Page 265

She lowered her gaze, her lashes fanning against her cheek. “Ask me any question, my lord, and I should be happy to answer you,” she said. “As I would like to get to know you better as well. I understand you knew my mother. Mayhap you could tell me about her, what you knew of her in your youth.”

A crushing blow to the king’s intentions. Josephine happened to glance at him as her words sank in, and she saw the flame of lust extinguishing. Wielding her mother’s name like a weapon, the only weapon she had, it had worked the desired effect.

But Alexander wasn’t pleased about it. His hand dropped like a stone from Josephine’s face and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

The woman was cleverer than he had given her credit for, knowing that mention of Lady Afton would remind him of the person he toyed with.

Lusting after his own family, as it were.

Disillusioned, and defeated, he turned away.

“As children, your mother and I were quite close,” he said. “She was a bit older than I and quite beautiful. She would be pleased to know that her daughter can thwart the plans of men with less than honorable intentions with nothing more than a few words.”

Josephine looked at him incredulously, realizing he was fully admitting his lust for her. But she also caught an amused glimmer in his eye and they were soon grinning at each other knowingly. Josephine knew his mind and she had established a line he would think twice before crossing.

“Do you wish the necklace returned?” she asked.

He scratched his head with a smirk. “Nay,” he insisted. “It is your wedding gift from me and Marie. That, and a manor house outside Selkirk. It comes with a village of nearly two hundred acres of land.”

Josephine was genuinely touched by his generosity. Maybe he did realize the terrible pit he was casting her into and was trying to make it as attractive as possible. But she was going to press him on the issue of the manor house.

“Thank you very much, my lord,” she said. “You are most gracious. Might I make a request?”

Now he looked at her a bit warily. “What is it?”

She wasn’t shy about telling him. “That the manor house, and all of its holdings, will be placed in my name only,” she said. “The earl will not be able to touch it. I want it to be mine alone.”

To her surprise, he smiled at her. Then, he laughed.

“Josephine, you are a shrewd and wise woman,” he said.

“I can see that you possess more in your head than most of your countrywomen combined. Of course, the manor house will be yours entirely, as well as the title it carries. But I do not suppose you care about a title, do you?”

There was some humor in his question, surprisingly, and she shrugged. “I was once the heiress to the Ayr earldom,” she said, as she cocked her head comically. “Soon, I shall be the Countess of Annan and Blackbank. What is the meaning of one more title?”

“Nothing, of course,” he agreed with mock seriousness. “But the manor house comes with the title of Lady Ashkirk.”

She bowed her head. “Thank you, my lord.”

With all of that behind them, Alexander had a new respect for his young cousin, who was quite cunning in spite of her youth. He reminded her a good deal of her mother. A seed of respect for the woman sprouted and he held out his hand to her.

“Come, my beauty,” he said. “The castle abounds with guests who, I am sure, wait at this very moment in the dining hall with strained patience.”

Josephine looked at the outstretched hand, knowing he meant to take her to the earl, and all of the ease she’d felt with the conversation over the past few moments was gone.

Now, she felt a good deal of apprehension.

She’d already fended the king off, but she wasn’t so sure her luck would hold out with her intended.

The best way to fend him off would be to stay away from him, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

Andrew’s advice suddenly popped into her head– tell them your woman’s cycle has begun , he’d said.

It was the best excuse she could think of.

“I am afraid I am not feeling very well this evening, my lord,” she said, putting her hand to her belly. “I… I should like to meet the earl when I am feeling and looking my best. And unfortunately, that is not tonight.”

Alexander peered at her. “You seem well enough to me.”

She shook her head, rubbing at her belly. “I fear it has taken all of my strength to speak with you,” she said. “I feel rather weak and… faint.”

His eyebrows came together. “ Faint? ”

She nodded, reaching for the nearest chair and trying not to be overly dramatic about it. She didn’t want it to seem as if she’d suddenly taken ill the moment the king invited her to attend him to the hall, but that’s exactly what it looked like. She had to make it seem believable.

