Burdened Bloodline by Sarah E Burr

Author:Sarah E Burr [Burr, Sarah E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-17T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Jacqueline? Jacqueline, are you all right?” Cornelius asked, bringing her thoughts back into sharp focus. “You’re white as a pearl. Should I go fetch someone?”

It felt like hours had passed, but she supposed only a few stunned minutes of silence had elapsed. “I’m fine,” Jax managed, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. “I’m just…Duke Pettraud, you do remember your wife’s death, don’t you?”

The lines on his face deepened. “Now, why would you bring up something like that? What has Penelope’s death got to do with anything?”

Jax stared at him, her mind a tangle of confusion. “You just said a few moments ago…Penelope has been talking to you about Philippe’s behavior—”

His bushy brows rose. “What? No, you must have misheard me, dear.” He rose and poured her some water from a nearby pitcher. He placed it in front of her, eyes brimming with concern. “Are you sure you got enough sleep last night? I’m sure this business with Philippe is causing you distress, but we must focus on the task at hand for now.” He reclaimed his seat and steepled his fingers together. “We must draft up a summons for the War Council.”

As Cornelius went about finding an unmarred roll of parchment, Jax tried to regain her composure. What in the name of Virtues had just transpired between her and the Duke? One minute, he was talking as if his wife was still alive and the next, he was close to calling her crazy? She warily examined his hunched-over form as he waded through mounds of papers. Had she just witnessed a glimpse into the Duke’s deteriorating mental state?

“Jacqueline? Are you ready?” Again, Cornelius’s gruff voice sliced through her thoughts as he waved an inked quill in front of her face.

Taking a deep breath, she decided she’d share her concerns with Perry later. The need to summon the War Council took precedence over everything else, as worrisome as the Duke’s health may be. “As ready as one can be, I suppose.”

He gave her a toothy grin. “How to begin? There’s no template for anything like this, sadly.” There had only ever been one War Council held in the realm’s history, and there was little documentation about the event that had not been corroded by time.

Jax held out her palm, silently requesting the quill. This was her plan, after all. It should be written by her hand. “I’ve given it a bit of thought.” She scribbled the words that had been bouncing around in her head for days. “Here, tell me what you think.”

She handed Cornelius the parchment, and he narrowed his eyes to read her fluid script:

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