how Ravian felt about that admission.

Ravian clenched his jaw, fighting the disgust rising from his chest into his throat.

Pride.

"Did you get what you wanted?" Ravian finally asked with a smile that looked more irritated than pleased.

Alexander leaned forward slightly, the infuriating amusement in his features diminishing without disappearing as he studied Ravian’s expression.

"Strange. From your actions, I’d concluded that you were intelligent, so why are you letting your emotions show so easily in front of me?" Alexander asked with a slight frown of confusion rather than irritation. "You looked surprised, then became more careful about what you said. You didn’t ask what Lysandra had told me until now, even though you spent most of the meeting trying to work it out, and then, all of a sudden, your anger toward me became obvious."

"That strikes me as stupidity, not intelligence. Have I misjudged you, I wonder?" Alexander concluded, calmly propping his head on his right hand as he watched Ravian.

Ravian tightened his fingers around the armrest before deliberately relaxing them.

’This is irritating...’ Ravian clenched his jaw even harder. ’Extremely irritating. And there’s nothing I can do about it.’

He lifted his chin slightly as he replied:

"I don’t know what you made of me, Your Grace, but I respect your opinion all the same," Ravian said as calmly as he could.

"As for my surprise, that was perfectly natural. Everyone was astonished by what you did today, my lord."

Despite Ravian’s attempt to be polite, Alexander did not seem satisfied and was unwilling to let the matter pass.

"Patrick was surprised when he saw the permit, but you were surprised before I brought it out—specifically, when I mentioned my granddaughter’s name. I don’t confuse the two, ’Rayan,’" the old man said, emphasizing the name as he retrieved the wooden cane at his side, planted it between his feet, and leaned forward on it while watching Ravian.

Ravian fell silent for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the place the papers had occupied just a short while ago. There was nothing to be gained by denying a reaction the old man had seen for himself, and trying to offer another explanation might give him information he did not yet possess.

He looked back at him and said:

"Very well, Lysandra and I know each other. You could have asked me about that directly, but I’m sure you know that as well."

Alexander studied him for several seconds before settling back into his chair.

"You’ve become more cautious than you were when I arrived," Alexander Veyla said with a smile that mocked Ravian’s retreat.

Ravian disliked the satisfaction he heard in his tone, as though the old man considered his attempts to protect himself a slight improvement in his performance at a game he alone controlled.

A sharp surge of pride urged him toward a far ruder reply than the situation allowed, but he swallowed it before it could reach his tongue. Reminding himself of the rank the man sitting directly across from him might hold was a remarkably effective way to keep his words under control, even if he hated having to acknowledge just how well that reminder worked.

"Then let me be clear, my lord." Keeping his voice level, he continued, "If you have questions about the project, I’ll answer them as best I can, and if there’s something you want to know about me, ask me directly. As for what Lysandra chooses to tell you or keep from you, that’s something you should discuss with her."

Alexander’s expression did not change, but his gaze settled on Ravian with enough intensity that he had to resist the urge to shift in his seat.

"Do you think I’d want to learn anything about my granddaughter from you?" Alexander said. "Don’t overestimate yourself, Ravian... My apologies, I mean Rayan."

Ravian nearly choked when he heard his name, but he kept his nerves under control so that he would betray no reaction. Though he was burning inside, feeling as if everything he had built through so much suffering was evaporating before his eyes, he managed, just barely, to maintain his composure.

"Frankly, I don’t care what you call me, Your Grace," Ravian said. "And I don’t see the point of what you’re doing; you can simply tell me what you want."

His words came out a little harsher than he had intended, but he made no attempt to soften them once they were spoken. He merely looked at Alexander, prepared to bear the consequences now that he had chosen to open his mouth.

For the first time, the old man laughed aloud.

His laughter did not last long, but it seemed more spontaneous than any of the smiles he had offered since the meeting began, though that did little to make Ravian feel any better.

"Now I see why our conversation has been making you uncomfortable."

’Really? It took you this long to figure that out?’ Ravian’s expression had turned decidedly flat.

Ravian kept that comment to himself as Alexander continued:

"Your presence here interests me for more than one reason—far more than you might imagine—but the project alone is reason enough for me to sit at this table. I’ve committed both money and influence, so it’s only natural that I’d want to know the person on whom the success of that investment depends."

Alexander glanced at his copy of the agreement, his attention settling on Ravian’s signature in particular.

"Don’t you think it’s extremely important to know your partner?" Alexander asked.

"We’ve already specified what I’ll contribute in the agreement." Ravian ignored the subject of getting acquainted and addressed only Alexander’s earlier point.

"We’ve defined your work, yes, and that’s enough for me to enter into the partnership—only the partnership." Alexander nodded in agreement, though his eyes did not look entirely convinced.

Ravian noticed the wording, glanced at the closed door, then looked back at him.

"So you want to know more about me?"

Alexander did not deny it, merely making a small gesture that invited him to continue, as though he wanted to hear what Ravian could work out without help.

That was what irritated him most about the man; every time Ravian tried to establish exactly how much the old man knew and where that knowledge ended, he found himself being drawn into speaking, while Alexander had the luxury of remaining exactly where he was and simply listening to whatever Ravian said.

This time, he did not give the old man what he was waiting for.

"I won’t try to guess at your other reason, my lord. I’ve spent enough time today drawing conclusions from things that weren’t true, and I’d prefer to hear from you exactly what you want to know."

There was a brief silence, which Ravian made no attempt to fill with an apology or any further explanation. His hand remained where it had been on the armrest, though his fingers were no longer tightening around it; he still felt uneasy about the direction their conversation was taking, but chose to keep himself as calm as possible until he could learn what Alexander Veyla wanted.

Alexander looked once more at the place where Ravian had signed a short while earlier, then raised his eyes to him, the teasing note gone from his voice.

"Very well, let’s start with a direct question: would you prefer that I keep calling you Rayan Veyr when we’re alone, or may I now use your real name, Ravian Veyr?"