“Very well. I have information that you will be interested in. From King Philip of Spain about Mary.”
She stilled. Her dark eyes narrowed on him. “You have not told me everything, then?”
He lifted a brow but did not answer.
“This is unacceptable. If you have information vital to England’s safety, then I need to know of it.”
He was taking a gamble. Despite his bravado, she could easily have him thrown in the Tower and find Philip’s letter on him, but Simon believed that deep in her heart, Elizabeth held a fondness for her spies and that she would not banish him to the Tower.
At least he hoped not.
“It is imperative that you turn this information over to me.”
“Guarantee me that Aimee, Judith, and I will walk out of here and live in peace.”
Her jaw worked and a light of appreciation lit her eyes. “You are diabolical,” she said. “And—I say this grudgingly—admirable.”
“All I need is your promise.”
She took a deep breath and stared at him while she considered, but Simon knew she was drawing out the anticipation while she’d already made her decision. She would not risk England’s safety over this.
“Very well, you have my word that your wife and your sister and you can leave Whitehall.”
“Today. We can leave today, and you will leave us in peace.”
She tilted her head with a slight smile. “You may depart today, and I will leave you in peace.”
He produced Philip’s now wrinkled and soiled letter and handed it to Cecil. “Philip outlines his plans to invade the Netherlands and then to help Mary conquer England through the Netherlands. He cautions Mary to practice patience and to wait for him so together they can invade England.”
Elizabeth showed no emotion. “And you felt this wasn’t important enough to tell me?”
Simon grinned. “I would have told you at some point.”
Elizabeth pressed her lips tightly together, clearly struggling to mask her amusement.
Simon bowed. “Good day, Your Majesty. I have much to do to prepare my family to leave this afternoon.” He began to back out.
“Sir Simon.”
He stopped, worried that she had changed her mind and was going to throw him in the Tower after all.
“Now I know why you are so good at what you do. It’s been a privilege to have you on England’s side, and even though no one can know of your activities and how much safer we are because of you, please know that I am aware, and I thank you on behalf of all of England.”
Overcome with emotion, Simon could only bow his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. That means much.”
“I know I just promised that you could leave today, but I ask that you stay another day. At least until the ceremony is over.”
“Ceremony, Your Majesty?”
“Where I appoint you Earl of Danfield. For services rendered.”
The breath rushed out of Simon, and he thought of his father, the merchant, and how proud he would have been to see his son elevated to the position of earl, and his daughter now Lady Judith.
“Thank you,” he said, humbled. “We will stay until after the ceremony.”
He walked out of the queen’s Privy Chamber to find Aimee on the other side of the doors, pacing. It was clear that she had dressed hastily; her hair was still in its braid, she was missing her cap, and her bodice was askew and her skirts wrinkled. She looked up at him, her large gray eyes filled with worry.
“All is well,” he said.
She swallowed a few times as her eyes swam with tears. “Truly?” she whispered.
“Truly. You and Judith and I will be moving to Danfield tomorrow or the next day.” Damn, but he’d forgotten that he had promised Judith new gowns, and as a countess, Aimee would need a new wardrobe as well.
“Me?” she asked.
“Yes, you. You are my wife. You are my family. Of course you will go with me.”
“But…”
Simon took her hands in his and squeezed them. The guards were watching, and people glanced at them, but no one paid them too much attention. “I am hurt that you did not think I would fight for you.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“Ah, Magpie. I admire that, but you are my heart, and I will not go anywhere without you. I certainly will never leave you behind.”
A lone tear spilled down her cheek. “What did I do to deserve this kind of happiness?”
“You trekked across all of Scotland, and you fought off a madman. Now you’re stuck with me.”
She grinned and sobbed at the same time. “I didn’t want to leave you,” she whispered. “But I could not think of what else to do.”
“You talk to me, and together we work it out.”
She nodded. He wiped at her tears.
“What did you say to convince her?”
“I blackmailed her.”
Aimee gaped. “What?”
“I blackmailed her with the letter we found on Rowland.”
A giggle erupted from her and she covered her mouth, her eyes round in shock.
“Oh, and tomorrow there will be a ceremony to elevate me to an earl. The Earl of Danfield, I think she said.”
“Simon! Truly? You are fooling me.”
“I would never fool you, Magpie. Tomorrow you will be the Countess of Danfield.”
She laughed, causing heads to turn their way; despite their surroundings, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him. “I do not care about being a countess. I’m just happy that we can be together.”
“Ah, Magpie. The title means nothing to me without you by my side. I’d wander Scotland and the world forever if it meant I could do it with you.”
He kissed her on the lips and took her hand so they could find Judith and start their new life together.
