Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (90 page)
Read Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves Online
Authors: W. A. Hoffman
When we arrived, we hurried inside to relieve and refresh ourselves before departing again with Whyse to the party. Gaston had been fine all afternoon, but now he appeared as pale as he had when first we had learned what we would do
that if my Horse should become startled or anxious that I should tell you I needed to smoke or take air or some such thing. Will we have that optiontonight?”
I shook my head regretfully, but said, “Perhaps.” Then I considered the problem from another angle. “How is your Wolf with your Horse, or vice versa? Does you Horse trust your Wolf? We have ever seen how your Horse is calm and wellbehaved when you need to be a physician. Even though I think it unlikely we will need your medical talents this evening, can your Horse view the matter as being within your professional—and thus your Wolf’s—purview?”
He frowned with thought, and then with such evident unease my gut roiled. “Non, that is the problem. My Horse does not trust my Wolf, and He feels too much has already been handled with too little regard for…” He sighed and shook his head infrustration, his fists clenching.
“I like that name,” he said quickly with a smallsmile, and then he was frowning again. “My Horse even loves the place. It angers Him that we might not be allowed it. That we must bow to the Dragon—and properly—to even have a chance at such happiness as
I
feelwe could have there.”
I smiled. “As ever, my love, it is as if you hear my thoughts.”
He took a calming breath and smiled weakly. “Not the ones witha solution.”
“Dragons like to have their arses kissed; but truly, they are only as powerful as the wolves they have around them. This one’s father was slain by rabble. He has no reason to wish to anger us. I have not heard that this Dragon is a capricious tyrant. And, we are giving him—without any argument—money in the formofthe businesses. And we willoffer to payfor the House of Venus. I have not heard of a Dragon yet that did not need a great pile ofcoin. He has no reasonto denyus—the house.
“But truly, the house is the least of my concerns. I will not throw
our
happiness away in the name of the good of all. I amnot such a fool to think that we will be able to live as we did inthe West Indies, but I willnot live—anywhere—ifI cannot live with you. The children can bloody well grow up elsewhere. I am sure they will be content as long as they are loved. Our childhoods were filled with titles and coin and look where that got us.”
He took another deep breath, and then frowned anew.
He took another deep breath, and then frowned anew. “I have been thinking that perhaps it would be better if the childrengrew up without titles and coinfor that veryreason.”
I nodded. “Yet, it is as you have all been telling me: we need not remainhere.”
He sighed and his words were quiet. “Will, I am afraid we willbecome mired in the luxury ofit. Not that it willbe gravel strewnbefore us, but that it willallbe mud clingingto our hooves and wheels.”
I saw it. “Oui,”I said.
There was anurgent knock onthe door.
“The Earlis inquiringifyouare ready,”Rachelsaid.
“We willdowninbut a moment,”I assured her.
He was gazing earnestly into my eyes. A slow smile curled his lips and warmed his emerald orbs.
“What?”I asked.
“What is the best wayto negotiate mud?”he asked.
“Keep moving?”
His smile twitched into a grin. “Throw gravelinto it.”
I laughed. “Then, my love, I amsure the world and even the Gods willconspire to keep us frombecomingmired.”
As we traveled to his house, Whyse told us a great deal about who we would meet this night. Then we sat about in his parlor while he changed his attire to an even more garish scarlet ensemble than his usual. Once we were on the way to the party, he asked questions to see what we had remembered of his earlier lecture. He seemed quite pleased—and perhaps relieved —that I had a head for socialnuances.
Though it was well dark when we at last pulled up
Though it was well dark when we at last pulled up before a fine house, it seemed early for the type of party I had been led to believe we would see. When I saw few other carriages about, I could not but ask, “Are we not early?”
“Aye, considerably,” Whyse said. “The king is here, though. I sent him a message earlier, and he said he wished to award youa little ofhis time before the revelrybegan.”
“How very kind of His Majesty,” I said with sincere surprise at this royallargesse.
Gaston was growing pale beneath his blood-red curls again. As we left the carriage, I thought to take his hand for a reassuring squeeze; and then I remembered I should not. I immediately felt a flare ofanger frommy Horse. He was correct.
I leaned close and kissed Gaston sweetly on the corner of his mouth. He regarded me with surprise and then flicked his gaze to Whyse. I glanced at the Earl and found himwatching us withamiable amusement—but no censure.
“Lord Montren has not met a monarch before?” he asked as we ascended the steps ofa fine stone house.
