Kale decided to wait until breakfast to talk about it again. In bed in the morning was just too domestic, too blissful, to be effective. This was really a business proposition, and it seemed rich people always conducted business over food.
“Did you think about it like I asked?” There hadn’t really been much time for Jason to contemplate it, but Kale knew he would think he had.
Jason sighed and put down the fork that was partway to his mouth. “Yes, Kale, I thought about it. After making love with you, it was abundantly clear that I can’t even consider what you’re suggesting. My heart is yours; how can I give it to another?”
Kale wanted to roll his eyes. He could always count on Jason to be overly dramatic, but the sheer intensity of Jason’s gaze and the sincerity of his words prevented him. He knew Jason believed it, and it made Kale’s stomach feel weird. “Who said anything about romance? I’m talking about marriage.”
“Really, Kale? I knew you were cynical, but I didn’t think it extended that far.”
“You know as well as I do that marriages in this city are more like business contracts than anything else.”
“All right, yes, I know that. But what do I have to offer a woman who could grant me the kind of social standing you’re proposing?”
“Freedom. You wouldn’t care what she did, wouldn’t try to manage her life. You don’t have it in you. Plus, you’ll still have me, so you won’t mind when she pursues her own interests. Not to mention you’re quite the catch; any woman would be lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, Kale. But I think you’re overestimating my appeal. The fact of the matter is, I would be betraying you if I got married.”
“That’s your concern?” Kale hoped his tone sounded as incredulous as he felt. “Ridiculous. How is setting yourself up for a better life betraying me? You think I would care if you lived with a woman?”
“Well, even if you wouldn’t, how can I betray some woman like that? I would be entering into marriage with her knowing full well that I didn’t love her, not the way I love you.”
Kale kept silent long enough to let the heat from Jason’s speech dissipate. “Let me know when you’ve got the dramatics out of your system and we can talk about this some more.” Kale didn’t want to sound mean, but he couldn’t reason with someone who wouldn’t even acknowledge the reality of the situation. He knew damn well that marriage was not a proposition of love in this day and age.
“They’re not dramatics, Kale. I won’t betray you, and I won’t lure some poor woman into marriage under false pretenses.”
“Who said anything about false pretenses? You think you’re going to shove me in a closet somewhere until after the wedding? It took your father less than a day to figure out how you feel about me; you think a woman wouldn’t figure it out long before you got around to proposing? I think you’re underestimating the intelligence of women.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
“What would be so different in our day-to-day lives? We’d move into a different house, but I could still sleep in your room with you, and your wife can have her own room. You’ll visit it every once in a while to fulfill your marital obligations, and that’s that. At social occasions, you’ll have someone at your side to introduce as your wife. She will take the attention off of me standing behind you, but I’ll still be there. You wouldn’t be misleading anyone. Most marriages in this city are between people who can barely stand the sight of each other. There isn’t a married woman alive who would dream of insisting that her husband not take a slave to bed. Everyone does it. If nothing else, she’s going to want to keep her own options open, and it’s hard for her to justify having a slave warm her bed if she’s making an issue over the fact that you do. There is absolutely no downside to this. You have everything to gain.”
Kale stared Jason down. He was going to get him to see reason, no matter what it took. Jason had never yet been able to stare him down, and Kale was betting today wouldn’t be the day that changed. Jason blinked and sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Not much would really change.”
Kale had to contain his smile to one of mere happiness rather than gloating. “Of course I’m right. Just let me try. I’ll help you find someone suitable. All I’m asking is that you give this idea a chance.”
“Fine, I still don’t like it, but I’ll give it a chance for your sake.”
“Why, thank you. The things you suffer for your slave.”
“No, I would never do this for a slave. But for you, I’d do anything.”
Why did Jason have to say things that made Kale uncomfortable? Yes, he had come to terms with the fact that their relationship was unique among masters and slaves, but hearing things like this made him feel funny. He could never think of anything to say, so he returned to eating his now-cold breakfast.
Twenty-Seven
Three days later, they were at an art gallery. Jason hadn’t expected the search for a bride to begin so quickly, but he supposed that this was as good a place as any to start. Besides, he liked the art, so at least the night wouldn’t be a complete waste.
It still irked him that Kale had convinced him to take part in this ridiculous idea. When it came down to it, though, Jason knew he didn’t have an income and his mother’s money was finite. It would still be some time before he would need to bring in any more money to sustain them, but Jason did feel responsibility toward Kale. He understood how it could be unsettling to be in his situation; a slave was valuable and easy to sell if the owner needed money. He had thought about looking for work, but what was he qualified to do? And any good jobs that would pay the kind of income he would eventually need to support himself and a slave would require that he have good connections and be a family man. Neither of those were available to him unless he was married.
