Sighing, Raleigh picked up a drink coaster from the big mahogany desk, toying with it. “Yes. And I know what you are thinking, Nate, but they’re innocent. They do not even know of my involvement with the IN, much less about the weapons stash we harbor for them.”
He believed Raleigh, but something didn’t add up. Nate needed to understand to eliminate the princes from suspicion. “I have no reason to doubt you. You say they aren’t involved, fine. But why would they need to shut off the computer?”
“They wanted freedom away from the castle,” Steven said.
“What do you mean? They appear to have plenty of freedom.” Shit. That didn’t come out right, but he wasn’t going to take it back—it was the truth.
Steven chuckled. “Yes they do, more than most young lords I would say. We rarely deny them a request as long as it’s reasonable and they take an acceptable chaperone with them. But that is the crux of the situation. They didn’t want to be bothered with a chaperone.”
“Why must they be chaperoned? They are all adults, are they not?”
Steven looked at Nate like he’d lost his mind.
Tossing the coaster aside, Raleigh pushed himself off the desk. He crossed to Steven and began kneading his shoulders. “On Nate’s planet, it is a young lady’s virtue that is guarded not the young lords.”
Steven nodded and dropped his head slightly forward. “I see.”
It impressed Nate that Raleigh had bothered to research Nate’s origins.
Raleigh caught Nate’s gaze. “Here it’s the young gentlemen of the ton who are highly sought after. Until a lord reaches his twenty-fifth year, or is contracted into a consort ceremony, he must remain chaste. It is essentially like our fore-society, the nineteenth century, in Earth’s England. Nevertheless, we are a male-dominated society, hence it is our young lords not our young ladies.” The consort’s dark head cocked. “Englor is exactly like our fore society, is it not?”
“It is.” Nate took a drink of his scotch. “But I don’t understand the rationale. In our society it’s to insure a man’s heir is his own, but here… Why would you need the young lords to be virginal?”
“We don’t necessarily, that’s just how we’ve always done things,” Steven said.
Raleigh nodded his agreement. “Military and politics have always been of major importance here, due to how we gained our freedom from our neighboring systems. And consequently, we are now the ruling planet in the Regelence system.
“Unfortunately, the IN only deals with interplanetary and intergalactic affairs. We had to ensure we had the brightest and strongest warriors to fight for our continued freedom inside our own system. Are you familiar with ancient Terran history and the Sacred Band of Thebes?”
Nate had learned all sorts of things in officer training, but he remembered that part of history well because of his own sexual orientation. “Legendary warriors of ancient Greece. The group was formed of lovers who fought together side by side.”
“Yes. The theory was lovers would fight better together than non-lovers because they would be less willing to disgrace themselves in battle. It’s a bond even greater than that of family or tribe. Essentially our society was based on the same principal. Young men were kept pure and paired up at adolescence and enlisted together. The practice also served to align certain families. It worked very well and over the centuries we evolved into the male-dominated society we have today. Even though not all men are drafted now, nor are the majority subject to arranged matches, all lords are to remain pure until marriage.”
“I’m surprised. No one has a problem with this?”
Raleigh shrugged. “Like I said, it goes back to tradition. Even though we can now have the advanced technology to create offspring with both male partners DNA, it still goes back to what families once wished to align themselves with, political power. As a teen I hated it too, but it is custom and in all honesty, it has worked so far. We have one of the best militaries in the galaxy. And we have a much lower crime rate than most planets. Steven, myself, the kids, Parliament, we don’t even need security in our social circles. Don’t get me wrong, we have guards and we have castle security, but we walk freely amongst our people. Not all planets can boast of such. And I’m not saying it’s all due to that rule, but if you start changing things around… There is something to be said for allowing mature men to run the planet.”
It still seemed unfair to Nate, but at least he understood it better. “Women are free game, but stay away from men under twenty-five?”
“Oh. You prefer women?” Steven asked.
“I do not.” Which was part of the problem, he was liable to find himself with a spouse if he wasn’t careful. That was just what he needed.
