Indiscretion(14)

I was done. I rolled away from her ready to send her from my bed until guilt made me ashamed of myself. I had not been fair to the girl, in neither deed or thought.

I had no doubt she was accustomed to being treated more graciously, and though I could not drum up the effort to take her again, I would not harm her farther by sending her from my bed without a word of kindness.

I listened to her drone on about nothing and everything, as my mind was a million miles away. No that’s a lie. It was down the hall, not more than a few measly steps and yet out of reach.

“When shall you take a wife my lord?” She rolled over with her arms clasped on my chest.

“Never.”

“What? Do you not wish for a son to carry on your great name?” She pouted prettily and I had no doubt she was vying for the position. Her sire was of noble birth true, but so were a dozen others with much more to offer.

I smiled indulgently but kept my thoughts to myself. I had sworn an oath to myself, that long ago day on a cold desolate battlefield that I would never impose upon a son of mine to suffer what I had endured. The death of a beloved sire!

My bastards all have sires. That was one of the things I arranged for any woman who bore me a child. To date I have five daughters and two sons, at least those were the ones I have been made aware of, and none of them would ever know me as their father.

They are well cared for of course, but they will never be in the succession for the throne. It was not the way of my people.

“It is time for you to go my sweet.” She pleaded to stay and was far from pleased to be thrown out of the king’s bed with barely anything to show for it. I forgot her name before she cleared the door.





Chapter 7


King Julian





“Nicholas you old dog, when did you return to court?”

“Just now your majesty I came to see you as soon as I returned. Sorry I wasn’t back in time for Frederick’s funeral, but I figured it was more important that I put down that little skirmish.”

“You were quite right my friend, and speaking of which, how did it go?”

“As to be expected. By the way I had the opportunity to stop in at Marbury castle on my way back. The old earl is very put out with you as he now has two daughters of marriageable age who cannot show their faces this season because of their very obvious proof of a dalliance with their king.”

“How did they seem, were they well?”

“Both in good spirits, if a little in need of some of what got them into trouble in the first place.” He grinned like a sot.

“You didn’t.” I grinned back at him. Nicholas and I had shared a skirt or two before, in fact sometimes we fucked the same woman during the same period of time as part of a little game; unbeknownst to the lady of course.

Our little contests were whispered about but no one has ever had the audacity to mention it to our faces. Though these days I was staying away from my married subjects no matter how much they begged.

I saw Cecile take her usual place at table and breathed easy. It was getting damn near impossible to be this near her and I was giving serious thought to sending her away to her sire’s holdings in the north.

Georgina was in a snit all day since I’d thrown her from my bed the night before, and was doing all she could to get my attention. Tonight though I had more pressing matters on my mind than either woman.

I turned back to Nicholas and carried on with our conversation. It was six years since I’d had his father killed while he slept in the night. I thought that the most humane way to handle the situation so that no one was ever the wiser about the older man’s treachery and I didn’t have to kill my dear friend whom I trusted, as I’d had to kill the sons and daughters of my other enemies. Instead, I had given him his sire’s title and lands, making him a very wealthy Earl.

I well knew there were ears listening to our every word even though they pretended no interest, but did not let on.

“Join me my friend, I have a new species I’ve been dying to show you.” We both left the table and headed for my chambers.

Making sure that there were no ears about, I led my friend to the parapet where I was sure of privacy.

“Tell me.” That little farce downstairs was for the benefit of anyone listening in. I did not want anyone knowing what we were really about until I had all the evidence needed.

“You were right. Crompton has been seen meeting with the men who once followed Whitley.”

“And who’s the one backing him?”

“That’s not it. He has only the backing of the Whitley clan, because they have a hidden secret that they think will give them the upper hand.”

I held my tongue as I waited for his answer. “The Whitley heir had a son. The child is only seven years old, but as a direct descendent to lord Whitley they see him as a threat to your rule.”