When you get to your nineteenth published book you feel like you’ve already thanked everyone many times over but I can’t thank my husband, John, enough. He listens even though he sometimes doesn’t understand all the publishing stuff. He pushes me when I need that little extra push and he’s always there to support and cheer me on. It’s been sixteen years since I started this crazy writing career and he’s been with me every step of the way. And to my kids, Megan, Nic, and Abby. They have no idea what it’s like to have a mom who doesn’t write books but they still think it’s pretty cool.
Acknowledgments
A great big thank-you to my editor, Julia Maguire, who fell in love with this book as much as I did and only made it better. To my agent, Jessica Alvarez, who helped me see this series come to fruition. I was determined to write a series that centered around the amazing and sometimes unbelievable but true events surrounding Queen Mary of Scotland’s court. The time period and location is so ripe with book ideas that I couldn’t not write about it and Jessica helped me see that dream come true. To all the people at BookEnds Literary Agency and Penguin Random House who work behind the scenes but leave their fingerprints on so many books: Their dedication and perseverance to create the best works possible make everything worthwhile.
And to all my readers who buy my books, leave reviews, contact me on social media, and send me the most wonderful emails—Thank You!
BY SHARON CULLEN
Secrets and Seduction
The Notorious Lady Anne
Loving the Earl
Pleasing the Pirate
Sebastian’s Lady Spy
Highland Pride
Sutherland’s Secret
MacLean’s Passion
Campbell’s Redemption
Other Books
His Saving Grace
The Reluctant Duchess
All the Queen’s Spies
Wed to a Spy
PHOTO: PAM JONES PHOTOGRAPHY
Wed to a Spy is SHARON CULLEN’s tenth historical romance with Loveswept. Her other novels include Campbell’s Redemption, MacLean’s Passion, Sutherland’s Secret, The Reluctant Duchess, Sebastian
’s Lady Spy, His Saving Grace, The Notorious Lady Anne, The Infamous Lord Blythe, and Pleasing the Pirate. Sharon is also the author of romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance.
If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her at her blog or her website. She’s addicted to social networking, so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.
sharoncullen.net
Facebook.com/SharonCullenAuthor
Twitter: @SharonCullen
If you enjoyed Wed to a Spy, read on for an excerpt from
Bound to a Spy
the next scintillating novel from Sharon Cullen
Available from Loveswept
Chapter 1
HOLYROOD PALACE, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
DECEMBER, 1566
“So, we are in agreement.” The voice drifted through the wooden door, loud and clear as if Will were standing in the same room.
“I see no other way.” This came from Lord Maitland. Will knew his voice but couldn’t quite place the others.
“Divorce is out of the question.” Ah, that was James Steward, the Earl of Moray and Queen Mary’s stepbrother. “It would put into question the legitimacy of the prince.”
At that moment, a door that Will hadn’t even known existed opened and like a fairy that the Scots were always talking about, a woman stepped through.
Fresh, cold air swirled in around her, chasing away the fetid, musty air that had been clogging Will’s throat. Sunlight spilled across the stone floor and mossy walls, causing him to shrink into the shadows like a beetle scurrying to the dark corners.
She quietly closed the door behind her and pulled a peach-hued shawl off her head, shaking the snow from it and revealing a head full of red hair half falling from its pins.
“There is only one solution to the problem of Darnley.”
The woman froze in the act of fluffing her skirts. Her head jerked up.
Go! Run! Get out of here before they see you! His mind was screaming but he kept the words to himself for fear of revealing himself to the her, but more important fear of revealing himself to the men in the other room.
Of course, she didn’t run. She was like a frightened rabbit in the crosshairs of a hunter, frozen.
“Mary will never agree to it,” one of the other men said.
“She already has,” Moray said softly, but still loud enough that Will and the woman heard.
Who was she?
There was an ominous silence from the other room. Will hoped the lords were contemplating the enormity of what they were plotting and he prayed they would change their mind even though he knew there was a slim chance of that happening.
These plans had been a long time in the making, far longer than the idea had fermented in their small little minds. In a way, the death of the queen’s husband, Lord Darnley, was inevitable.
“Then we are in agreement that the king must die.”
The woman covered her mouth and stifled a shocked gasp, while inwardly Will groaned. She should have run when she first realized she was somewhere she should not have been.
With a shaking hand she reached behind her, quietly opened the door to the outside and slipped out just as Lord Richard Lysle, the Earl of Kirkinny, stepped out of the hidden room.
Too late Will realized that the woman had dropped her shawl in her haste to leave.
Not seeing it at first Lysle stepped on it, stopped, looked down and considered the pale shawl for the longest time before bending to pick it up.
Thoughtfully he rubbed the silk between his fingers before slowly raising it to his nose to sniff.
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