Page 39

Two weeks went by, the weather warming up as they reached the springish months of the year. Everyone was glad for it, as trying to work in such cold weather wasn’t anyone’s idea of a good time. The workers picked up the pace noticeably, and it seemed like every day there was new progress to see from Luca’s office. Noe continued to heal as well, which was lovely to see, and Luca tried his best to be patient while he did so.

Damn hard, though. No pun intended.

Luca sat at his desk even now, working; at least, he was until someone gave a perfunctory knock and then entered. He blinked, not at all expecting to see Hamish, the family retainer, waltz into his office. Devaughn was with him, no doubt serving as guide. The man was as slender and narrow in the face as always, and for once, he looked grave instead of on the verge of telling an inappropriate joke.

“Hamish,” he greeted, standing to offer a hand. Hamish had made retainer about the time Luca had become an adult, and they’d worked well together for years. He should be at home, so why was he here? “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Came to hand deliver a letter from yer parents.” Hamish shook hands but frowned as he did so. “They didn’t take the news of yer engagement well at all, at all.”

Dammit. Luca couldn’t say he was surprised. Still, their reaction had to be very bad if they’d sent someone here to deliver the letter personally.

Hamish pulled a thick folded letter from his satchel and handed it over. With some trepidation, Luca took it. Then he retreated to his desk and found himself nervous enough to wish for a drink in his hand.

Bracing mentally, he popped open the wax seal and unfolded the letter. It was in his father’s hand, but he knew his mother likely had agreed to every word. It was short, and he could already see her signature as well on the bottom.

Luca,

I am appalled and disgusted with you. I can’t believe you even thought this was a good option. We will not entertain the idea of it. I don’t care about your feelings on this matter. Your duty has always been clear to you.

You will dissolve your arrangement with this man at once and come home. Since I cannot trust your judgment any longer, I will select a suitable woman to be your bride. You will promptly marry her and do your duty to sire the next generation. I will not hear anything except agreement on your part.

Knowing how stubborn you are, I’ve included a notice of disinheritance. If you really wish to push back, know that signing this notice is your only option. You will either obey or leave this family altogether.

Don’t be any more stupid than you’ve already been.

Luca let the letter drop to the desk and just breathed for a moment. Yes, that had been as awful as he’d suspected it would be. His father had certainly not pulled any punches in his wording. It was almost a relief to see it all spelled out because now he couldn’t torment himself with hope. Clearly, there was none to be found here.

So it didn’t matter how he felt, aye? Somehow, that didn’t surprise him. Oh, but it hurt. He felt the pain of it lance his chest straight through. Luca might carry the scar created from those words for the rest of his life, but it also made sense with how his parents treated him. He’d been a duty to them, too. A tool to be used to fulfill certain needs. His own thoughts, opinions, wishes, and dreams had never meant anything to them. Seeing it clearly stated on paper only solidified the fear his parents didn’t love him. They didn’t even want him. He was only there to fill a void.

How horrible it must be to live like that. Where nothing brought you joy. Where nothing was loved, or cherished. Luca’s eyes roved over those words again. He felt the heartbreak of them, but also a sort of detachment. Like reading them a second time had severed a cord between himself and his parents. A final blow to cut the chain that bound them.

“What does it say?” Devaughn’s voice quavered, like the man was already upset on his behalf.

“In essence, it says they won’t accept Noe. I’m to immediately break off our engagement, return home, and marry the woman of their choice. Anything other than perfect obedience won’t be tolerated.”

Devaughn took his hat off and slammed it down to the ground. “Their bum be out the windae, the lot of them!”

Hamish winced as well but demanded of Devaughn as a sort of aside, “What’s he like? The fiancé.”

“He’s worth more than laird and lady put together,” Devaughn said, tone rising in hot temper. “Smart as a whip, that one, and as generous and kind as the day is long. He’d be an excellent laird, too, no question about it. A structural engineer, to boot, so he’d be able to fix or rebuild any part of the fortress without trouble. We all celebrated when these two announced their engagement.”

“Huh.” Hamish scratched his chin. “I admit, it was a bit of a turn when I heard the news. Didn’t think Himself was attracted to his own gender. But I sat on it the whole trip here, and I came to the realization it didn’t make any difference to me. I not be in the bedroom with them, be I? So long as I have a good laird to follow, I’ve no complaints, at all, at all. ’Tis a pity the parents do not think the same.”

Hamish always had been more open-minded than the rest. Still, Luca felt bolstered by his support. And from a man who hadn’t even met Noe yet, no less.

“Thank you for that.”

Hamish shrugged. “It be truth. Um, the notice—I think that more a scare tactic.”