“Master? There’s Mr. Isaishin over by that landscape. Why don’t you go say hello?” Kale whispered in his ear—which made it hard to concentrate on anything else—but when Kale stepped back, Jason saw Hector Isaishin standing with a group of people. Jason knew him from philosophy class, and it would be good to catch up.
“Jason, how good to see you! I didn’t know you were still in town.”
“Yes, I decided to cut my vacation short. There’s much more going on here than back home.”
“I never knew how people could stand to live that far from civilization.” Hector turned to a girl by his side. “Jason comes from one of the outlying counties. Just came to Perdana this year.” The girl nodded politely and eyed Jason with interest. “Oh, you haven’t been introduced, have you? Jason Wadsworth, it’s my pleasure to present my cousin, Miss Lillian Seville.”
“How nice to meet you, Miss Seville.” Jason took her hand and placed a kiss on it. She was quite beautiful, petite with blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked almost like a porcelain doll and just a hint of blush rose in her cheeks when Jason kissed her hand.
“Oh please, call me Lillian.”
“Very well, Lillian.”
Jason joined Hector’s party in touring the gallery. He was surprised that he didn’t feel awkward around Lillian. He had never been one for socializing with women and was nervous to begin with. It turned out to be rather easy though, since he didn’t really care what Lillian thought of him. On the other hand, she seemed to care quite a bit. She took his arm as they proceeded and did plenty of giggling and fluttering of her eyelashes. Perhaps this was why he had never been attracted to the fairer sex. Any comments she made about the art were along the lines of, “This one’s pretty,” or, “I don’t get this one,” or, “I like the colors.” There was no level of understanding or inquisitiveness in her comments. As the day wore on, he was convinced that there was nothing behind the pretty façade.
When it was finally time to leave, Jason felt a pang of regret and irritation. This exhibit was one that he had been looking forward to seeing with Kale, to hear his insights. Jason already knew that Kale could make better art than anything he had seen today, and his i
nsights and thoughts would have been enriching. Instead, he got to listen to some insipid woman coo about the pretty blues and puzzle over why some of the paintings didn’t look anything like their subject matter. The whole day had been a waste.
“How did you like her, Master?”
They were still standing on the steps outside the gallery where the group had parted. “What was there to like? I wanted to see this exhibit with you, Kale. I don’t like how you got me wrangled into spending the whole day with that woman.”
“Oh come on, Master. We can see it again together if you like. She was beautiful, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, and that’s about it.”
“No, that’s not about it. She also happens to come from one of the richest families in the country, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of you. Haven’t you heard of the Seville mines?”
“Yes.”
“Well, who do you think the heir is?”
“Kale, I don’t know if any amount of money is worth having to spend the rest of my life with a woman who reacts to some of the greatest art in the world the same way a toddler reacts to a rattle.”
Kale’s laughter brought Jason out of his sour mood. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you, Master?”
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”
“To find an attractive, highborn woman who is also intelligent?”
“Who said anything about attractive? Just get me a woman with whom I won’t be embarrassed or bored out of my mind.”
“Very well, Master. One unattractive, rich girl with a brain coming right up. Anything else you’d like with that?”
“Don’t get cheeky.”
The walk home was quiet. It wasn’t far from the gallery to the house, and it was nice to have companionable silence after the incessant chatter from Lillian and her friends. As they ascended the front steps, Kale spoke.
“You have to admit that she fawned over you quite a bit. A man could get used to that kind of attention.”
Jason couldn’t help smiling. Did he imagine the hint of jealousy in Kale’s voice? No wonder he had stayed silent for the walk home. If he could have Kale with him, he supposed he could suffer through almost any woman. “You’re right, she was. I guess I could resign myself to her lack of intelligence. I’m sure she had other ways in mind for keeping me entertained.”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up about that. The dumb ones tend to be boring in bed.”
Jason couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. Part of him knew that Kale was more experienced than he was, but it was still somewhat of a blunt shock to hear him reference it so casually. “Oh really? Have much experience, do you?”
Jason had hoped to embarrass Kale a little. It bothered him that Kale so easily put him off balance, but he hadn’t yet been able to retaliate. In this instance, he was sorely disappointed. Kale looked at him straight on and said with his usual equanimity, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Instead of Kale blushing, it was Jason who turned red. He wasn’t sure why. Was he feeling a twinge of jealousy now?
Twenty-Eight
The next few weeks were insufferable. Kale had Jason going out to every event in Perdana where there was a chance of meeting a suitable young woman, and while Jason was happy to be going out again, he was quite frankly tired of the matchmaking. Kale had made it his personal mission to secure Jason’s place in society. It was frightening, really, how much Kale knew about the women of Perdana. Jason didn’t know where Kale got his information, but he knew slaves gossiped any chance they could. Looking around at the clustered groups of people at the party, he realized the same was true of the upper classes. People really weren’t all that different no matter where fate had borne them. The thought made him smile over his champagne glass.