Cocking a brow, Steven grinned. “Do you have a consort?”
Nate shook his head. “No, I’ve been on the Lady Anna so long I haven’t had the time to look. It’s only me and my son.” Watching Steven’s eyes light up in a glee made Nate want to kick himself for admitting his sexuality. That look was one Nate knew well and one he’d never thought to see again.
“Do you dance?” Raleigh inquired without removing his hands from his consort’s shoulders.
Damn. Nate dipped his head.
The king’s smile brightened even more. The man was clearly scheming. “Then you will join us tonight. We are attending Duke-Consort Keithman’s ball this evening.”
Opening his mouth to protest and tell the royal couple he needed to question staff, in particular Jeffers, Nate found himself silenced by Steven standing. Nate jumped to his feet, showing his respect.
“Excellent. You will need to keep up the pretense of being only our guest anyway. We don’t want the staff wise to the fact you are investigating them. We will see you this evening, Nathaniel. Please take the time before the ball to rest. You will have all of the next day to investigate.” Steven walked to the door. “Jeffers, you may come back in and release the security measures on the room. And please open the door.” The door opened and Steven left, a spring in his step.
The man looked like the marriage-minded mamas Nate remembered from his youth. And did Steven just chuckle? Nate glanced at Raleigh, still behind the chair his mate had vacated.
Raleigh grimaced. “Meet me here tomorrow morning after breakfast and we will go over all the information I have obtained. Remember to keep your ears peeled at the ball. At this point, I can only assume the perpetrator is someone who works inside the castle or on the grounds, but…” He headed toward the door. He stopped before exiting and looked back at Nate. “No worries about compromising any of the boys inside the castle or on castle grounds. Jeffers is a reliable chaperone.” With that he fled the room.
Nate stretched. A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to the window in time to see a mess of ebony curls and big gray eyes disappear from sight. Aiden.
Chapter Four
He nearly had it. A little sharper angle on the jaw and a bit higher cheek line. Using his stylus, he added some shading. There. Aiden sat back, eyeing the drawing critically. He’d managed to capture the man exactly, right down to the predatory gleam in his eyes. The squarish jaw, neatly trimmed almost black beard and mustache, and straight thin nose, all were rendered to perfection. Even the wavy dark hair on his head appeared soft, beckoning one to try and run their fingers through it. All that was left was to add color. A burnt umber, and ebony with some touches of red and gold, for the man’s hair. Smooth shades of chestnut for his eyes. His skin wasn’t fair like most gentlemen. It was a dark gold, maybe even a light bronze. The man was an artist’s dream.
Aiden stared at his medium-sized sketchscreen. Good Galaxy, the mysterious stranger was handsome. He looked dangerous. Who was he? Really? He was an earl, the Earl of Deverell, Nathaniel Hawkins. Aiden had learned that much. They had been called to greet the earl formally and then told to get ready for the ball. Something was going on. Aiden just didn’t know what. He had a sneaking suspicion it had to do with whatever we
nt missing during his trip to the docks. Unfortunately, he was clueless as to what the stolen item was. He’d asked Cony about it twice and Cony had effectively changed the subject each time by saying it was something to do with business. Jeffers professed the same. What were Father and Cony up to?
Aiden pushed the save button on his screen. He should be getting ready for the ball instead of sitting at his dressing table obsessing over a drawing of a man he didn’t know.
Nathaniel Hawkins elicited all sorts of emotions Aiden would rather not think about. Being in the lord’s arms this afternoon had sent his body into a whirlwind of feelings. It’d felt like when he and Payton had gotten into Father’s brandy when they were thirteen—lightheaded and…happy? His prick had even enjoyed the earl’s nearness, just as it did now. Aiden rubbed the hardness through his pantaloons. That felt very good. He rubbed a little harder. Walking around with it engorged the way it was would be scandalous, therefore he had to get rid of it. Closing his eyes, he imagined wavy, dark hair, wide shoulders and long, muscular legs. Nathaniel. He got two buttons undone before the door to his dressing room opened.