“No, they meant it.” Luca lifted the notice and looked it over with a sort of detached fascination. To think he’d been handed this. Both parents’ signatures were already on it, as well as the wax seal for both of them. The only thing he had to do was sign and it would be official—he’d not be lord of a fortress or part of the O’ Broín family any longer.

Well able to read him, Devaughn demanded incredulously, “Are you thinking of signing that?”

“I am.”

“Wait, why?!”

“Because they mean it. My only choices are being their obedient puppet and doing my duty or leaving the family altogether.”

“No, but, but—” Devaughn seemed at a loss for words, unable to think of anything else to say.

Luca met his eyes, lips twisted up in a parody of a smile. “I love him, man. I love him too much to break his heart and my own. Would you be able to do it? Cast aside the love of your life only to live a life of cold duty, shackled to a person you can’t stand? I’ve watched my parents do that very thing, and they’re miserable sacks of sadness. I won’t live as they’ve done.”

“Shit.” Devaughn gripped his hair with both hands. “No, I can’t blame you. Knowing all parties as I do, I’d choose Noe too.”

“See?”

Luca had sort of known this ultimatum was coming, ever since he’d first put pen to paper and informed his parents of his engagement to Noe. He’d spent many a night tossing and turning, not sure of what he’d do. How he’d respond if it came down to an ultimatum. Now, with it here in front of him, Luca found it the simplest decision he’d ever made. Easy? No, it wasn’t that. But simple, yes.

He lifted his pen and put it to paper, signing the slot where his name should be. Then he sat back and let out a long breath. A heavy, burdensome weight he’d shouldered all his life had suddenly lifted. Duty bound no more. It was very liberating, although he felt somewhat unbalanced by it all. Well, no doubt he’d settle. He just had to give himself time.

“Shit,” Devaughn said again, then abruptly turned for the door. “I’m fetching Noe. He will not be pleased you made this decision without him.”

The door slammed shut and Luca had to laugh, although the sound was a bit delirious and choked. “No, he’s going to be right peeved at me.”

Still, what else could he do? Giving up Noe was unfathomable. Anything was better than that.

Hamish glared at the notice as if it had personally offended him. “I be of a mind to snatch that up and burn it.”

He would, too, rather than deliver it. Maybe Luca needed to send it back home some other way.

Pointing at it, Hamish growled, “I hope ye realize if they really go through with this, half of us will follow ye.”

Blinking, Luca couldn’t wrap his head around what Hamish meant by that for a moment. “You’d leave the territory to come to me?”

“Aye, and I not be the only one. Word spread of what they were plannin’ before I left. Half the territory said, if push came to shove, they will not stay. I do not think ye ken just how awful they are. They be too busy havin’ their strops and bein’ in high temper to be good to the rest of us. We usually ignore ’em and do our own thing until we cannot any longer. We’ve been holdin’ out our entire lives, waitin’ for yer father to retire, for ye to step up. If they boot ye out, we will not stay.”

Well, bloody fuck. In truth, Luca should have anticipated this. When he was home, he’d spent every waking hour doing his father’s work and mediating spats between his parents. Of course, without him there, things would go to shit quickly and people would fix their own problems rather than going to their laird and lady.

He didn’t blame them for the sentiment of not staying, not really. On the other hand… “It’s not like I know where to go myself right now.”

“Well, when ye figure it out, tell the rest of us so we can join ye.” Hamish gave a firm nod, a man satisfied with his own statement.

Luca was beyond touched. He’d known he was well respected by his people and had always done his best by them, but he hadn’t known he was this well loved. “I will, Hamish.”

The office door blew open like a typhoon had hit it, and it rather had, as Noe burst through. He was around the desk in a second flat, and his hands framed Luca’s face, eyes searching his expression as if trying to decipher everything all at once.

“Are you insane ?” Flinging a hand toward the notice, Noe spluttered out, “Also, are you all right?”

“I am.” Luca shrugged because what else could he say. “Really, beloved, it was no contest.”

The words sent Noe staggering back for a second and his eyes filled to the brim. He hauled Luca in against his chest, hugging him hard, voice choked with tears. “I’ll never let you regret it. We’ll be so happy, people will be disgusted just looking at us.”

Some might have questioned if Noe would stay by him, now that the promise of becoming a lord was moot, but Luca hadn’t doubted that. Not for a moment. He’d known that no matter what happened, Noe would be right at his side. He wrapped both arms around Noe’s waist and hugged him tighter, still heartsore at the decision he’d been forced to make but content.

Luca might be bereft of hearth and home now, but honestly? He felt a peace he’d never known. His heart was at home with Noe, wherever they were, and at least he no longer had two adult children he had to somehow constantly appease. In truth, the future could only look brighter from here.

He just had to figure out where to build a new life with Noe.

His parents could go rot.