“What has you smiling? You’ve done absolutely nothing to advance your prospects tonight. Unless you’re smiling at that girl across the way. In which case, you can save yourself the trouble. She doesn’t have any money to back up her name.”
Frightening. That’s what it was. It was also a little adorable how perturbed Kale sounded with him. “No, I wasn’t smiling at her. I was just thinking that you have more in common with these people than you’d care to admit.” Kale furrowed his brow and drew his lips together in a line. “Don’t give me that look. You know far more about high society women than any person should. I bet you could gossip with the best of them.”
“Nah, they wouldn’t like my brand of gossip. Much too honest, not enough dramatic embellishment. Besides, they do it for enjoyment. I do it because it serves a purpose. If I had a master who could even pretend to care about getting married, maybe I wouldn’t have to stoop to gossiping to get the necessary information.”
“Well, maybe I’d take more interest if you ever arranged for me to meet someone interesting.”
“Picky, picky, aren’t you, Master? That’s what I don’t understand about you. You’re so particular when it comes to finding a woman, but you took the first slave that your father threw your way. Is it just that you’re not picky about ass? Don’t really need me for my brain, do you?”
Kale was grinning, but Jason didn’t like that those thoughts were in his head to begin with. “You might want to get your facts straight before you start lecturing your master, slave.” By the flicker of surprise in his eye and the chagrined look on his face, Jason guessed that his effort at a stern tone had paid off. “I’m picky because of you. After engaging with you in everything from philosophy to sex, it’s hard to content myself with just a pretty face, even if it is only for a marriage of convenience.”
“Maybe if you stopped spending all your time talking to your slave at these things, you would find more than a pretty face. Hard to find a good woman if you don’t actually talk to any of them.”
Jason looked around and saw people stealing glances their way. It was hard for Jason not to talk to Kale like he would anyone else. Scratch that, it was hard for him to talk with anyone here the way he did with Kale. Still, Kale was right. Being seen shying away from the company of aristocrats for that of his slave wasn’t going to help his position. Downing the last of his champagne, he handed the glass to Kale.
“Here. I’ve had enough champagne to last me a lifetime. I want something stronger.”
“Is there something you’d like me to get you?”
“No, I have something else in mind. We’re leaving.”
“But you haven’t met…” The words faded from Kale’s lips when he saw the look on Jason’s face. He shifted to a more submissive stance, bowing his head slightly, as if he just remembered that he was, in fact, a slave. “Yes, Master. I’ll get your coat.” Jason didn’t enjoy seeing him like that, he much preferred to keep his illusion of Kale as a social equal intact, but their difference in station did hold some benefits, including being able to decide when it was time to get away from the inane banality of his life.
“How did you even know about this place, Master?” Kale spoke loudly to be heard over the din in Flannigan’s. The bar smelled of cheap cigarettes and dried beer. Jason had never been in an establishment that didn’t require a suit coat. Seeing the patrons here, wearing stained shirts, trousers that looked as if they had been worked too hard, and boots that tracked in mud and any number of other things Jason didn’t care to think about, it was apparent that the proprietor here had no such dress code. It was a thrill and Jason wanted, more than anything, to forget for a moment who he was and what his life meant.
“Don’t call me master. No one here could possibly know you’re a slave, unless you act like one, and I’m telling you not to. Dressed the way you are, these people probably think you’re a minor noble or a successful businessman.”
“All right then, how’d you find this place?”
Jason smiled. Everything in Kale’s stance had relaxed. Jason hadn’t even noticed how tensely Kale held himself at formal affairs. Here, though, he looked almost as if he were at home. There was a spark of excitement
in his eyes, and Jason knew he had made the right choice coming here tonight. From the looks of it, the marriage situation had been taking a toll on Kale as well, even though Jason doubted he’d ever be able to get Kale to admit it.
Jason led them through the bar to a table in the corner. He didn’t answer until they were both seated and he had taken off his coat. “I heard the other slaves in the house talking about it one day, and I asked around for directions.”
“It doesn’t seem like your kind of place.”
“Obviously. I thought it would be fun to get away. I told you, I’m tired of champagne.”
“I can always get you something stronger.”
“No, it’s not really that. I suppose I needed to see people act differently. I couldn’t help thinking at that party that everyone resembled stuffed animals, holding themselves stiff and never really moving other than to nod or laugh in that restrained way. I want to laugh tonight, Kale.”
“I think I can arrange that. What do you want to drink?”
“Whiskey.”
Kale cocked an eyebrow at him. “Have you ever tried whiskey before?”
“Yes, the night I got you.” From the look Kale gave him, Jason could tell it wasn’t an experience he was eager to see repeated. “Will you calm down? I’m not tying you to the bed, am I?”
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