“It comes over me sometimes,” she said. “ Monthly , I mean.”

Alexander was looking at her as if he had no idea what she meant until, abruptly, her meaning settled. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so suspicious and, much as Andrew had predicted, he moved away from her.

“I see,” he said, rather clipped. “Well… then mayhap I shall excuse you from the feast tonight. Are… are you sure you do not feel up to it?”

Josephine shook her head. “Alas, I would be grateful for the reprieve,” she said. “My sister just arrived earlier today and I will have her brew some herbs for my affliction. I should feel better in a day or two.”

Alexander eyed her somewhat dubiously, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned this curse before, but he realized their conversation would have been no place to speak of such matters. He didn’t even want to speak of it now. With a sigh of frustration, he moved to the door.

“The earl will be disappointed, Josephine,” he said. “Mayhap, I will arrange for you two to meet on the morrow.”

Josephine nodded. “If I am feeling better, I would be honored,” she said. “But you understand… I do not want to greet the man and then faint because I am feeling so poorly.”

“Of course not.”

“Thank you for your understanding, my lord.”

Alexander wasn’t sure he understood, but he wasn’t going to press her.

He didn’t want her fainting, either, because it would embarrass him.

Now, he realized that this entire evening was going to be a problem because the earl had already expressed his desire to meet his betrothed when he arrived earlier in the day.

Now, he would have to pacify the man somehow.

Reaching the door, he paused before stepping through.

“May I inquire how you are feeling on the morrow?” he asked unhappily.

Josephine nodded. “I would be pleased, my lord.”

“Shall I send my wife to you?”

“There is nothing she can do. This, too, shall pass.”

Alexander left without another word, shutting the door behind him.

Josephine sat there a moment, listening, wondering if he was going to enter again and demand she attend the feast. He’d appeared most displeased when he’d left.

But he didn’t come back and, after several long seconds, she jumped up and ran to the chamber door, bolting it and saying a silent prayer for Andrew’s advice.

A smile spread across her face as she realized just how right he’d been. At least for tonight, she had a reprieve.

*

Returning to the rented room that he shared with Sully well after sunset, Andrew was surprised to find that Sully was nowhere to be found.

He wasn’t in their chamber, nor was he in the common room.

He saw Esme and made haste to avoid her.

But the woman called his name and rushed towards him, so he held his ground, wondering what she had to say to him.

He was fully prepared to make any and all excuses as to why they could not spend time together but, much to his surprise, she had a message from Sully to deliver.

Justine has arrived at the castle and I have gone to stay with her. Find me there.

It was a most surprising message. Now, Sully evidently had a legitimate reason to be in the castle being that his wife had arrived from Torridon.

He wondered why Justine had come but, in truth, it was no great mystery– her sister was here, as was her husband, and she probably thought she was coming to help them both.

It was not welcome news, either.

Andrew had to shake his head. His mission to help Josephine was growing by leaps and bounds.

Now it was turning into a crusade for her sister as well as her sister’s husband.

He wondered who else would show up in a valiant attempt to help Josephine.

Unfortunately, the more people who came to help her, the more difficult it would be.

Soon enough, Alexander would catch on to what was happening, and that would be a problem.

Andrew knew he had to get to Josephine to find out what had changed since he was out purchasing the Demon Slayer.

He wished he could bring the weapon to show it to her, for he was certain she would be impressed by it, but he had to leave it behind at the inn.

It was in a beautiful sheath, and he wrapped the blade and the sheath up in linen from one of the two beds.

Slicing a hole in one of the mattresses, he pulled out a good deal of the stuffing and shoved the wrapped sword up into the mattress to hide it.

It was such a magnificent piece that he didn’t want to take the chance that someone might enter his room while he was gone and take it.

He didn’t care much about the other possessions he’d brought with them, but the sword… he cared about that.

It had a purpose.

Once the sword was safely hidden away, he proceeded to don his apple man disguise that he had been using. He would then make his way into the castle just before the sentries shut up the gates for the night.