Page 12 of The Most Unsuitable Prince (Another Arranged Marriage #8)

There was something going on with Tristan. Rupert didn’t normally bother himself with the hassles or annoyances that anybody in his inner circle might have to deal with. He was above all that. But Tristan was getting to the point where he was being annoying to Rupert, so it had become his problem.

It had been a week since Rupert decided to make a strategic retreat from the castle after his debacle of a wedding.

He had engagements already planned, and he needed time to think, so in his head, he would continue his usual schedule of events until he felt like doing otherwise - whenever that might be.

Winter’s words on the dance floor kept intruding on his thoughts more often than Rupert liked to admit.

No one had ever held his eye and told him he’d made a mistake before, yet Winter did.

There was also the peacock reference. Rupert was sure the only person he’d mentioned that to was Tristan…

which cast Tristan’s current behavior in a negative light.

Rupert had imagined, rather naively, he realized in hindsight, that being able to continue his life the way he always had after the wedding wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, it proved very problematic, especially when everybody he typically associated with had all been at his wedding.

He’d privately fumed that if one more person turned round and said, “Oh, hasn’t your husband accompanied you?

He’s such a delightful and personable young man, we’d love to get to know him better,” Rupert was going to hit someone.

He wasn’t sure who. It’s not like he could just hit a person speaking to him because he felt like it.

It was only decades of training in behaving in a princely manner, which included keeping his thoughts to himself, that had Rupert managing to carry on with the hunt as though nothing else was happening.

If he was asked specifically about his husband, he simply said that Crown Prince Consort Winter was settling himself at the Simigile castle and attending to his father and advisers on matters of state.

It all sounded vague enough to be plausible.

In truth, Rupert had no idea what Winter was doing, and told himself often he didn’t care.

On the odd occasion that somebody did push for more information, Rupert would remind the questioner that Simigile was far more advanced than a poor country like Martingale, and therefore, Crown Prince Consort Winter had a lot to learn and adjust to.

Rupert didn’t know if that was true or not, but because he said it, he expected people to believe him.

But Rupert was neither blind nor deaf, and he knew the rumor mill was spreading.

It was likely he was going to have to at least attend one event with his husband on his arm, or otherwise, people would start to talk to his detriment.

Because, for some reason that Rupert couldn’t work out at all, it wasn’t Winter’s reputation that was suffering, but Rupert’s.

They were currently staying at the Middlethorp estate – Tristan’s home base, although as he usually traveled with Rupert, he was barely ever there.

Every year, the Middlethorps held a week-long hunt specifically for Crown Prince Rupert’s benefit.

Rupert enjoyed hunting across the vast Middlethorp grounds and had previously anticipated the large ball that would be held at the end of the week.

Rupert hadn’t done too badly in the days he’d been out in the fields, although he had missed a couple of shots, and he put that down to the distraction that Tristan was causing him.

While the man had been his companion for a long time, since he’d gotten married, Tristan hadn’t left him alone at all.

Generally, Tristan had understood that Rupert enjoyed private company once any evening festivities were over.

At the moment, the sort of company Rupert tended to enjoy wasn’t possible.

He was still trying to work out what it was he could say to Winter so that he could convince him that affairs were normal among men of the royal classes.

He’d convinced himself, that provided they mutually accepted each other’s affairs, and conducted themselves discreetly, then they could surely agree to do that regardless of the contract they’d both signed.

In Rupert’s head, his offer was perfectly fair.

He accepted that his husband was also allowed to dally with whomever he pleased, provided he accepted Rupert could do the same thing.

Rupert didn’t want anything to do with his husband, and frankly, couldn’t imagine who would, but that was beside the point.

However, because Rupert wasn’t able to avail himself of the numerous invitations he’d received for a “nightcap” – a universally recognized euphemism for a good time - it seemed Tristan had taken it upon himself to keep Rupert company once Rupert had retired for the evening.

