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Authors: Gaelen Foley
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an object to be used to achieve a desired result, not a thinking, feeling, wondering creature with sweet, silvery laughter and freckles on her nose.
She hummed softly at his ear as he took the turn to the exit he had used before. She interrupted his silent war with himself, making conversation to pass the time.
“Thank you for saving me from Domenic,” she said, “even if it was only because you wanted to kidnap me.”
“Do you love him?” he heard himself ask.
“No.” She sighed as she laid her head down on his shoulder. “Is there a lady you love?”
“Aye.”
“What does she look like?”
“She has three decks, three masts, and the finest-built stern a man could desire.”
“A ship?” she exclaimed. “Oh, you are a seafarer. Of course! I see now.” She gave him a little squeeze around the neck, and he smiled in spite of himself. “You are a native Ascencioner, but you’ve traveled. I can tell by your accent.”
“Very good, Miss Monteverdi.”
“If I’m not mistaken, you are highborn, too.”
“My father was a gentleman,” he conceded, the understatement of the century.
Due to the fact that he’d been martyred, King Alphonse was being considered by the Vatican for sainthood.
For some reason Lazar hoped he didn’t get it, but he would probably never know. The cardinals wouldn’t rule on it for another thirty-five years, and Lazar had no intention of living that long.
“Am I too heavy for you?”
“Certainly not.”
“Does your arm hurt very much? It looks as though it has stopped bleeding.”
“It’s fine.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
She was quiet for a minute. He could almost hear the little cogs and wheels whirring in her brain.
“Can I ask you a question? Something Domenic said when he was being so awful still preys on my mind. You’re a man—you might be able to make sense of it.”
He shook his head to himself in exasperation as she proceeded before he could tell her to shut up.
“You see, Humberto, the main reason I wanted to marry Domenic is because he is going to be Ascencion’s next Governor.”
Don’t bet on it , he thought. “They say power is an aphrodisiac.”
She gasped. “What a shocking thing to say! But that has nothing to do with it.”
“Of course not.”
“I mean it,” she said seriously. “I thought as his wife I could have some impact on the affairs of Ascencion, try to temper the injustices, ease the people’s suffering.”
“Admirable.”
“You know what they say,” she whispered, a teasing note in her voice as she set her chin on his shoulder. “Behind every great man is a great woman.”
He paused to shrug her higher up onto his back. “Sorry, but I doubt your fiancé will ever be a great man.”
“Ex-fiancé. I certainly will not marry that cretin now! I don’t know what I’ll do,” she mused. “Maybe join the convent.”
He cringed to hear her talk about her future when he knew she didn’t have one.
“Anyway, Domenic claimed he was justified in what he wanted to do to me because he said I was using him. I never wanted to use him!” she exclaimed. “I never thought about it that way. Was I unkind? Was I wicked for wanting to marry him to serve the common good? I mean, I think Domenic wanted to marry me only because of my father’s position. You see? I am confused. What do you think of it all, Humberto?”
“What do you think of it, Miss Monteverdi?” he replied quietly. “Your opinion is the one that matters.”
She was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know, but I feel guilty now.”
“That’s what he wanted you to feel, cherie .”
She laid her head on his shoulder once more, almost snuggling against him. “Humberto? No one has ever defended my honor before.”
He said nothing.
Maria …
The first thought that wandered into his cloudy brain was that he wanted Maria, his mistress, loyal and obedient as a spaniel. Maria knew how to take care of him better than
She hummed softly at his ear as he took the turn to the exit he had used before. She interrupted his silent war with himself, making conversation to pass the time.
“Thank you for saving me from Domenic,” she said, “even if it was only because you wanted to kidnap me.”
“Do you love him?” he heard himself ask.
“No.” She sighed as she laid her head down on his shoulder. “Is there a lady you love?”
“Aye.”
“What does she look like?”
“She has three decks, three masts, and the finest-built stern a man could desire.”
“A ship?” she exclaimed. “Oh, you are a seafarer. Of course! I see now.” She gave him a little squeeze around the neck, and he smiled in spite of himself. “You are a native Ascencioner, but you’ve traveled. I can tell by your accent.”
“Very good, Miss Monteverdi.”
“If I’m not mistaken, you are highborn, too.”
“My father was a gentleman,” he conceded, the understatement of the century.
Due to the fact that he’d been martyred, King Alphonse was being considered by the Vatican for sainthood.
For some reason Lazar hoped he didn’t get it, but he would probably never know. The cardinals wouldn’t rule on it for another thirty-five years, and Lazar had no intention of living that long.
“Am I too heavy for you?”
“Certainly not.”
“Does your arm hurt very much? It looks as though it has stopped bleeding.”
“It’s fine.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
She was quiet for a minute. He could almost hear the little cogs and wheels whirring in her brain.
“Can I ask you a question? Something Domenic said when he was being so awful still preys on my mind. You’re a man—you might be able to make sense of it.”
He shook his head to himself in exasperation as she proceeded before he could tell her to shut up.
“You see, Humberto, the main reason I wanted to marry Domenic is because he is going to be Ascencion’s next Governor.”
Don’t bet on it , he thought. “They say power is an aphrodisiac.”
She gasped. “What a shocking thing to say! But that has nothing to do with it.”
“Of course not.”
“I mean it,” she said seriously. “I thought as his wife I could have some impact on the affairs of Ascencion, try to temper the injustices, ease the people’s suffering.”
“Admirable.”
“You know what they say,” she whispered, a teasing note in her voice as she set her chin on his shoulder. “Behind every great man is a great woman.”
He paused to shrug her higher up onto his back. “Sorry, but I doubt your fiancé will ever be a great man.”
“Ex-fiancé. I certainly will not marry that cretin now! I don’t know what I’ll do,” she mused. “Maybe join the convent.”
He cringed to hear her talk about her future when he knew she didn’t have one.
“Anyway, Domenic claimed he was justified in what he wanted to do to me because he said I was using him. I never wanted to use him!” she exclaimed. “I never thought about it that way. Was I unkind? Was I wicked for wanting to marry him to serve the common good? I mean, I think Domenic wanted to marry me only because of my father’s position. You see? I am confused. What do you think of it all, Humberto?”
“What do you think of it, Miss Monteverdi?” he replied quietly. “Your opinion is the one that matters.”
She was silent for a long moment. “I don’t know, but I feel guilty now.”
“That’s what he wanted you to feel, cherie .”
She laid her head on his shoulder once more, almost snuggling against him. “Humberto? No one has ever defended my honor before.”
He said nothing.
Maria …
The first thought that wandered into his cloudy brain was that he wanted Maria, his mistress, loyal and obedient as a spaniel. Maria knew how to take care of him better than
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