His Master's Summons by Cassie Sweet

Author:Cassie Sweet [Sweet, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay romance
ISBN: 978-1-63476-364-6
Publisher: DSP Publications
Published: 2016-02-16T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

MIKHAIL PACED around the manor, hands on hips and anger on his brow. Dante watched with an expression of amusement playing around his lips.

“I fail to see the humor in this?”

“Then that is to your detriment.” Dante lounged in a chair by the window. He turned and glanced out into the garden. “I believe this is your errant assistant and the object of your obsession now.”

Mikhail crossed the room to look out the window over Dante’s shoulder. “Damn them both,” he said under his breath, but a little too loud.

“Wait. Mikhail. Do not go barging off to scold either one of them or you’ll wake one morning to find Valentine missing and Henri on board a ship for America. Calmly ask them where they’ve been and if they enjoyed themselves. It will go a long way to gaining Valentine’s trust if you act more like a friend and less of his jailer.”

Mikhail gave Dante a stern look to the back of his head. Sense and compassion seemed to fly out the window when he thought of Valentine.

Beautiful, passionate Valentine.

His heart gave a painful thud watching Valentine and Henri walking together through the garden, their mouths moving in an intense conversation. What could they possibly be discussing that was so important?

“I suppose I should be thankful they returned and did not run off to the wilds of America or, God forbid, Belgium.”

Dante gave a throaty laugh. “Do you see Belgium as equally wild and untamed as the American West?”

Mikhail raised a brow. “Depends on the neighborhood.”

Valentine and Henri angled away from the windows, coming up to the back of the house. Sneaked out and back in the servants’ entrance. They had not wanted to be seen by him at all.

He hurried from the room and crossed the house to intercept them as they came down the hallway to the library. Thinking of Dante’s advice, Mikhail tried for a smile as he spoke. “Enjoy your outing?”

Henri gave a shrug. “We only went to a bookseller. Never left this part of the city.”

Valentine glanced at Henri before directing his attention to Mikhail. That same small stab of desire hit him as it did every time Valentine looked at him. “I needed something else to amuse me during my stay. Henri was kind enough to show me his favorite store. I am obliged to him.”

What could Mikhail say to that? Anything that came to mind at the moment was going to sound sour and cross. “Henri has always gone above and beyond his duties.”

There. Not even Dante could find fault with so diplomatic an answer.

Henri’s expression was more than a bit uncomfortable, but he wore the emotion with dignity.

It struck Mikhail then that Henri had started to come into his own. Wild and angry when he’d come to work for Mikhail, in recent months he’d begun to settle and show signs of greater maturity.

He’d also started keeping secrets.

“I see you found something to excite your interest.” Mikhail gave a passing nod to the books in Valentine’s hands.

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