“Aiden?”
Aiden jumped, removing his hand and pulling the screen off the marble tabletop and into his lap. Couldn’t anyone knock around this castle? Star dust. He’d nearly been caught touching himself. How indecent. Nathaniel’s eyes seemed to twinkle at him from the screen. Aiden frowned. When had he started thinking of the man by his given name? How very familiar, as if the man were an intimate. Aiden groaned. Deverell was definitely not good for his state of mind.
“Aiden? Why aren’t you dressed?” Payton put his hands on his hips, looking around. “Where’s Benson? He’s supposed to be getting you ready.”
Benson had laid out Aiden’s evening clothes for him, but after that Aiden had dismissed him. He didn’t want his valet fussing about while he completed the drawing. Aiden shrugged and focused on his sketch, which did nothing to alleviate his prick’s interest. “I told him I’d dress myself.”
“Why are you blushing?” Payton snatched the screen from Aiden’s lap.
Aiden gasped and sputtered, reaching for the computer. “Hey!”
Payton seemed more interested in the drawing than his younger brother, much to Aiden’s relief. He turned his back to Aiden, keeping his prize out of reach. Thank Galaxy. The fear of discovery did wonders for Aiden’s erection. It wilted quickly.
“Payton…”
Crossing to the emerald green chaise near the door leading to Aiden’s bedroom, Payton sat, still studying the sketchscreen. “What do you think is going on? Don’t you find it strange that neither Cony nor Father have mentioned this man before?”
“I do. I think it has to do with whatever was stolen when you shut Jeffers down last.”
“I agree.” Payton frowned and looked up. “I still haven’t discovered what was taken. Have you?”
Aiden shook his head. “No. Have you asked Rexley yet?”
“He didn’t know either, or so he says.”
Aiden arched a brow. “You think he’s lying?”
“With Rexley, there’s no telling. I know Father tells him more than he does the rest of us. Because he’s the heir, I suppose.” Looking at the drawing again, Payton cocked his dark head one way then the other. “He’s handsome, in a fierce, rough kind of way, isn’t he?”
Dust, yes. “I suppose. I tried to spy on him, Cony and Father today. Colton broke the study window, so the room—”
Payton’s head shot up, his amber eyes wide. “Did you learn anything?”
Not hardly. Jeffers may not have been allowed to record what went on in the study, but he had guarded the room from eavesdroppers, nonetheless. “Not anything of importance. I couldn’t get close enough without Jeffers threatening to sound the alarm. By the time Father left and allowed Jeffers back in the room there was nothing to see, or hear. Well, other than Cony asking the earl to meet him back there tomorrow after breakfast so they could discuss what Cony knew again. Cony thinks that whatever was stolen was taken by one of the servants.”
“Interesting.” Payton stared off into space, worrying his bottom lip. Something he nearly always did when he tried to figure something out.
Aiden looked at the clock on his dressing table. He had about twenty minutes to get ready for the ball. He should get ready, but he didn’t want to. Going to parties imploded stars. All the power-hungry lords trying to match him with their sons was bothersome. When was everyone going to get it through their thick skulls that Aiden wasn’t going to take a consort?
Aiden sighed, gathering the navy blue knee britches and white hose Benson had laid out. “Jeffers, please download the information on my sketchscreen into my art file.”
“Yes, Lord Aiden,” the computer answered.
Unfastening his pantaloons, Aiden pulled his shirt out of the waistband. He had taken off his waistcoat and cravat earlier. “Payton, will you turn off my sketchscreen? I’m going to take my small one with me tonight.”
“Huh?” Payton blinked and focused on him, coming out of his daze. “Sure.” He turned off the computer and set it aside before coming to his feet. “You know you’re not supposed to draw at social gatherings. Father will have your head if he finds out.” He paced back and forth between the door leading to Aiden’s bedroom and the one leading to the water closet.
“If he finds out.” Aiden pulled his knee britches on. “I need to talk to Deverell.”
