Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (4 page)

She drank greedily and her lips curled up in a smile.
“Wherever did you get this?
I’ve
never tasted anything so sweet and flavorful.
”

He was glad that she approved of it, as he was proud of Ravenwood’s vineyard and winery.
Of course, he couldn’t tell her that it came from Asstrumnia.
“It was obtained from a traveling merchant who acquired it from a faraway land.”

“I’ve never had anythin
g like this.
It’s delicious.”
She finished her glass and he poured her another one.
This time, s
he sipped it slowly,
as if she wanted
to savor it.
“Tell me about the Woodcock family.”

He conversed with her, telling her the truth whenever he could and sprinkling it with fabricated details
about his fictitious
life.
He encouraged her to share her life history while he poured her a third glass of wine.
She was becoming giddy and was starting to lean against him; he didn’t think she was used to strong drink.
When she complained of feeling tired, he led her to a small sofa and he sat down beside her
at what he judged
to be a respectable distance.
He had not missed the warning glance sent to him by a eunuch standing guard.
“It seems that watchful eyes are upon us.
No one is allowed to have any amount of
privacy in
this place
.
Who is being guarded more, the lords or the ladies?”

“The lords are the property of the
countess
; they are the ones guarded so jealously.
The ladies are watched to ensure they do not amuse themselves with her property.”

He didn’t understand how the Flourdan males were able to accept being treated as property, but he wouldn’t mind being Eden’s property for the night.
“
Are you ever tempted to amuse yourself with her property
?”

“Sometimes the temptation is there.
I do not give into it.
I haven’t amused myself in a very long time.
I am especially careful now that Nefertiti is the
countess
.”

He could not understand what kept the ladies tied to Nefertiti’s side, as the
countess
was not the type to
inspire undying loyalty.
“What is it like being Nefertiti’s sister?”

She sidled closer to him and whispered in his ear.
“
I wonder sometimes if I am being punished.
Fate was too cruel to rob us of our true
countess
, Ariana.
I sometimes curse the law that makes the eldest the heir, regardless of the character or sanity of the person.”

He had a feeling that it was unusual for her to ever confess negative feelings about the
countess
.
It was probably the effect of the wine.
They talked for a few minutes more,
then
one of the other ladies collected her and led her away from him.
It was strange how the
countess
was able to openly fornicate with others, yet the
other ladies were expected to conduct themselves like vestal virgins.

***

Drest watched Lord Devereux Langley, wondering again why his
King
was interested in the male.
Whatever the reason, it had not been shared with him.
He wondered if the
King
had fathered a child with a human woman, but he didn’t think so.
The
King
was extremely prejudiced against anyone who was not a purebred Asstrumnian.
He couldn’t see King Aedan ever having a love child.
It was possible that no one from Ravenwood was the father.
Perhaps the interest was due to a druid prophesy of some sort; he would have
to make inquiries when he got back to Ravenwood.

That
morning,
Drest
explored some of the wooded areas outside the mansion and he stopped when he discovered a grassy field near a pond.
He sat down on the grass and began to play his guitar
, which had been a gift from the
King
.
Some of their people were allowed to use a special ancient device
capable of opening
a portal to a strange land.
Like the guitar, the song
he now sang
had originated
from another realm
, the
place
the
ir people were referring to as
the
New World.
Asstrumnia was known for their music, but he also enjoyed the music from that other world.
The language was unknown to him, so he didn’t know what the song meant.
They did
have scholars that were studying the languages and customs of that world, and eventually what they learned would be incorporated into the curriculum
taught at
the College of Bards.
A breaking branch caught his attention and he stopped singing, looking for signs of a possible intruder.
The female with the blonde braid standing near the tree line was recognizable to him.
With his mind, he willed her to come forward rather than flee into the woods.

***

Eden took a walk that morning so she could spend some time alone with her thoughts
.
She had to admit to herself that she was experiencing a forbidden attraction toward Nefertiti’s newest
paramour.
She wished she could stop thinking about him.
She had been acting like an infatuated adolescent
around him, which reinforced the perception of her as being too young and foolish to be an advisor.
If she couldn’t act as a mature adult, the
countess
would never treat her as one.
She had to squelch her inappropriate interest in Lord Woodcock before the
countess
noticed.
She would have to stop watching him so much.
She certainly shouldn’t seek him out to talk with him.
Her behavior the other night had been atrocious.
She had visited the refreshment table so many times that even Lord Woodcock had remarked on her unusual thirst.
She wasn’t thirsting for the punch; she hungered for Lord Woodcock.
She
had
been using
whatever flimsy reason
s
she could think of as excuse
s
to put herself in his path.
She was acting like she was pursuing the man.
She wondered why she was so interested in the male.
It wasn’t just his good looks.
He was different from the other males she had known.
He didn’t follow the rules.
He had stood entirely too close to her at the Red Salon; it was a breach of conduct that none of the other males would have dared to attempt.
She had known that she should have corrected his behavior, but she had chosen to ignore it instead.

