“Whatever you wish.” It wasn’t up to her how they traveled, but walking suited her fine.
“Good. Go get changed. You have something more appropriate for the mines? The household uniform is a little much for where we’re going. If you need one, I could probably dig up another jumpsuit for you. It would be a little big on you, though.”
His fit him very well. She’d noticed. She blinked as the rest of his words registered. “I have jeans and short boots and a jacket.”
Lolly looked over her shoulder, still up to her elbows in suds. “That should do it. Gets a little cold down there.”
Theo nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She ran to her room, shucked the wretched uniform she’d just put on, and got into her street clothes. It was a welcome change. She wasn’t much for the uniform, but she knew she’d have to get used to the blasted thing, seeing as how she’d be spending most of her time in it.
That would save wear and tear on her own things, she supposed. That was a plus, seeing as how she hadn’t brought much with her. Not that she had much to bring.
She returned to the kitchen. “Ready, Your Lordship.”
He was chatting with Mrs. Applestock. He turned and looked Theo over. The briefest hint of something sparkled in his eyes. “All right, let’s go.”
He picked up the big basket off the counter and handed it to Theo.
Their fingers touched when she took it from him, sending sparks through her. Sparks? She almost recoiled. She wanted none of that. She was not attracted to him. At all. Nor would she be. In fact, those sparks revolted her.
Except…they didn’t.
He was a traitor, she reminded herself. He excelled at making people believe one thing when another was happening. Nothing else about him mattered.
She clutched the basket handle tightly and kept silent as she followed him out.
He didn’t go through the front doors. He didn’t even go back upstairs to the main part of the house. Instead, he went past Mrs. Baton’s office, past the hall that went to the staff quarters and straight ahead down the main passage. It ended with stairs on both sides. He went left and up, then out through a much more utilitarian set of doors.
They opened onto a large stone courtyard. A long, paved drive led out from it. She’d walked part of that drive when she’d first arrived. She hadn’t realized it went past the front doors and then around the side of the house to where they were now. She inhaled the fresh air, taking in the earthy scents of the encompassing woods.
The courtyard was a large rectangle, although the edges had been rounded to maintain the curve of the driveway that fed into it. The surrounding forest came as close as possible to the buildings that flanked the three sides. First was the main house, the back structure had a four-door garage, and across from the main house was a small cottage.
But the garage was what caught her eye. One of the doors was up, and a car had been pulled out.
She knew nothing about cars, but this one was beautiful. Sleek and curvy and the color of fresh butter. The car had no top, and the inside was all white leather. A man in Gallow House livery was wiping the outside with a cloth.
Robin waved at him, and he waved back, smiling.
“You have cars?” She regretted the question as soon as she spoke it. The very sentence violated part of what Mrs. Baton had told her this morning. A servant was never to address their lord. They were only to speak when spoken to and then with as brief an answer as possible.
His eyes narrowed, and he looked at her in amusement. “Yes. Does that surprise you? I even know how to drive. Not that I go far.”
The last comment didn’t seem to be directed at her. She nodded anyway. She couldn’t be more brief than that.
He was still looking at her. “Why do you ask?”
Well, that wasn’t a question she could answer without speaking. “I don’t know. You’re walking to the mines. I guess I thought there was a reason for that. Like you had to.”
“No. I just like the air. I drive sometimes when I go out. Which isn’t often. And like I said, not very far. And not for long.” He sighed as they crossed the courtyard, and it seemed to her that there was a lot he wasn’t telling her. Not that he owed her an explanation for anything he did. “People tend to stare a lot when you’re royalty. Even in a town like this.”
That sounded more like an excuse or a justification than a genuine reason. Who wouldn’t stare at a car like that? But she just nodded, keeping her thoughts and words to herself.
He pointed to the little cottage as they went by. “That’s where Henry lives. The man I waved to who was wiping down the Packard. He’s my chauffeur, but his services aren’t required all that much. Once in a while. Mostly, he takes care of the cars.”
“Why don’t you—” She closed her mouth abruptly. Once again, she’d forgotten herself. She was only to speak when spoken to. A hard thing for anyone to remember, she imagined. Eventually, it would become habit.
He smiled. “Why don’t I what?”
They started down a path through the woods. It was worn enough that the dirt showed through and a few weeds had popped up. The weeds were as black and twisted as the trees.
She shifted the basket to the other hand. It wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t light either.
He glanced back like it mattered if someone was watching, then reached over and took the basket. His hard hat was tucked under his arm. “Here. Let me.”
“I can manage.” Panic sluiced through her. Did he think her so weak that she couldn’t carry biscuits? She’d never survive this job if he believed that. “Really, it hardly weighs a thing.”
“It weighs enough, especially when Mrs. Applestock adds a few crocks of her blackberry jam. Besides, I always carry the basket.”
She looked at him, no longer caring what the proper protocol was. “You do?”
He screwed up his face in amusement. “Do you really think I need a maid to help me?”
“Then why…” Maybe she should stop asking questions. But she couldn’t figure this man out.