“Nayhe has not,”I said witha grin. “Does it show?”
Whyse chuckled. “I have been a friend of His Majesty for many years – since we were youths. He is in many ways much as any other man, and in other ways he is very much a king:awe delights him.”
Gastonsighed heavily. “I shallplease him, then.”
As I knew my matelot’s duress was not truly due to awe of his new monarch alone, I was even more pleased than Whyse with my man’s response: it meant he had some of his humor about him.
There had beena number ofmenstandingabout outside, but once we were in, one would not have known a king was in the house. The servants were pleasant and discreet, and we were ushered without fanfare to a fine sitting room filled with spindle-legged, gilded furniture, a lovely young lady in a bejeweled gown, and a tall and august dragon. I studied King Charles the Second as he stood and kissed Whyse upon the cheeks ingreeting. He was animposingmanwitha longface and nose and keen eyes. He appeared every bit the wolf, even if he were not also a dragon.
“Your Majesty,” I said and bowed deeply when he looked to us.
Beside me, Gastondid the same.
“My lords,” he said with a rich voice. “It is a pleasure to meet youat last.”
I smiled. “Your Majesty, it is a great honor to meet you; and to have you receive us in this manner. And we are deeply honored that you hold such interest in our persons, and somewhat mystified byit.”
He chuckled. “You may well consider yourselves blessed or cursed by circumstance.”He turned to the young lady waiting expectantly beside him. “This is my dear friend, Miss Etta. It is her birthday this day. My dear, these are Lord Dorshire and Lord Montren.”
I stepped forward and kissed her proffered hand. “It is a pleasure, my lady. Thank you for allowing us to observe it with you.”
She giggled and curtsied. “Youare verywelcome.”
Gaston followed me in stepping forward to kiss her hand. He did not attempt to say anything. Despite our circumstances, I was amused to note he was quite intent upon not staring at her abundant décolletage as she curtsied for him— and she saw himnot looking.
She darted back to the king’s side and stood on tiptoe beside him. He obligingly leaned down so that she could whisper inhis ear. He smiled indulgentlyand chuckled.
“Now ifyouwillexcuse us for a time, mydear,”he said.
She nodded and slipped from the room with one last glance at us over her shoulder.
The king gestured for us to find seats as he sat in an over-stuffed chair. As soonas we were perched uponthe settee, a manservant appeared and proffered wine. Whyse was already seated and drinking. I happily took a glass and forced myself to only sip it. Gaston seemed engaged in much deliberation concerning his goblet: he finally downed it in a single gulp and thenset it carefullyonthe side table.
“Etta is anactress,”the kingsaid. “Not as talented as my Nell, or even Moll, but she can be as amusing in the correct circumstances. Do youenjoythe theater?”
“Very much so, Your Majesty,” I replied. “I look forward to attendingplays again.”
“It is a fine amusement,” the king said. “When I first claimed mythrone, I had to do muchto restore Englishtheater to its former glory.”
“And Your Majesty does much to support it still,” Whyse jibed.
King Charles laughed. “Aye, a stipend here and there. There are some who think my only reason for licensing theaters to use actresses is to amuse myself.”
I held my hands wide in surrender. “Your Majesty, I have been so long away from matters of courtly gossip—and never in my own country—that I can have no opinion on the matter, as I have seenor heard nothingto give me one.”
This brought the king even more amusement. “I am to understand that youare no naïve coloniallad, however.”
“Nay, Your Majesty, I am surely not that. And believe me, I look forward to seeing what your court has to offer; and I ampleased to be invited to joinit.”
“Are you truly?” he asked archly. “Whyse says you have concerns.”
I sighed and smiled. I could not but like him. As of yet, there was little off-putting about him. He was such the dragon, and thus so assured of himself, that his earlier remarks had not contained the challenge and probing for weakness or assessing ofstrengththat would come fromanother wolf.
“Once again, I must say I am surprised that Your Majesty gives one whit what my concerns are,” I said, “but, that being said, I do have them, aye. I have been concerned that I will not be able to live as I wish among civilized men: that I will find the duties and constraints of the nobility to chafe such that I must cast themaway.”
“And you would?” he asked with seemingly genuine curiosity.
“Aye, Your Majesty, I would.”
“For the love ofthe manat your side?”he asked. “Aye, for this man, Your Majesty.”