Lost in thought, her attention was diverted by music drifting from the woods.
She walked in the direction of the sound, curious as to the source of
the music.
She was surprised to see Lord Woodcock in a clearing up ahead.
As if she needed another reason to be fascinated by the male, he had to demonstrate musical talent amongst his other achievements.
She stayed behind the tree line and watched him.
She
stiffened as he stopped singing and looked straight at her.
She should have been well hidden, but it was like he could see through the trees.
She
had every intention of heading towards the mansion, as it was embarrassing to be caught spying on one of the lords during his private leisure time.
Her feet did not obey her mind and she found herself walking toward him.
She had
been entranced by the sound of his voice while he sang, although
she couldn’t understand any of the words.
He sung as if it was a love song of some sort and his voice was utterly seductive to her senses.
She had never seen an instrument that looked anything like the one he held in his hands.
It looked like a box with strings, although it sounded nothing like a harp, which was the only stringed instrument of existence in Flourda.
“What is that?”
She pointed to the stringed box.
“I’ve never heard anything like it.”

“It’s a guitar.
Do you like it?”

She thought that it was strange that a Flourdan male could possess such wealth, as surely this guitar was worth a fortune.
He was also clearly more educated than most Flourdan
males, who usually got a second rate education at best.
Evidently, the
Countess
Woodcock
raised her sons much differently than her peers.
“Yes.
I liked the song as well, but it must be foreign.
What is the language?”

“I’m unsure.
The song was taught to me, but I don’t know the meaning of the words.”
Lord Woodcock
listened as she speculated on the origins,
and he seemed
impressed that she knew about some of the more remote countries in the world.

“Perhaps it’s Asstrumnian
,” she said.
“
No one knows their language, but I’ve heard that they used to have the most well trained musicians in the world.”

“Interesting theory, but I don’t think
it’s
Asstrumnian.”

She sat down on the grass beside him and they debated the topic for a while
,
until
she
realized
the noon hour had to be fast approaching.
Sh
e knew their absence would be noted if they were not present for the noon meal.
“We should be getting back.
I completely monopolized your morning.
I hadn’t meant to intrude on your solitude.”

He smiled at her.
“I don’t mind your intrusion at all.”

She stood up and dusted off her clothing.
“Most of the other lords guard their privacy rather zealously.
You’re much easier to talk to, although we really are not supposed
to be talking.
Especially not when we are alone in the woods.”

He stood and picked his guitar off the ground.
“How often do you meet with a male in the woods?”

“Not often.
Not ever.
Nefertiti would have my head for this, so you cannot mention it to her.
She is such a tyrant.”

He approached her
with concentrated intent
.
“I’ll keep your secret
– for a price.”

She stilled as he came closer and stopped just inches in front of her.
His gaze seemed to fall on her lips.
Her heart pounded and her throat felt dry as she contemplated his price.
“Alright.”

“Tell me what you know about Lord Langley.”

He was interested in Devereux Langley of all people?
She had been certain that he was going to ask for a kiss.
Now she felt stupid and she wondered if he was interested romantically in Dev.
None of the males struck her as having such tendencies, but
she was hardly an expert in
male
attraction.
She shared what little she knew of the lord with the royal bloodline.
He asked specific questions about Dev’s likes and dislikes, which made her wonder even more about his interests.
“Why do you ask about Lord Langley?”

“I am new here.
I thought it would be easier to make friends if I had some inside knowledge.”

She looked at him curiously.
“You seemed to be friendly enough with them last night.
I thought you were making friends rather easily, especially being new as you are to the harem.”

“We all get along well enough.
Lord Langley is the grandson of the
Queen
, so it seems like he would be a good friend to have in this place.”

She hadn’t pegged him as a social climber, the type of male who would do anything to be associated with a female of high status.
There was no one higher than the
Queen
herself.
He aimed pretty high,
especially for a family name that was largely unknown.
If he was trying to capture a princes
s, he would be disappointed.
She glanced at him again and she had to admit that a princess could very well overlook his obscure background to secure him to her bed.
She would, if she was a princess
.
She looked at him again and rolled her eyes.
It was disappointing actually, to have a stimulating conversation with a person only to realize later that he
wa
s one of those coin loving, gold digging males looking for a sugar mama.
It was irritating and sometimes infuriating when one was a younger daughter, like herself, who was not wealthy or important enough to secure the attention of such a male.
Perhaps that
was how he had acquired those unique
gifts of the wine and guitar.
When he had offered her the wine, she had wondered how he had managed to acquire something so fine.
Usually the lords had to depend on their noblewomen to supply all their needs and they weren’t often given much coin for making purchases.
What mother would spoil a son
with such lavish gifts
?
But a wealthy titled
lover, that
made more sense.
He was a man whore; he had to be.
She had liked him and had felt that spark of attraction, but that was
the expected effect of being in the vicinity
of a man whore.
Such males were skilled in seduction and charm, and ladies such as
herself
knew to avoid them at all costs.
“I think I
understand you perfectly, Lord Woodcock.
I did wonder how you wound up in this second rate harem in the first place, especially since you carry the trappings of wealth.
You must strive for a better situation, do you not?”