The Consort, Chapter 9
To Cain’s chagrin, DG got on so well with Lord Umbrey that she invited him to stay for dinner. Fridays were Big Dinner days, with anywhere from twenty to thirty nobles, officials and prominent citizens as guests, so it seemed natural to invite him. Or so she quickly explained upon seeing his expression when he learned that Umbrey was to stay.
I don’t care. Why should I care? He’s a nice enough guy. Close to her own age. Shares some interests. Why shouldn’t she make a friend?
A friend who has a lot more in common with her than you do.
A friend who’s been shamelessly chatting her up. And right in front of my face. Who the hell does he think he is?
He’s just trying to be charming on his first meeting with the Queen.
Charming is one thing. Flirting with a man’s wife when he’s standing right there is quite another.
“What’s with you?” Azkadellia whispered to him, catching him in the hall outside the salon.
“Nothing’s with me.”
“You’re tense. Tenser than usual.”
He pressed his lips together, considering. “Did you meet that Umbrey guy from Lambia?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, shooting him a knowing glance. “He’s really pouring it on thick, isn’t he?”
“Good,” Cain said, exhaling. “I thought it was just me.”
“DG seems to like him. She doesn’t meet many people her own age these days, or that she can talk cars with.”
Cain nodded. “So that’s…good, then?”
Azkadellia shrugged. “Lambia is strategically important. The Royal House has a long history of alliances with it. There’s been more than one marriage between our ancestors and the Lambian noblemen.”
Cain didn’t need it spelled out for him. If Umbrey had been the Earl a year ago, and DG had managed to meet him…she’d likely be wearing his ring instead of Cain’s.
Such a thing shouldn’t bother you. You only married her for lack of a better alternative at the time.
She is the Queen, you know. And she’s a woman with needs. Physical needs. The ones she doesn’t have a proper husband to take care of. It wouldn’t be the first time the Queen took a lover. Hell, everybody probably expects it. No one thinks that people in a marriage of convenience are going to be faithful.
Azkadellia took his arm. “Come on. Let’s drink some wine and forget our troubles.”
Cain smiled. Sometimes he really liked Azkadellia.
His improved mood lasted until they entered the salon and there was DG, talking with the Earl of Insufferable. They were both smiling widely and laughing and DG was touching his arm now and again. He felt Azkadellia’s hand squeeze his elbow. “Just being friendly,” she muttered.
Dinner was the usual parade of culinary excesses. The chefs liked to show off for the Big Friday Dinners and Cain always ended the meal feeling like he’d have to be rolled out of the room. Tonight, however, his appetite wasn’t up to its usual standards, since he spent the entire meal face to face with Lord Umbrey, who had been seated on DG’s left.
There was another problem, as well. The guy was actually interesting. He shouldn’t have been surprised; DG was too smart to be taken in by someone vacuous and phony. It would have been far easier to maintain his irritation had Umbrey been sycophantic or stupid or just plain evil, but he seemed smart, quick and as kind-hearted as one could expect landed gentry to be. And he was a good conversationalist, never lingering on himself too long, asking the right questions, drawing others into the discussion. The entire gathering was charmed by him.
God, I must be suffering in comparison.
Not everything is about you, Cain. So the guy’s annoyingly perfect. Did HE save the Princess’s life and help defeat the Witch?
No, but that doesn’t mean everyone here isn’t looking from him to you and thinking, what a shame. What a shame for our young, vibrant Queen to be saddled with the crusty, crotchety old General, who can’t seem to get her pregnant. What a shame she couldn’t have met the Earl a year ago, she might have been able to marry for love. What a shame.
“General,” Umbrey said, jerking Cain out of this contemplation. “I’m curious. How did you come to serve the Royal Family? Had you been a Tin Man all that time?”
“I hadn’t been a Tin Man for years before the Emerald War,” Cain said.
Umbrey nodded, like he understood. “It’s a difficult and taxing profession, I’m told.”
Cain just stared at him. “I didn’t retire, if that’s what you’re implying.” Everyone at the table was now watching this exchange with a good deal of interest.
“If you didn’t retire, what had you been doing?”
“I thought everyone knew.”
“Knew what?”
Cain held the man’s eyes. “I was in a tin suit for eight years.”
