Bound to a Spy

by Sharon Cullen

  He rubbed his tired eyes and stared into the dregs of his mulled wine. The fire was blazing and he was drowsy. He wanted nothing more than to go to his chambers and sleep. To forget about assassinations and kisses and women named Rose.

  Fingers snapped in front of his eyes and he straightened to find Darnley scowling at him.

  “You’re not listening to me,” Darnley said in what sounded suspiciously like a whine.

  “My apologies, Your Majesty.”

  Darnley scoffed. “You’re the only friend I have left, Sheffield. No need to be so formal.” He dropped into the opposite chair and rested his chin in his palm.

  Mostly Will felt nothing but contempt for the Scottish king. But sometimes, like right now, Will felt sorry for him. Darnley was the way he was because his parents raised him to believe that he could someday become king of England. He was used as a political pawn to wed the Scottish queen with the hopes that someday he might rule Scotland and England.

  He’d never learned that he needed to grow up and now he was confused because suddenly his actions had consequences. He didn’t see that he was hurting his wife. He didn’t see that his demand to become the heir to the Scottish crown turned people against him.

  “I asked you if you’d heard the news,” Darnley said.

  “What news?”

  “This bloody baptism is going to beggar Scotland. They say I’m an embarrassment to the country but this fiasco is the embarrassment.”

  Will stared at Darnley in near incomprehension. The man couldn’t be serious, complaining about the cost of his own son’s baptism.

  “It’s the baptism of your son, the heir to Scotland. It’s an important event for the entire world.”

  Darnley rolled his eyes. “The cost is astronomical and the bitch can’t give me two merks to rub together. I have nothing because of her. All I ask is to live in the way my station befits me. I am king, by God!” He slammed a fist on the arm of the chair, truly outraged.

  “Her own son is more important than the man who begot that son,” he said between clenched teeth. “I deserve better than this.”

  Was there no wonder that a group of people wanted him dead?

  And the man was too much of a fool to realize it.

  There was nothing Will could say to the king. He’d tried to say it before but in the king’s mind nothing was his fault, and he was a perpetual victim of Mary’s hatred.

  “I hear she’s thinking of pardoning the men who plotted to kill Rizzio,” Darnley said, far more sober than he’d been a moment ago.

  Will’s ears perked up. “I hadn’t heard.” This was new information and the consequences of it were mind-boggling.

  “This will be the end of me,” Darnley said softly as he stared into the fire. “And she knows that.”

  The man wasn’t wrong. There were rumors that Darnley had been involved in the killing of Mary’s most trusted advisor. Mary had even officially pardoned Darnley for it, and the other lords suspected in the plot had fled to England. Now, apparently, they wanted to return to Scotland and they would be furious that the king had been declared innocent while they were still considered guilty. They would be out for his blood. The consequences could be deadly for Darnley.

  “She wants me dead,” Darnley said. “She’s bringing them back so they will do her evil work for her.”

  Will didn’t know how to respond. So many wanted Darnley dead.

  —

  Rose had been inching her way toward the exit of the dining hall. She was to meet Will in a few minutes and she was overly anxious to see him. But it wasn’t for the reason that Will would suspect.

  She wasn’t particularly excited to talk about what they had heard in the cellar yesterday. She wanted to see Will again because the kiss had kept her awake most of the night. She’d relived it repeatedly and each time it made her stomach muscles contract and her blood run faster and a warmth pool between her legs.

  She’d never been kissed before and she hoped it wasn’t obvious when she’d kissed him back. Her brothers had taught her far more than fishing and hunting and climbing. She’d heard the stories of Ewan caught behind the pub with Agnes, the milkmaid. All of her brothers had discussed kissing girls in front of her once they realized that if they sent her away she’d just sneak back and eavesdrop.

  “Rose, my dear.” Lysle stepped up beside her and took her hand. “There you are,” he said with a smile that revealed his dimples. He was quite charming but there was something about the charm that Rose did not trust.

  And she was always coming back to the question of why he was pursuing her. Almost every one of the other girls had so much more to offer him than she did.

  “Let me escort you to the queen’s salon. Maybe tonight we can finally play the McDermotts in Maw.”

  Rose held back a grimace. She abhorred the McDermotts. They were a bland couple who spoke very little. Rose didn’t enjoy Maw and had no interest in the game but Lysle wanted her to play.

  “Surely you can find someone who is more talented at Maw than I am,” she said with a smile that she hoped was genuine.

  He chuckled and patted her hand as if she were a child that needed to be mollified. It stoked her ire. She didn’t like being condescended to. Just ask her brothers.

  “Nonsense,” he said. “You’re a very good partner. We suit well, don’t you think? Besides, it’s just a silly card game. A simple way to pass the time. The McDermotts are a nice couple and they live close to my estate.”

  What did that have to do with Maw?

  Suddenly she realized that he was leading her through the doors of the dining hall with every intention of taking her to the salon and another round of the boring card game with the boring couple.

