Chapter 7
Again his muscles were sore from his night on the couch, so Leo left the bedroom early, letting his wife sleep. For hours he’d worked on his computer that staff had set up for him in the corner of the great hall, so he could see if his wife came downstairs. After breakfast, Leo held a quick meeting with the head chef, the housekeeper and groomsman.
His plan to ensure Anna trusted him so they had a good life was on—once she let him seduce her, they would also grow closer, physically.
The only fly in the ointment was Francesca. Soon he’d tell Anna and hopefully she would understand. Leo had finished with the day’s plans and climbed the stairs of the castle to their chamber, ignoring the weight on his shoulders that he needed to tell her fast.
As he neared the top, his phone rang. He checked his back pocket and dashed into the nearest room, the library, to answer. He flipped the lights on and answered at the same time. “Pierre, what’s going on?”
Pierre said, “She’s absolutely pregnant, Sire.”
His shoulders tightened. Taking a condom from her stash rather than use one of his own had been a mistake. “I used condoms. Are we sure it’s mine?”
Pierre typed as he spoke. “We’ll have answers about the DNA in a few days, Sire. Do you have contingency plans if this is positive?”
He crossed his arms and paced the library to make sure that he was alone. “I’ll need you to negotiate the price of her silence and her intention for this child.”
Pierre kept his tone very business-like as he said, “She said she couldn’t wait to have your son or daughter.”
Leo’s stomach twisted. This was his mistake, and now he needed to explain himself. He tapped his chest with his ring finger and glanced out the window to the blue ocean. “She wants to ruin my marriage to Anna. But cold hard cash will solve her devotion. I’ll need you to draw up a list of eligible nobles in Avce and ensure she meets a few single ones in need of a wife.”
Without audible judgment, Pierre asked “So the plan is to marry her off to someone else?”
For centuries it was how his ancestors had solved this issue. His parents… if they found out, well they’d have more draconian measures to ensure nothing broke the lineage.
Despite their last-minute change of heart with their suggestion to marry Anna, who didn’t have the proper lineage, they were the opposite of modern in their thinking. He’d seen his mother’s fertility report from Anna’s doctor in her computer on his wedding day. “If that works, it solves my immediate problems.”
“Excellent, Sire. I will negotiate on your behalf then. Have a good honeymoon with Anna Camila. We all love her here.”
Pierre was all business, just as Anna had been last week when he’d sent her with a check to Francesca.
Leo’s mind buzzed and his body tightened. Perhaps Anna didn’t understand Pierre’s feelings. “Love?”
Pierre must have heard something in his voice. “Nothing romantic, Sire. I’m gay.”
Good. He released a breath. The ocean’s blueness was calming and he shared, “Anna Camila is a sweetheart. I wish I’d have noticed before now.”
Pierre spoke with finality, “Well, you have her now.”
The words were like bullets in some ways that pierced into his skull. Anna deserved better than what he offered, a possible child out of wedlock with another woman. “I do, and I won’t let her go.”
“Glad to hear it,” Pierre said, and then, “Is there anything else?”
“No. Call me if anything changes.” Leo heard the door open behind him and turned.
Without another word, he hung up, his heart racing. Anna, dressed in black on black, slipped into the room. “You snuck out of the bedroom so early. Who were you talking to?”
From now on the rest of the day and every day after was hers. He shoved his hand in his back pocket. “Pierre. I was slightly jealous when he said he loved you.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Why? He’s more into you than me.”
Huh? He never had that sense. Pierre had just mentioned that he was gay.
She took his hand and her smile for him was brighter than the sun. “I just meant your gender. He has a long-term boyfriend and they wish the laws allowed them to marry.”
Anna’s touch sent a wave of awareness through him. “Someday maybe that might be legal. I don’t know the future.”
She motioned for them to leave while she said, “I hope so.”