Umbrey seemed astonished. “What on earth did you do to run afoul of the Longcoats and deserve such a long confinement?”
Wrong move, Umbrey. First one I’ve seen you make. Cain felt DG stiffen slightly. She reached over and took his hand where it rested on the tabletop. “Lord Umbrey, my husband was in the Resistance,” she said, her tone a touch frostier than it had been. “He was betrayed by a man in his unit who was paid for the information.”
“I see,” Umbrey said. “We didn’t have much activity with the Resistance in Lambia. There was no need, the Longcoats rarely ventured into our counties.”
“No, your father made sure you were left alone,” Cain said, leaving out all the ways the former Earl had accomplished this.
“How did you escape your imprisonment?”
Cain smiled at DG. “Her Majesty released me.” She smiled back and squeezed his hand.
Umbrey’s eyes flicked from Cain’s face to hers and back again. “I didn’t realize,” he said. “I was under the impression that you had saved and protected her.”
“She saved me first,” Cain said, quietly.
A long moment of silence was broken by the arrival of dessert, and normal conversation resumed.
Lord Umbrey played the piano for the gathering after dinner, when they’d all adjourned to the salon. DG sat nearby, listening, wondering if this guy was too good to be true. It had been a long time since she’d met anyone at court who seemed genuine. Most people were groveling to the point of absurdity and didn’t dare question her, or challenge her, or engage her in real conversation.
Most people aren’t that cute in Knight’s regalia, either.
She shifted uneasily in her chair.
Why shouldn’t you think he’s cute? He is cute.
You shouldn’t be looking.
Why not? Remember what Azkadellia said…you can take as many lovers as you like.
That such an idea would even cross her mind was a little troubling, but she couldn’t deny that it did.
You’re a married woman. It’d be…slutty.
Why? Marriage of convenience, remember? And if you’d met Lord Umbrey sooner…
But you didn’t. And it wouldn’t do for the Queen to be bedding every good-looking nobleman who walks through the door.
You’re not talking about every nobleman, just about this one. And that isn’t why you’re hesitating and you know it. You don’t want to hurt Cain.
It wouldn’t hurt him. He doesn’t expect anything. And don’t we all deserve a little passion in our lives? Those of us who aren’t lucky enough to have it in our marriages could be forgiven for seeking it elsewhere, couldn’t we? I wouldn’t hold it against Cain if he met some attractive woman his own age and wanted to keep a discreet mistress.
Oh, you wouldn’t?
DG looked around the room until her eyes found Cain, standing near the window with a brandy snifter in his hand, looking stalwart and resolute as always.
He’s just as handsome as Umbrey. And if some woman was all over him the way Umbrey’s been all over you tonight, how would you feel? Especially if he was giving it right back, as you’ve been doing?
She gritted her teeth. I’d be upset. And I’d be embarrassed, and hurt.
And jealous.
She jumped to her feet. Umbrey stopped playing mid-phrase and stood, as the entire assembly did. “Excuse me,” she said. “I must retire. Please, stay and enjoy the Earl’s music.” Her eyes went to Cain’s all by themselves. He shot her a questioning glance: are you all right? She nodded. “Az?” she said, holding out her hand. Azkadellia came to her side and took her hand, giving her a puzzled look as they left the room.
Azkadellia didn’t speak until they’d reached the residence. “What was that all about?” she said.
DG flopped down onto a nearby bench. “I don’t know, I just…I started feeling guilty about being so attentive to Umbrey, and I’m sure everyone will be talking about it now.”
“They’d talk about it if you had an extra scone at lunch. Not much escapes anyone’s notice.”
“I don’t like being that girl, Az.”
“Which girl?”
“The girl who flirts with other guys when she’s…attached.”
“We’ve talked about this before, DG.”
“I know, but I just can’t wrap my brain around it! So what if I’m not in love with Cain, he’s my husband and he’s my friend, my best friend, and I’m so lucky to have him…he’s been so much more than I ever expected through all of this. I’m sure he noticed the Earl slobbering all over me. And dammit, I was slobbering right back.”
“Oh, he noticed. But he wouldn’t say anything to you, even if he wanted to. You know how cautious he is that he doesn’t make demands on you.”
