The King's Courtesan (15 page)

“Wel ? You interrupted a meeting in my private study. Pray tel me your complaint.”

“Your housekeeper is insolent and terribly rude.”

“Is she real y? Al these years and I hadn’t noticed.” She strove to keep her voice as indifferent as his. “I asked her for a tour of the house, so I might find my way around and she refused me.”

He shrugged. “What do you expect me to do about it? I haven’t the time to take you by the hand. We work here.”

“How drol ! That’s almost exactly what she said. I expect you to do your duty. You must introduce me properly, as your wife. The servants wil not respect me until you do.”

“But you’re not my proper wife, are you? Yet you feel empowered to invade my privacy, tel me my duty and order me about.”

“Your pretend wife, then, devil take you! And I shouldn’t
have
to tel you your duty. I would never abandon a guest, al ow my servants to be rude to them, or treat them as you are treating me.” Her voice was heated now. Despite her best intentions, no man had ever made her as angry, or made her lose control time after time as this one did.

“What shal we do, then? Stand in the great hal , hand in hand, and lie to them? Fueling speculation about dynasties and heirs and generations of Nicholses yet to come?”

“Let us speak plainly here. You mean generations of Stuarts, don’t you? If it irks you so much why did you agree?”

“I mean you are not to play with my servants or retainers, my lady. And that includes the sergeant. They are not your toys or here for your amusement. Mrs. Overton is useful to me, and she has been with me for many years.” His cool voice and calm demeanor infuriated her. “I see.

She is useful…and I am not. Except, of course, as a means to acquire land and a title. Now that you have what you wanted…it is too much to honor and respect your side of the bargain. I am a peaceful creature, Captain. I mean harm to no one. But I swear, if I’d known you were going to be my husband I would have been sorely tempted to put poison in your May Day wine!”

“Madam, if I knew you were to be my wife I would have been sorely tempted to drink it.”

“Oh, but you did know, Captain. And you were very wel rewarded for it, too.”

Her grand disdainful exit was marred by a brief col ision with the door. She had always been a bit clumsy but this man, this house, this situation had her so off balance she was covered in bruises, and so frustrated she was on the verge of tears. They almost came when she stood in the hal and realized she had no idea where to go.

“I’ve found your room, my lady. It’s ready for you now.” Rose was such a welcome sight she could have hugged her. She must do something nice for the girl. She and the sergeant were the only bright spots in an otherwise dismal day. Until she saw her room.

It was a sumptuous and cozy corner suite with a polished oak floor inlaid with a sunflower pattern made of ebony and honey-colored wood. A recessed window seat looked out over the river, and a heavy oaken desk sat next to a bank of windows with doors that opened onto a terrace to the south.

Pale blue satin and colorful Aubusson tapestry covered the wal s, while the furniture was upholstered in darker hues.

Rich hangings of gold damask and sky-blue velvet graced a comfortable bed, a mantelpiece of snow-white marble conferred a classical elegance, and a jungle of ferns and flowers grew in potted profusion in every corner of the room.

“Oh, my, Rose! It looks like a beautiful and airy summer’s day.”

“Doesn’t it just, ma’am! I’m afraid to touch anything lest I get it dirty.”

Hope chuckled, her mood greatly improved. “We shal have to see to that. You’l need a good bath and some better clothes. I believe I may have a dress that wil do you for now. I’l dine in my room this evening, Rose. Please inform…whomever. Then fetch me a jug of wine and a loaf of bread while I see what I can find.”

The little maid scurried happily away, only to be stopped at the door by Mrs. Overton, who seemed every bit as surprised to see the room as Hope was. “I… But this isn’t…

Your room is… Rose O’Donnel ! What is the meaning of this? No one has been able to find you al day. Get back to the scul ery at once!”

“Rose wil not be returning to the scul ery, Mrs. Overton.

She’s been a very great help to me today. I’m in need of a lady’s maid, as I’m sure you’l understand, and I’ve decided that Rose wil do nicely.”

“Wel , you can’t have her. It’s entirely inappropriate and it wil leave me short of help.”

“Then hire someone. The matter is closed. She has already begun her new duties, haven’t you, Rose?”