“Because…it’s expected of me. Exiled or not, my life is governed by a few restrictions I seem powerless to circumvent. And I’ve learned over the years that things are easier if I abide by those constraints.”
She had so many more questions. As long as he wasn’t objecting, she decided to ask a few more while she took in the forest around them. “Why are you powerless? Your life is your own now, isn’t it?”
He snorted. “Not hardly. I am still very much controlled by the woman who put me here.”
“Who’s that?”
He looked at her like she was a blooming idiot. “Queen Vesta. But you must know that, or did you not come from Limbo?”
“No, I did. I just didn’t realize…never mind.” She knew Queen Vesta had banished him, but she’d never really considered that the queen had chosen for him to reside in this location. The queen must have wanted him somewhere she thought he’d stay contained. Which meant she still considered him dangerous after all these years. But if that was true, why make him continue to live in the style of a king? Theo didn’t get it. But then, she’d never had a reason to understand the ways of royalty. Or to care, frankly.
“You ask a lot of questions. And don’t seem afraid to talk to me.”
“My apologies.” She hated apologizing when she wasn’t really sorry, but she was well aware of her faults. And her need to keep him happy. “I’ll learn.”
“Don’t.” He laughed softly. “I like it.”
She studied him, wondering what he was up to. “I can’t afford to be dismissed. My father wouldn’t survive the dungeons.”
“I would never send him there.”
She had no assurance of that. Not with this man’s reputation. “Perhaps not, but you know how an indenture works. It’s in the magic of the thing. If the clock runs out, or if the indentured fails in some way, the debt comes due. In my father’s case, he can’t pay it, so he’d be sent to the dungeons. And he won’t s
urvive there. Not long. Which means I’d lose him.”
Her next breath sounded ragged even to her own ears. “I think it would be the end of me as well.”
Chapter Five
The emotion that had slipped into her voice wasn’t lost on Robin. “Your father is ill? That’s why you’re serving his time?”
The woman intrigued him to no end. And not just because she was beautiful. She was the most interesting person he’d talked to in a long time. Not that he met that many people. Or had a chance to. Almost none outside of his staff and the miners. And they all pandered to him in the way people did with royalty. Some intentionally, some without realizing it, but it left him with almost no genuine interaction. It wasn’t much of a way to live.
He supposed that was exactly what Vesta had intended when she’d dreamed up this prison.
But that didn’t mean he was about to spill all his secrets to Theodora, as enticing as she might be. He’d slowly learned the extent of his imprisonment over the years. Such secrets were his to share or not, but he thought not was probably the smarter choice. Sometimes, he thought the things he’d learned were all that kept him alive.
She nodded. “Yes, that’s why I’m here in his place.”
“Your loyalty is commendable. I mean that. It’s a rare quality. At least it’s rare in my world.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t even know about the debt until a week ago.”
“The indenture is nearly twenty years old. What suddenly brought it to light?”
“I found my father packing. He wouldn’t tell me why at first, then I found the indenture scroll sticking out of his bag. He told me not to bother with it, but I’m not one to listen. Not with him. When I read what was on that document…” She exhaled like there was pressure on her chest. “I had no idea such a thing even existed. All those years, he’d kept it a secret. Or maybe he’d forgotten about it, I don’t know. But I knew immediately what I had to do.”
Robin still needed to know more. “Despite the magic connected to the indenture, it still came from my rule. And I’m not king anymore. So why not ignore it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “And run the risk that the Overwatch shows up at our door when the timer runs out and then stand helplessly by while they put my father in shackles and drag him off? No, thank you.”
The Overwatch was what the people called the Royal Guard. In his day, they’d been a rather benign force that served mostly to handle crowd control at official events. But he knew other rulers had used them very differently. Vesta was definitely the kind to do exactly that. No doubt by now she’d turned them into a fearsome unit.
Robin frowned. “But again, the indenture is mine. Not Vesta’s. I doubt she’d care about any debt owed to me.”
“Maybe not. But I couldn’t take the chance. Do you even know what happens when the timer ticks down and the indenture comes due? Who gets notified? You’re no longer in the kingdom. Should I have risked the chance that the queen wouldn’t be alerted?”
“I suppose not.” She was right. Magic was funny that way. When the bespelled timer went off, who would have heard the alarm? He couldn’t fault Theodora for her actions.
She shook her head. “I would never speak ill of my queen, but I believe she would have called the debt due, had it landed on her desk. I couldn’t take that chance. As I’ve said, my father is not a well man. I’d very much like to make his last days easier.”
“And yet, you’re here. For three hundred and sixty-five of those days.”
She scowled. “Again, I had no choice. And better me than him.”
“Such a sacrifice for both of you. Your mother must miss you terribly as well.”
Her gaze darkened ever so slightly. “My mother passed. Quite a while ago. I’m surprised you don’t remember that.”
“Why would I remember that?”
“Caralynne Middlebright. The name means nothing to you?”
He squinted, trying to remember. Then his mouth opened as a sudden memory flooded him, and he stopped walking. “Middlebright? I remember that name. Caralynne was the head pastry chef in the royal kitchens. She was your mother?”