“Why? I seriously doubt he’ll tell you what was stolen and why he’s here.”
Snorting, Aiden sat to don his stockings. “That would certainly make things easier. But I fell out of the tree next to the study today.”
Payton’s eyes went wide. He ceased his pacing and perched on the chaise across from Aiden. “How?”
“I was trying to get a bird’s-eye view of the formal garden, when my sketchscreen got hung on a branch. I fell and Deverell caught me.”
“Uh-huh.” His eyes narrowing on Aiden, Payton smiled. “Why are you blushing?”
“What?” Aiden busied himself pulling his shirt over his head and going to the dresser where Benson had laid the one for this evening. “I’m not blushing.”
A hand caught his arm and turned him around. “Aide—”
Bloody black hole, he had to get ahold of himself. He couldn’t go around blushing every time Nathan—Deverell—was mentioned. Especially with Payton. Payton was better than anyone at needling information from him.
The bedroom door slammed, drawing his and Payton’s attention. Whew. Saved by yet another sibling who couldn’t remember how to knock on a door.
“Oh my Galaxy. Did you see him?” Tarren rushed into the dressing room and flopped on the chaise. “Do you think he’s a spy? Or maybe a mercenary or something? He looks shadowy, in a sexy sort of way.”
Letting go of Aiden, Payton went to Tarren, waving his hands at their obnoxious youngest sibling. “Tarren, get up. You’re going to wrinkle yourself.”
“Bah.” Tarren scoffed at Payton, but sat anyway, brushing his hands over his gray evening coat. “You’re so fussy sometimes.” Grinning, he let out a breath, blowing the black hair off his forehead. “Did the two of you see him? Isn’t he fascinating? He’s going to the ball with us. Do you think he’ll ask me to dance? And what if he does? He’s so, so, big and…” Tarren shuddered.
Aiden very nearly growled. He didn’t want to think about Tarren that close to the earl. If anyone was going to dance with the… Whoa, what was he thinking? He did not want to dance with Deverell or any other gentlemen. He hated to dance.
Aiden quickly finished dressing, blocking out Tarren’s chatter as best he could. He needed to talk Deverell into keeping quiet about his fall. That was his only interest in the lord. Sure, Aiden. His darned prick started filling again. Aiden tugged a little harder on his neckcloth than he’d intended, making himself cough.
After his choking ceased, the room got very quiet. He turned toward Tarren and Payton. “What?”
“Agree with what?”
“That Lord Deverell would make a dashing consort.” Payton rolled his eyes, stating more clearly than words that the comment was not his.
Aiden glowered at Tarren.
Furrowing his brow, Tarren gazed at Aiden. “Well, there’s no need to get snippy. I had no idea you had staked a claim, big brother.”
“Wh-what?” Aiden sputtered.
Payton drew close, slapping Aiden’s hands away, and proceeded to tie Aiden’s cravat. “You’re glaring, Aiden. Is there something you’d like to tell us?” Payton stepped back and turned Aiden toward the mirror, showing him his immaculately tied neckcloth. “Well?” Payton grinned, letting him know it wasn’t the cravat he was asking about.
Darn meddling siblings. Aiden strode to his bedroom, his brothers’ laughter trailing behind him. He snagged his small sketchscreen from his nightstand and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his evening coat…or tried to. He’d stormed off and left his waistcoat and evening coat in his dressing room.
He didn’t want a consort. Just because he found the man attractive didn’t mean he wanted to make a life with him. His life was his art, end of story.
Aiden sat in the large lift directly across from Nath—Lord Deverell—doing his best not to look at the man and failing miserably. The way the light of the streetlamps and moon filtered through the window, casting the earl in shadow, made Aiden’s fingers itch to pull the small sketchscreen from his pocket. The chiaroscuro effect made the man look even more enigmatic and deadly than before. The splendor of the man himself was almost enough to risk Father and Cony’s wrath, and being forced to take a consort.
My Fair Captain Page 6