“Yes, my lady!”

“Off you go, then.”

Rose ducked past Mrs. Overton and out the door. “The master—”

“The master can go hang himself, and you may tel him that I said so. It’s been a long day and a difficult week and my patience is worn thin. Take your complaints to him. Leave me now. And if you see Sergeant Oakes, please thank him for the lovely room.”

The housekeeper sputtered in outrage.

“Good night, Mrs. Overton. Please close the door on the way out.”

Rose returned with a plate of cheese, ham and fruit, and a jug brim-ful of cold, sweet sack. She was turning out to be a little gem. Her reward was a simple dark blue taffeta dress and a dark green woolen, both of which would complement her complexion and hair. “Oh, my lady, these are mine? I’ve never seen the like. In al my life I never thought to wear such beautiful things!” She twirled around the room, the blue taffeta clutched to her chest. “How can I ever thank you?”

Hope smiled to remember the days when her first real dress transported her. “I’m glad you’re pleased, Rose. And I think with a little adjusting they shal suit you very wel . A lady’s maid must be wel -dressed or it reflects poorly on her employer. Proper clothes are part of your wages. Now, if you would help me out of my dress, that is al I’l be needing tonight. Then you should go and find Sergeant Oakes. Tel him you’re now my maid, and I would be grateful if he can find you a suitable room. And tel him I say ‘Bless you’ for finding this one for me.” She knew it had to be the sergeant who’d assigned her this room. It was fit for the mistress of the house and it explained his wink and smile.

After Rose left, she settled with the wine jug in the window seat, watching as a yel ow moon rose slowly from the mist and trees. For the first time in days she had a place to ponder and be alone. No one came to disturb her and she wasn’t surprised. It should have been restful and God knew she was exhausted in body, mind and spirit, but the events of the past week had happened so quickly and been so chaotic, it was as though she’d been shipwrecked and washed up on some distant shore. While she was moving, walking, fighting, planning, talking, she had no time to dwel on it. But now, when she rested, it crowded in.

Charles’s betrayal had been devastating, for both the substance and the manner in which it was done. What did she do to make him hurt her this way? To make him abandon her in this half-empty place amongst strangers. To give her to this coldhearted man?
Nothing! I didn’t do a
goddamned thing!
She felt a white-hot bolt of anger and washed it down with a glass of wine. She’d given him more of herself than anyone else ever had. Her body and her friendship, and she’d never asked him for a bloody thing.

Not jewels nor favors. Only the freedom to leave in peace.

And that he’d cruel y denied her, through trickery and deceit.

I hate him
. She had made him no promises. She owed him nothing anymore. She was not some toy to put away while he played with a new one.
He thinks to treat me like a
whore and rule me like a husband.
And her proxy husband? He married her for what he wanted while scorning her for who she was. He blamed her for a bargain she’d had no part in making, whilst he’d entered it freely and claimed his prize.

One was a liar, the other a hypocrite, and both had treated her as an object of little value, to be used and moved to suit their own ends.
The captain gets his title. Charles gets to
hide me without letting go, at least until he’s sure he wants
to, and what is there in this for me?
Humiliation, exile, the loss of freedom, and from menials to master, nothing but scorn. If anyone had a right to anger, she did. It was she who suffered, and she who’d done nothing wrong. Al that she owned, everything she’d worked for, had ceased to exist or belonged to her husband now. Charles had even denied her the stage.

I will take what I may from both of them, and both of them
will pay.
She would make the honor-bound captain desire her, despite his disdain. She would seduce him, thereby gaining revenge on both captain and king. She would show Charles he didn’t control her, and the captain he was no better than she was.
I will force him to admit his honor is
no better than mine.

She tossed back another glass of wine, trying to soothe the sharp edges of anger and loss. Her childhood fantasies had featured a place like this, with towering trees, clear flowing water and vibrant gardens alive with flowers of every hue. Cressly was neglected, but its beauty shone through and its charms ran deep. It almost felt as though it needed her. Yet somewhere at its core, the house felt cold and empty. Surrounded by silent, staring servants and tied to this distant, icy man, she felt lonely, weary and trapped, and she was so tired of being strong. A hol ow ache took her breath away and tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, but she ruthlessly beat them back.