Which explained why Tristan was in his suite, with one more day of hunting left to go. Rupert was doing his best to ignore him, but that wasn’t always easy.

“We should get a house together,” Tristan suggested suddenly.

He was sprawled across a love seat, very close to Rupert’s bed, and for some reason, that was making Rupert feel uneasy.

“That was apparently how King Serron and his consort Patin got away with their affair for years. We should do that, too.”

It was clear Tristan had also imbibed more of the wine over dinner than was probably good for him.

He would never normally instigate a conversation of such a personal or gossipy nature.

Rupert ignored him, unlacing his boots and kicking them off his feet with relief.

They were getting a bit tight. He seriously needed to attend a tailor and a boot maker the next time he returned to the castle.

“That’s how they did it, you know.” Tristan clearly didn’t need any encouragement to continue his conversation. “From what’s been said, Serron and Patin had been together for ten years, maybe more.”

“It’s hardly an issue now, is it. Serron got Patin and Jaq in one go.

I hardly want to follow his example.” Rupert kept the thought that Serron and Patin had actually done him a favor to himself.

With what was happening with Winter, Rupert probably got a lucky escape.

Prince Jaq had World Council contacts by all accounts, and would’ve likely dragged him before the truth-sayers the moment he’d left for his first hunt after the wedding.

At least Winter appeared to be behaving himself at the Simigile castle – Rupert hadn’t heard that he wasn’t.

“Oh, I understand. Who would want two husbands? Not me. But you see, the beauty is in the way Serron did this,” Tristan insisted. “Serron gifted Patin his title – a title that came with a house and land. Apparently, it’s only about an hour’s ride from the castle.”

I know where the Folkon Estate is , Rupert thought, but of course he couldn’t say that out loud.

“It worked for Serron, so it could work for you.” Tristan held up his glass as though he’d just made an award winning speech. “All you need to do is set up your own separate household, separate from the castle. There’re plenty of estates around that you could probably buy.”

“Really? Plenty of estates? Are the social families of Simigile so unhappy with the way the royal family conducts themselves, that they are leaving the country in droves?” Rupert just wanted to sleep.

He’d been listening to people talk all day, and most of their conversation bored him. Tristan’s most of all.

“Fine, not necessarily plenty of empty estates, but there’s bound to be a place somewhere where you could set yourself up as the crown prince, and you and I could live there instead of the castle. It sounds like your husband isn’t going to be leaving in a hurry.”

Rupert stared at his friend. Tristan, in some respects, looked a lot like him.

He had dark hair, although he wore his relatively short.

He wasn’t as tall as Rupert, nor was he as well-built, but he could sit on a horse for up to six hours a day, sometimes longer without complaint, and he was generally useful in keeping Rupert informed on things that were important for him to know.

“If I were setting myself up in a separate house to the castle,” Rupert said slowly, “why would I need to live there with you?” Personally, Rupert couldn’t think of anything worse. Yes, he spent a lot of time with Tristan, but it didn’t mean he wanted to live with the man.

“It’s all part of the ruse,” Tristan rushed to explain.

“I’m sure this was what Serron did. He needed his own place separate from the castle, so he could continue his affair with a commoner.

So he set Patin up with that house to hide that fact from everyone else.

Think about it. You can’t honestly believe Patin actually owns Folkon.

No, Serron likely owns the estate, but he put it in Patin’s name to hide the fact they were having an affair in the first place. ”

“And you think this will work for me, because for some reason, if I give you an estate, where I can live as well, I will have somewhere I can have a private life outside of the castle?”

“Yes, yes.” Tristan nodded. “I think doing that would solve all your problems.”

“I’m not seeing how having my own house is going to help that little issue with the fidelity clause in my marriage contract.

” Rupert glared. “I’m still going to have to worry that any company I enjoy at this so-called new estate was going to talk to somebody and cost me my title and everything else that goes with it.

