Page 13 of Exiled Heir

There was no way that this was a complicated game, right? A way of getting revenge eleven years later for something I hadn’t even done? But, no. There was no way he knew who I was. If he did, he would have stayed invisible and let Declan cut off my head. Instead, he’d gotten me out, offered me money, and given me a job when the smart money was on hiring some other wolf.

Shoving my hands into my pockets, my shoulders hunched, I began walking up the steps.

ChapterFive

At the top of the stairs, I got my first good look at Leon. He was older, probably in his seventies, although his back was straight, and his eyes were clear. His hair was silver rather than white, and the lines around his mouth could just as easily have been smile lines as frown lines.

He bowed his head again, holding the door open for us and gesturing with his free hand. “Prince Bartlett. May I ask who your guest is?”

“This is Miles. He will be my consort as soon as we complete the ritual.” Cade walked through the door, and I followed behind him into the warm house.

The lights were turned down low, soft yellow gleaming on marble floors, cream walls with detailed molding. A massive staircase curved up from the entryway along the wall, a royal purple carpet detailed with gold in the center.

“Ah.” Leon had turned away from us to close the door, so I only saw his expression when he turned back. At that point, it was a bland neutral. “Consort Bartlett, a pleasure to welcome you to House Bartlett.”

Leon bowed to me, and Cade exhaled, as though in relief. I let my eyes turn to him, trying to read what sort of reception he had expected for me.

“You can just call me Miles,” I said slowly, feeling the situation. Cade had dropped me into the middle of a field of land mines without a map.

“This is Leon Lucas, the seneschal of House Bartlett.” Cade gestured to the man with a wave of his hand.

Based on Leon’s behavior, I expected seneschal was a fancy word for butler.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I looked around again, then turned to Cade. I tried to remind myself to speak the way I would to any lover, to someone I was comfortable with. “We going to bed? It’s late.”

“I am.Youneed a bath. Leon, can you have someone help him bathe and make sure he gets a meal? It’s been a long day.”

Cade started up the steps, dismissing me as easily as he had his seneschal. He stopped on the third step, turning back, his jaw clenched beneath a pleasant smile.

“If that’s all right with you? I would never want to leave my consort unattended or ill at ease.” He seemed to be searching for the appropriate way that two people actually having sex with each other would interact.

I nodded. I wasn’t eager to be left on my own, and I felt weariness down to my bones. A soft bed was a lot more appealing than a bath, but, gritting my teeth, I managed my own tense smile.

But this would be one of the perfect times for someone to ambush me, if they were trying to get to Cade. Now, before I learned anything about the house, when I was still getting my bearings.

“I’m fine. I’m sure Leo and I are going to get along just great. I’ll see you when I don’t… smell.” Beside me, Leon stiffened, but when I glanced at him, none of it showed on his face.

Cade nodded, tucking one hand in his pocket before walking up the stairs.

When he disappeared around the bend into a darkened hallway, I turned back to Leon. There was a flash of something in his eyes, a slight tightening between his brows, but then he shook his head, his lips stretching into a neutral smile.

“This way.” He gestured with his hand and then turned, walking further into the house.

“Is there just a bathroom I can go to?” I muttered.

“We have showers for the wolves who come in after hunting,” Leon said smoothly. “Given your current… condition, you might be more comfortable there.”

Almost at the back of the house, he opened a nearly invisible door that matched the wall. I immediately saw the difference. Rather than fancy molding, the only decoration back here was dated wallpaper. The carpet just inside the doorway had a stain the color and shape of a spilled bowl of soup.

The walls must have some sort of noise dampening because I could hear people awake down here, even though it was two in the morning.

We stopped at the kitchens, where a couple of servants wearing kitchen whites were chatting as they kneaded bread. Leon paused in the entryway, and both of the cooks immediately went still. The older one, whose red hair was plaited back from her face, cleared her throat.

“Seneschal. Was there something you needed?” Her eyes glanced back at me, widening slightly.

“Please make up a plate for Prince Bartlett’s consort. The prince indicated he would be hungry. And call Rhys. I believe their services will be needed as well.” Leon’s tone was mild, the same way that I might answer a cashier’s bored “Did you find everything you needed today?”

The cook dusted her hands, nodding her head in a bow. “Of course, seneschal. Immediately.”