Theodora nodded. “Yes.”
“Of course. I am so sorry. May she rest in the bright light.”
“Thank you.” She touched the pendant at her throat.
Robin put a hand to the back of his neck. “I know exactly who your father is now. We played slip, along with a few others, until the wee hours of the morning. No one knew who I was. I wore a hat and told them all I was the butcher’s cousin. It was one of the last times I was able to enjoy an evening like that. Soon after, I was too well known. I had so much fun. But he lost terribly. To me.”
“He always loses.”
“And that’s where his indenture came from.”
“Yes. My mother claimed he offered up a year of his life in service when he ran out of funds, but he told me that when he admitted he didn’t have the funds to pay what he’d lost, and it was revealed who you really were, the indenture was created automatically. I suspect my mother’s version is the right one, but it doesn’t matter now.” She sighed. “I will say you were very kind to give him as many years as you did to pay it off.”
“I’m sorry it happened at all. If I remember correctly, I tried to forgive it, but your father refused. Said he’d have the funds shortly and it was nothing to worry about.”
“He says that about every debt he incurs. It will never be true, but he’s too proud to admit that, and so his debt increases steadily.”
They started walking again, following the path in silence for a few moments.
Robin was lost for a moment in happier times. “Your mother made the best spice cake I’ve ever eaten. Her oatmeal cookies were equally as good. I was so sorry to hear of her passing.”
“Thank you.”
“She made my coronation cake, you know.”
“I didn’t know that.”
He nodded. “She wasn’t the only one, but she was in charge of it.”
“Thank you for telling me that. My father says you sent beautiful flowers when she passed. I’m sure it was your secretary or one of your ministers.”
He stopped walking again, causing her to stop as well. “It had to have been my secretary. I was barely nineteen. I’d been king for all of six months. It was still a novelty to me. Still something I had to pinch myself every morning to believe. I was finding my way. Honestly, I had no clue then what I was doing.”
“You knew enough to arrange a marriage for yourself with Queen Vesta.”
He shook his head. “I had nothing to do with that. Believe me. I would have chosen very differently than that spoiled fairy princess. A fairy. What was I thinking? But the ministers and diplomats and ambassadors all promised me a marriage with the fairy king’s daughter would unite Limbo with its sister kingdom of Livion once again and make us a force to be reckoned with.”
“So you did it.”
He stared into her pretty green-gold eyes. “We do things sometimes because we believe they’re what’s right and best. And turning it down would have meant the possibility of more war. I was ready for an end to the fighting, not looking to start it afresh.”
She made a skeptical face.
“You don’t believe me.”
“Goblins aren’t a people who shy from battle.”
“Yes, I know. We have a reputation for being fierce and bloodthirsty. And for loving gems beyond all reason.” He grunted softly. “I am much more the latter than the former.”
“And yet, you won the throne.”
More accidental than purposeful, but he wasn’t about to confess that. He started walking again. “I had no idea Vesta would be my downfall. Although, again, I should have known better than to wed a fairy. Such duplicitous creatures.”
Theodora snorted.
He looked at her. “You find that funny?”
“You and your plans to enslave us all were your own downfall. Queen Vesta saved us.”
&nb
sp; His feet froze in place. “What are you talking about? Vesta dethroned me. Destroyed my name. More than that, she poisoned me and exiled me here.” Not that Shadowvale was such a bad town or his house such a terrible location. He was just so alone. And so trapped.
Theodora’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how she did what she did, but without her, we’d all be orc slaves right now.”
He set the basket and the hard hat down to put his hands on his hips. “Is that what you think? Is that what everyone thinks? I know Vesta told lies about me, but…” His fury made him unable to continue.
She scowled at him. “It’s not what the Queen says. It’s our history. It’s why you were exiled. Everyone knows you betrayed your kingdom and your kind.”
He could do nothing but stare at her. “None of that is remotely true.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to argue with you. I need to fulfill my father’s indenture. Whatever you need to believe is fine with me.”
The woman was utterly mental. He leaned in. “Your precious Queen Vesta poisoned me so she could have the throne. This place? This town? That big home you’ve come to work in? It’s my jail. And if you think the citizens of Limbo aren’t already slaves, you’re dead wrong, because I’m sure Vesta’s got you all doing exactly what she wants.”
Theodora stared at him with such willfulness he nearly laughed. “Again, I don’t believe you.”
She might be beautiful, but she was as lost as they all were.
He took a deep breath, then exhaled, his shoulders slumping as the air left him. “No one does. And no one did. That was the problem. She had too many on her side. Too much already in place.”
He picked up the basket and the hat. Why should this new woman be any different? The only one who knew the truth was Elswood, but then, he was the only one who’d been there with him. At his side.
He started walking again. After a brief moment, Theodora fell into step alongside him.
Baton, Applestock, and Lolly had all been hired after he’d arrived here. By him. Granted, Baton was a cold fish, but she’d come highly recommended through a contact of Elswood’s.
Moody And The Beast (Shadowvale Book 4) Page 4