A Queen's Dowry by Aislinn Kerry

Author:Aislinn Kerry [Alchemy, Elemental]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

“You look a fright, lad.” Luke raised his head at the sound of Conall’s voice and gave him a strained smile. “These contracts are doing my head in.” He waved the sheaf of papers before him. “I’ve been muddling through them all afternoon.”

“And evening?” Conall cocked a brow as he strode into the chamber and propped his hip against Luke’s desk. “It’s well past supper time, and you never came. Tell me you’ve eaten, at least.”

Luke sat back in his chair and scrubbed at his face. “Is it that late already? Goodness.” He ran the back of his wrist across his brow. “What have you been up to all day?”

Conall didn’t reply at once. The silence stretched long enough that Luke glanced up at him in alarm. “Conall…” He leaned his head in his hands with a bone-weary sigh. “You haven’t been stirring up trouble, have you?”

“No, lad.” He didn’t smile or make a joke of it. “I’ve been trying to track down your missing courtiers.”

Luke blinked, focused on him slowly. He leaned forward in his chair. “What have you found?”

“They’re scattered to the winds. Most of them have closeted themselves up on their country estates and won’t hear of taking visitors. Someone’s scared the living hell out of them. I’ve rearranged the guards’ shifts to allow some of them to ride out to their estates and inquire further.” His expression grew more and more grim as he spoke. He glanced sidelong at Luke. “I’ll tell you about it, if you like, but don’t think I hadn’t noticed you didn’t answer my question.”

Luke grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I had a bowl of soup earlier.”

“How much earlier?”

Luke shrugged, and Conall groaned, tipping his head back and staring skyward as though praying for forbearance. “That’s enough of that, then.” He took the papers from Luke’s hand and flipped them facedown upon the desk. “They’ll wait until morning. Come along.”

Luke protested half-heartedly as Conall drew him out of his chair and led him down the hall, toward their bedchamber. In truth, he’d had a splitting headache throbbing between his brows for hours now, and the legal intricacies of the contracts had done little to help it. He wouldn’t have minded taking a break from it for the night, if Conall were going to insist upon it.

Conall swung the bedroom door shut firmly behind them, his expression resolute, as though he meant to hold the world at bay for the night whatever the cost. His expression softened as he looked at Luke, until he gave a small sigh and released the tension in his shoulders. “Come here, lad.”

Luke went to him. Conall framed his face in his hands and bent, covering his mouth. Luke parted for his kiss, but after only a moment, Conall drew back, frowning.

“What is it?” Luke asked.

“Tired, are you?”

Luke sighed and dropped his forehead against Conall’s chest. “Beyond belief.”

Conall curved his hands over Luke’s shoulders and guided him backward, toward the bed. His hands pulled at Luke’s clothes, casting his cravat to the floor, then his waistcoat and shirt.

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