No, thank you. I’m not interested in that sort of scheme. ”

“That’s why it makes sense to gift the estate to me,” Tristan said. “You know I would never share any of your secrets, and there’s no reason we couldn’t enjoy each other in that way if you felt inclined. No one else would know about it.

“Everybody already knows that you and I are close because we spend most of our time together. I travel with you, I’m there with you for most events and state occasions. Don’t you see it would be exactly the way that Serron and Patin were?

“Although I would draw the line at being thought of as your valet. I have got my position to consider.” Tristan had the cheek to laugh.

“If we keep the estate well-staffed, there’ll always be someone to pull your boots off for you and run your bath.

But in every other respect, there’s no reason why we can’t be as close as two men can be. ”

Rupert stopped for a moment, the words “no fucking way” bitten back through a sheer force of will. He paused because he had to make doubly sure those words didn’t leave his lips. “When have I ever given you any suggestion or implication that I would be interested in you in that way?”

“Huh! There’s no need to be like that,” Tristan said, looking affronted.

“I understand how worried you are, but you must be getting to the point where those royal balls of yours are turning blue. You know you’re going to have to get somebody to take care of that issue for you, because I’m sure you’re not keen on making a mess all by yourself. ”

Rupert couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What was worse was Tristan hadn’t finished.

“I know for a fact I could bring you pleasure. I’m well-versed in the art of making men moan, and women, too.

Nobody else needs to know about it. We spend all our time together anyway.

And can you imagine, fronting up to the castle, making nice with your Prince Winter when he wouldn’t have a clue?

You’d be rubbing his nose into your affair every single time. I think that’s delicious, don’t you?”

“No,” Rupert said. He actually felt nauseous.

All he could see was that Tristan was setting up a perfect blackmail opportunity that Rupert had no doubt he’d be paying for the rest of his life.

“I don’t think it would be delicious at all.

I think…I think...I think you’ve probably had too much wine this evening. ”

Tristan peered at his half-filled glass.

“I’ve had a few, but not enough to be unseemly.

Look, Rupert, none of this has been easy for me to say.

You’re a bit intimidating at times, and I know I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Truth is, I’ve rather fancied you myself for quite some time, and when your father insisted you had to marry, I genuinely believed that you would turn to me instead of some random nobody from Martingale.

I come from a good family line. I can trace my family back generation after generation.

The Middlethorps are highly respected. We’re not the highest ranking social family in Simigile, but we’re darn close to it. You could do a lot worse than me.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute. In all that time when I was pursuing Jaq…” Rupert had a sudden thought.

“Is that why you told me to send him gifts he would never appreciate? And to take him out on a hunt as his first date? When it’s clear he can barely stand to be near a horse, something I didn’t know until he returned the horse I gifted him.

Did you sabotage my chances with Prince Jaq? ”

“I think sabotage is a bit harsh. I did warn you against sending some of the later gifts you sent.” Tristan was clearly realizing he’d overstepped.

“But with regards to the hunting date – why wouldn’t I suggest that?

You love hunting – it’s your favorite way to pass the time.

Jaq needed to know the true essence of who you were, and he clearly didn’t appreciate it. That’s not on me, that’s on him.”

“I think it’s time you retired for the night,” Rupert said through gritted teeth.

“That’s not a suggestion, it’s an order.

I expect a full apology from you in the morning, otherwise, you can consider our association finished.

You forgot who I am, Tristan. That was your first of what appears to be many mistakes you’ve made.

Make sure this evening’s disgusting revelation is the last.”

Rupert couldn’t even watch as Tristan stumbled from the room.

He felt blindsided and disgusted as well.

It wasn’t that Tristan was an ugly man. That wasn’t it.

But to have someone by his side, someone Rupert trusted as much as he trusted anyone, and then find out the whole thing was a ruse, to what…

score a title and a free house out of him?

Gods, I wish I had someone to talk to. It didn’t help that the first person Rupert thought of was Winter.