“Maybe he should! Everyone goes on about how our ‘marriage of convenience’ has these different rules but at the end of the day, I still get hung up on the fact that we are married. No matter how or why or under what circumstances, I do feel like I owe him something. At the very least I ought to respect him enough not to flirt with some guy right under his nose.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, DG. I just want you to be happy, and secure.”
DG nodded. “I’d like that, too. But what’s going to give me that…I dunno, Az. It’s getting complicated.”
Cain stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked Central City, the stuffy air in the salon beginning to stifle. DG had abruptly left a short time ago; he’d considered going after her, but she’d had that “need some girl time” look about her, so he’d left it to Azkadellia.
He drained his brandy glass, glad at least that His Noble Perfectness had stopped favoring all of them with his musical prowess. What was next, a demonstration of sleight-of-hand? One-handed pushups? A recitation of all the OZian rulers in alphabetical order?
The glass doors behind him opened and he turned. Lord Umbrey was emerging, a cigar in his mouth. He shut the doors and joined Cain near the balcony. “Nice night,” he said.
“Mmm.”
Pause. “I hope Her Majesty is all right.”
Cain glanced at him. “Her Majesty’s well-being is none of your concern.”
“Of course. Didn’t mean to overstep my bounds.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.”
Umbrey paused again. “The Queen is very charming.”
Cain turned to face him. “Does that surprise you?”
“Yes. One reads about stuffy, boring royals raised in their ivory towers, no idea about the worlds they govern. She isn’t like that, is she? She’s so…down-to-ground.”
“Knowing her for one evening doesn’t make you an expert,” Cain said, keeping his voice even.
“Then I’ll hope to spend much more time in her company in the future with an eye towards becoming one,” Umbrey said, his smile neutral but his eyes all business.
“Proceed at your own risk.”
“I’ll say good-night then, General. But I hope we’ll be seeing much more of each other in the future.”
“Yes. Won’t that be nice.” Umbrey stuck out his hand, which Cain had little choice but to shake. He plastered a fake smile on his face. “Stay away from my wife,” he said in a low voice, keeping his face politely pleasant.
Umbrey didn’t miss a beat, his own face keeping up its appearances. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t find me threatening,” he said, smoothly.
“I’m not threatened.”
Umbrey raised an eyebrow, releasing Cain’s hand. “You just warned me off her in no uncertain terms.”
“I trust her, but I don’t think I trust you.”
Umbrey sighed. “I have no dishonorable intentions, General.” He met Cain’s stare without blinking. “I…I like her. More than I thought I would. I’m sorry if that upsets you.”
Cain shriveled a bit inside. Jesus, Cain. You’re acting like he’s plotting to throw DG over his shoulder and spirit her away to Lambia under your very nose. Why don’t you just growl and bite the guy’s neck while you’re at it? “Everyone likes her.”
“No, I mean…she’s someone that I…” Umbrey ran a hand through his hair. “You’ve thrown me for quite a loop, General. I can’t even articulate my thoughts, and that usually isn’t a problem for me.” He faced Cain again. “Look. Can I be frank, man to man?” Cain nodded curtly. “All right. She needed to be married before her coronation. You were the best candidate at the time.”
He clenched over that for a moment, but had to agree. “Yes.”
“Maybe it doesn’t have to stay that way.”
“Are you presenting yourself as an alternative?”
Umbrey smiled. “That’d be a little premature. I just met her. But, as I said…I like her. And I’d like to get to know her better, if she’s amenable. I respect you, General, and your work. I think you’re a great man, actually. But where the Queen’s happiness is concerned…maybe you aren’t the ideal person for the job.”
Cain watched his face. He had to know if this man’s motives ought to concern him. He lifted his hand and swept his first two fingers down his temple.
Umbrey didn’t return the gesture, nor did he seem to notice it. “Good night, General.” He held Cain’s eyes for a moment, then turned and left the balcony. Okay, then. That’s one less worry.
Cain watched him go back inside, full of infallibility, glad-handing all the court denizens and society mavens. This is his world in a way that it will never be mine.
She could love him. He could love her.
She could be happy.
He turned back towards the cityscape, wanting to feel angry and threatened and full of possessive rage, but could only manage to feel sad, and a little resigned.