  If she didn’t stop him she would be stuck playing cards and making small talk all night and Will would be in the stables waiting for her.

  She tried to pull away, to slow her steps but Lysle kept walking, forcing her to practically jog to keep up.

  “It’s important for me to make connections in my area of the country and keep good relations with my neighbors,” he was saying.

  “I see,” she said because she could think of nothing else to say. Her mind was whirling, trying to find a way to break from Lysle but he seemed more determined tonight than he had previous nights.

  “I missed you last night,” he said. “The palace is quickly filling with guests for the baptism. There are many foreign dignitaries to meet. If you stay by my side, dear, I can introduce you.”

  “That’s very kind of you.” They were being swept up in the crowd, most heading to the salon as well. Mary had been making more appearances now that the foreign dignitaries were arriving.

  Lysle suddenly veered away from the crowd, pulling Rose with him.

  “My lord,” she said, alarmed. “What are you about?”

  “Just one moment and we will continue on to the salon.”

  “I really don’t think this is proper,” she said, her voice rising. Why, oh why, had she not asked Margaret to go with her to the stables?

  Because she wanted to be alone with Will. Because she wanted Will to kiss her like he’d kissed her the night before.

  This was what happened when she let thoughts of kissing interfere with what she was supposed to be doing. She was dragged away by men like Lysle.

  He opened the door and to Rose’s horror she realized it was the very same library that she had been accosted in by Darnley.

  She balked at the doorway, peering inside to confirm that it was indeed empty. Did no one ever use this blasted library?

  “Lord Lysle, I don’t think—”

  “We can leave the door open if you would like. I would never want to hurt your reputation or make you afraid of me, Rose.”

  She hesitated, looking down the corridor from which they had come. There were people still milling about. If she screamed loud enough they just might hear her. This time Will would not be here to save her because he was in the stables waiting for her.
Maybe if she stayed to hear what Lysle wanted to say she could quickly escape and get to Will.

  “Very well,” she said. “But we stand right here and the door remains open.”

  Lysle didn’t seem happy with her instructions but her brothers hadn’t raised an imbecile.

  He took both of her hands in his and stared into her eyes. Her heart twisted and she had a feeling that she knew what he was about to say and she did not want to hear it at all.

  “Rose, we have been spending more and more time together of late. I am growing quite fond of you and feel that we suit most admirably, not only in Maw”—he grinned; she did not—“but in all other aspects as well.”

  She wanted to ask what other aspects. They’d never had a serious conversation. He didn’t know what her favorite color was or what her favorite song was. He knew nothing about her and she knew nothing about him.

  “I just want you to know how I feel and that I am going to pursue this feeling I have for you.”

  “Feeling?” She nearly choked on the word.

  His brows drew together. “This tendre I have for you.”

  Tendre? Oh, dear.

  “I see,” she said.

  “I would like to spend more time with you. More than Maw with the McDermotts and more than just a few hours at the nightly salon. I have it on good faith that you are here to make an advantageous match.”

  Her fingers jerked in his hold but he did not let go.

  “I am well received at court. Dare I say that I am a favorite of the queen. I can keep you in comfort. My estate is well situated and quite well equipped.”

  “Is this a marriage proposal?” she whispered.

  “No, no,” he said quickly. “Not yet, at least. It’s far too soon for that, but I did want you to be aware of my intentions and my thoughts toward you.”

  “I don’t…I don’t know what to say.” All she could think about was Will. Will’s kiss. Will’s body pressed against her. Will’s arms around her.

  Will waiting for her this very moment in the stables.

  Lysle squeezed her fingers and smiled. “You don’t have to say anything at all. Just tell me that you are open to a walk through the palace tomorrow. It is far too cold to go outside, but surely we can manage a stroll around the palace.”

  He did not know her well at all if he thought it was too cold to go outside, and she could think of a thousand things she’d rather do than walk through the palace halls with him.

  On the other hand, this was exactly why her mother sent her to court. Lysle was her mother’s dream come true. Titled. Wealthy. A favorite in the court.

  She owed it to her mother to accept his request for a stroll.

  “A stroll…” She had to clear her throat. “A stroll would be nice.”

  He smiled, his dimples making the smile so much more appealing. “Excellent. You have made me very happy.”

  “By going for a stroll?” she asked.

  “It’s a start. Now let’s proceed to the salon. I’m sure the McDermotts are waiting for us.”

  “I, um…I need to…Can I take some moments to think about our conversation? You have my head spinning, my lord. This has come about so suddenly.”

  “Of course. But I don’t know how you didn’t see it coming. Then again, these things are so far out of your expertise.”

  What in the blazes did that mean?

  “Take your time. I will ask someone else to partner with me until you return.”

  “My thanks, my lord.”

  “Just one more thing,” he said, making her pause and her heart skip a beat.

  She looked at him warily. “Yes?”

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She was so shocked that she did not react. His lips were cold and somewhat wet and her first instinct was to recoil and pull away, but she forced herself to remain still until he broke the kiss.