She reached for the wine jug again, then let her arm drop.

Wine did soothe ragged edges, but its powerful alchemy had turned her anger to self-pity. The moon had risen now, a heavy globe of sal ow light, hovering above a blue-black horizon. Though the sky was clear, a creeping bank of fog was winding up the river, and somewhere in the distance, thunder groaned. She shivered and hugged her knees tight to her chest. She should have asked for a fire. It was time for bed.

She felt her way careful y in the dark, but stil caught her toe on the edge of the massive oak bed. The pain wel ed through her, rising the length of her body and making her cry out as she col apsed in a heap on the mattress. It was a smal thing, but it was a smal thing too much. As the pain subsided to a throbbing ache, tears spil ed down her cheeks. She bit her knuckle to hold it in but the pain and hurt she’d been holding for days final y overwhelmed her.

The tears came in gut-wrenching sobs and she cried and cried like a lost little girl.

ROBERT N ICHOLS SETTLED into his bed, exhausted.

He’d spent twenty minutes listening to the frantic complaints of Mrs. Overton. It seemed that despite his warning, the Mathews chit would insist on upsetting his household. She was as thoughtless and selfish, spoiled and shal ow, as he had first feared. She had not even deigned to join them at dinner. One would think she’d have come, if only to gloat after making off with one of Mrs. Overton’s scul ery maids.

Stil , one had to admire her courage and cunning. Mrs.

Overton was a formidable opponent who had, to al intents and purposes, been mistress of Cressly for the past fifteen years.

According to Oakes, whose unseemly amusement had not been helpful, it had been a veritable coup d’état. One the redoubtable housekeeper never saw coming. Now the staff were confused, wondering who was in charge. Mrs.

Overton, or the unexplained countess. Say what you wil , she was a bril iant tactician. He was going to have to deal with the ensuing uproar, though, and petty disputes were the last thing he needed to be bothered with right now.

Harris was his main concern. He must have known that he was hunted as his cronies died, one by one.
I hope it kept
him looking over his shoulder all these years. I hope it
keeps him up at night as Caroline does me.
It was no accident the man had asked the king for Cressly. He’d stil be seeking the treasure he thought was buried here. Did he also seek a confrontation?
I doubt it
.
I’m no twelve-year-old
girl.
The man was a coward who’d hidden his tracks until now. He saw an opportunity and greed had overcome caution. But he was exposed and dangerous now.
Will he
seek to destroy me? Or will he run?
If he did attack it would be by a coward’s way.

I should be in London.
He needed information. He needed to find and fol ow the man. But the king had wasted no time in sending him and his inconvenient mistress on their way.

There had been no opportunity to discover more about Harris. Where he lived, what he was up to, what were his weaknesses, his habits, his plans. He’d alerted the sergeant to take the necessary precautions, but after al these years a reckoning was coming, and he’d prefer it be in London or further afield.

This…wife. Hope. She was a complication and distraction he certainly didn’t need. He stil couldn’t believe that within hours of learning of Harris, a man he’d hunted for years and who might be hunting him, al he could think of was her barefoot dance under the stars. He’d taken her shopping,
sightseeing,
for God’s sake, while the man who’d kil ed his sister might be slipping from his grasp.

Unable to sleep, he shifted onto his back and clasped his hands behind his head. She was right, though, and none of this was her fault. It was because of her his servants stil had jobs. He had made a bargain for his own reasons, and he had a responsibility to see that she be treated wel . An uncomfortable stab of guilt precipitated a drawn-out sigh.

Today can’t have been easy for her.
He should have shielded her from Overton and made her feel at home. He should have made arrangements for a maid, and shown her the house himself. He was an experienced and capable commander, after al . Surely he could manage two things at once.

He hoped he’d got the room right at least. It was one of the lightest and brightest, and arguably had the best views in the house. He’d told Oakes she liked her plants and flowers and the footmen had scoured the house for everything living and green. It was not as grand as what she’d have been accustomed to in London, but he was fairly certain that she’d be pleased.
I will try and be more attentive to her
needs, if only to keep her from trouble. But I must attend
to Cressly first
.