He glanced at Whyse, smiled, and nodded agreeably to himself. “Well, Lord Dorshire, I think that a fine thing in one of my lords. I have no end of greedy and hedonistic men who see their nobility as nothing more than an excuse to debauch and their title as a means to an end. They ever have their hands out, expectingthis favor or that. Youwillbe a unique exception.
“You already have heirs. As long as you serve me, the Church, and our great nation, I give not a damn with whomyou consort or how.”
I judged him sincere. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Hearing those words lifts a great burden from my heart.”And it did indeed. I felt muscles I had not known I held coiled release.
asked. “I understand youwishfor me to divest myselfofmanyof my father’s holdings. I believe my solicitor is already making those arrangements. Beyond that, what would youhave ofme?”
He smiled. “You have long lived among Catholics, have younot?”he asked.
I frowned. “For much of my life, Your Majesty; yet I have never converted to that faith.”
He waved that aside. “You have no particular dislike for them, do you?”
I chose my words carefully. “Nay, I do not dislike Catholics.”
“Would you harbor animosity toward the possibility of a
Catholic kingofEngland?”
Gaston gasped quietly beside me and I felt my heart
become lodged inmythroat.
“Is Your Majestyplanningonconverting?”I asked. “Nay…”His gaze was riveted onmymatelot. I stole a glance at Gastonand found himpale once more,
and studyingthe carpet.
“Let me explain, Your Majesty,” I said quickly. “While
we bear no animosity to the… Catholic Church, we do not
believe the same can be said of its feelings toward us. Due to
Lord Montren’s father’s political troubles in France, my man
here is wanted for… questioning on absurd charges—by the
Catholic Church. And I… killed a priest.”
The king’s face froze in a grimace of indeterminate
emotion.
Whyse chuckled dismissively. “Surely it was an accident
duringthe heat ofbattle.”
“Nay, it was deliberate and with great passion—on
Frenchsoil.”
It was Whyse’s turn to grimace. The king slumped in his
chair witha look ofresigned weariness.
“So you see, Your Majesty,” I said apologetically, “we
would have concerns livingunder a Catholic monarch.” He nodded and sighed. “My brother is Catholic, and I
wishfor himto be mysuccessor. The damnParliament willnever
agree to putting one of my bastards on the throne, and they fear
a Catholic monarch. I need men who will allay their fears and
vote for mychoice inthe succession.”
“Oh,”I said withsurprise. I could see his problem. I was not surprised so much that he had it, but that I truly wished to help him solve it; but to do so, I would need to solve ours in relationto it.
He was stillking. And we need not remain here when his brother’s coronationbecame imminent.
“Your Majesty is not planning on dying anytime soon, is he?”I asked.
He chuckled mirthlessly. “Nay, God willing, I will have far more years to wrestle withthis matter.”
“Well, I see no reason why I cannot give support to Your Majesty’s choice of successor—in good faith and with all sincerity. My troubles with the Catholic Church are my own. They do not reflect on my feelings for Catholics in general. I do not see where a Catholic king would be better or worse than an Anglican one—provided England retains its autonomy from the Empire inallways.”
The king smiled. “My brother is Catholic, but he is not an idiot. Nay, he has no thoughts on the matter of returning England to Papal control. He merely wishes to remain Catholic. The people would never have it. James would be beheaded faster thanmyfather was.”
This was true, yet I saw a conundrum. If the King of England was Catholic and refused to bend to the Pope’s will, he would be excommunicated:at whichpoint he would no longer be Catholic. It had happened to Henry the Eighth. But it did not matter:we would simply not be here when those dragons fought.
My current dragon was studying me intently. “You
I smiled resolutely. “Aye, Your Majesty. I would feel it inour best interests. Untilthen, I amyours to command.”
He nodded to himself. “Thenwelcome to mycourt, Lord Dorshire.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said while holding in a sighofrelief.
I felt Gastonsaga little inhis seat.
“Oh, and he wants the Marston Estate,” Whyse said. “They wish to have their entire family reside with them near London—wives, childrenand all,”he added withmirth.
The king seemed to find the matter less amusing. “I think that admirable.”
“We will, ofcourse, compensate His Majesty,”I said.
He snorted disparagingly. “Has your solicitor informed youwhat youare conveyingto me?”
“I did not wish to hear, as it did not matter,” I said. “The estate and what I willconvey to Lord Montren willbe more than adequate for our needs.”
The king laughed. “My dear Dorshire, I do like the way you think.” When his mirth subsided, he added. “The estate is yours, along with any additional titles and all that is beholden to