  “Forgive my forwardness but I could not help myself.”

  She blinked. This kiss was so much different from Will’s passionate embrace and sweeping tongue that made her insides melt.

  “Go,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I will be waiting for you when you return.”

  She backed away, a sick smile on her face.

  This was what her mother wanted.

  But all Rose thought of was Will, and she wondered if this was what she wanted.

  Chapter 13

  Will was beginning to think that either Rose had forgotten about their rendezvous or something had happened that kept her from meeting him. He fleetingly thought that the something keeping her from him could be Darnley although he wasn’t certain how Darnley and Rose would have crossed paths. Rose knew to stay away from the parts of the palace that Darnley haunted and Darnley was all but forbidden to venture into the more public areas.

  Will was stomping his feet and blowing on his frozen fingers when Rose rushed in, all pink and peachy from the cold.

  She brought with her a swirl of cold air before manhandling the large door closed. The horses snorted and pawed the ground of their stalls, irritated at having been disturbed. Some poked their noses out, curious to see the intruder.

  She hurried toward him, ignoring Tyche, who whickered at her.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly. Her color was up and long tendrils of hair had come loose. She was completely and utterly adorable.

  “I was beginning to worry.” He motioned for her to follow him as he led her into the small office at the far end of the stables. It held only a desk for the stable master, a bench and a milking stool.

  “I bribed LaGrange to leave for a bit so we could talk privately,” he said. In truth LaGrange was patrolling the area around the stables to make certain no one accidentally stumbled upon them.

  Rose sat on the bench, leaving the stool for Will. He looked at it askance, wondering if it would hold his weight and decided to perch against the desk instead.

  He still had no idea what he was going to say to her, how he was going to explain any of this. There was no wrong or right answer, no book written that would give him the guidance he needed.

  “What waylaid you?” he asked, putting off the inevitable for a bit longer.

  He wanted to kiss her again. Her lips were pink and plump and she looked preoccupied and disheveled and he desperately wanted to lay her down on that bench and kiss her senseless. With great willpower, he remained where he was and crossed his arms to keep from reaching for her.

  “Lord Lysle,” she said. “He wanted to escort me to the salon, and I had to find a way to escape him.”

  “Ah.” Lysle. Will felt an odd sensation in his chest at the mention of Lysle. Lysle had shown more and more interest in Rose, and Will didn’t like it one bit. He told himself it was because Lysle had ulterior motives with Rose but he feared there was more to his feelings than that. Rose was becoming more and more important to him and that was unacceptable.

  Rose made a production of spreading her skirts on the worn, dirty bench, keeping her gaze from him while he watched her.

  Finally she raised her gaze to his. “Well, then. I guess we’d best talk about it.”

  “I guess,” he agreed reluctantly.

  “How safe are we in here? Can we be overheard?”

  “As safe as we can be considering what we have to discuss.”

  She bit her bottom lip, sucking it in between her teeth. Will’s gut clenched and he pressed his fists against the sides of his thighs.

  “Do you think those men we overheard are serious?” she asked.

  “I think they are very serious.”

  “I’ll admit I know little of the politics of Scotland. I arrived at the palace after the advisor’s…untimely death.”

  “Darnley is not well loved here,” Will said, choosing his words carefully.

  Rose made a sound and rolled her eyes. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way.”

  Will suppressed a smile. “He’s made many enemies besides yourself. Dangerous en
emies. He was implicated in Rizzio’s murder but the queen exonerated him and that angered a great many people.”

  “He does seem to have a knack for slipping out of trouble.”

  “And into trouble.”

  She looked at him sharply. “For being such a longtime and good friend of his you seem eager to impart this information to me.”

  Will hesitated. This was where things got complicated. This was where he didn’t know how much to reveal about himself. Telling Rose that he was an English spy could jeopardize her safety and it could ruin his mission. He trusted her but he wasn’t sure whether that was his head or his heart speaking.

  “I am able to see his flaws,” he said.

  “That’s very intelligent of you.” She looked at him shrewdly. “Do you make it a habit to stand back when there is chaos and watch to see where the pieces may fall and then decide to blow whichever way the wind goes?”

  He considered her for a moment, surprised and yet not surprised at her insight.

  “Are you asking if I am playing both sides? Maybe. It wouldn’t do for my reputation or my…mortality to throw my lot in entirely with Darnley. His position in Scotland is precarious at best.”

  “So why stay when you could easily return to England and put all of this behind you?”

  “Maybe I like living dangerously.”

  Her eyes narrowed and he could see she didn’t completely believe him.

  “What were you doing in that cellar last night?” she asked.

  “I assume the same thing you were.”

  She blinked, but he wasn’t fooled by her innocent expression. “I was coming in from the outside. I use that door frequently.”

  “I’ve never seen you wear all black.”

  Her brows rose. “And you have been making note of my wardrobe? Why, Lord Sheffield, I’m flattered at the attention you’ve been paying me.”