Heart of Iron

Page 42

The door thundered beneath the weight of someone’s fury.
“I’m comin’,” Will muttered and snatched it open.
Honoria staggered into the room, her face pale and her eyes flashing dark with fury. “You let me in!” she cried. “I’ve had enough. I want to see her! She’s mine too, you kn—” Her gaze lit on Lena and she darted under Will’s outstretched arm with a soft cry. Sliding to her knees, she wrapped her arms around Lena and dragged her close.
“I sent you a message,” Will muttered.
Lena breathed deeply, filling her lungs with her sister’s familiar scent. “I’m all right,” she said as Honoria burst into tears.
Blade sauntered inside with a shrug. “You got five days,” he said to Will. “That’s all I could ’old ’er for.”
Will tried to shut the door but it jerked back in his direction and Charlie slid inside with a cheery smile. It faded when he saw her, turning to a puzzled frown. “Why ain’t you wearin’ any clothes?”
Heat burning in her cheeks, Lena helped Blade collect Honoria. “Give me time to wash up and dress,” she murmured. Snatching up her nightgown, she darted into the washroom.
Barely a minute later, Will followed her inside, a harried look on his face.
“Too much of my family?”
His gaze roamed down her naked body and he reached for the washcloth. “Aye. Need a moment. Let me help you.”
She squealed under her breath as he slid the washcloth between her thighs. “Will!” Dropping her voice, she tugged it out of his fingers. “Don’t you dare!”
Washing swiftly, she dragged her nightgown back over her head. “I don’t suppose you thought to bring anything for me to wear with you?”
“I weren’t plannin’ on keepin’ you dressed.” He tickled her bottom.
Catching his fingers, she glared at him. “You’re in a rare fine mood this morning.”
“Aye.” He nuzzled closer, his breath sliding over her throat. “Help me wash?”
“That’s not going to get us out of here in a hurry,” she whispered.
“I know.” His hands slid over her hips.
Lowering her voice to a bare whisper, she pushed him away. “Not with my family in the next room, thank you. Wash up and get dressed.” Taking her chance, she ducked under his grasping arm and slipped through the door.
Honoria was drying her eyes when she reappeared.
Lena took her hand and led her to the chair. “Sit,” she instructed, pushing on Honoria’s shoulders. It felt odd to be giving orders, when Honoria had always been the one to issue them. Leaning closer, she kissed her sister’s wet cheek. “Cheer up. I’m fine.”
“Truly?”
Dragging one of the blankets around her shoulders to cover her thin nightgown, Lena nodded. “I can’t remember very much of it at all. I do remember your voice though. Thank you for looking after Will.”
Honoria exchanged a glance with Blade. “Not that he allowed much. He virtually kidnapped you.”
Blade poured water into a battered old kettle. “You ’as to let ’er go sometime, luv.”
Honoria’s lips thinned.
“I am all of twenty,” Lena reminded her with a smile.
“You’re still my little sister.”
“And I can beat you in an arm wrestle now.”
The reminder didn’t sit well with Honoria. Lena laughed and settled on the edge of the cot. Will chose that moment to enter, tugging his shirt into place. Water turned his gold-tipped hair darker, spiking his eyelashes together. Her breath caught. So handsome.
“Urgh,” Blade muttered. “Tell me we weren’t that bad?”
It took a moment for Charlie to comprehend. His eyes widened. “That’s why you’re ’ere! You and Will? That’s smashing! When did that ’appen?”
“Charlie, don’t forget your h’s,’” Honoria corrected.
A roll of the eyes. “Yes, ma’am.” He punched Will in the shoulder. “How do you like that, eh? Another man in the family. Thank God it ain’t one o’ them prancing blue bloods from the Echelon. I never thought she’d be sensible enough to choose a decent man.”
“Yes, well,” Lena said, “I don’t believe they’ll be having me back anytime soon.”
Charlie peered at her eyes. “I like them,” he declared.
“Why, thank you.” She laughed, then realized that Blade and Honoria were exchanging another of those long glances that spoke volumes. “Why? What is it?”
“Leo’s visited three times,” Honoria said. “The prince consort wants to know why Will isn’t doing his duty and has requested Lena’s presence. Leo’s trying to placate him.”
“They’re signin’ the treaty tomorrow,” Blade said. “If the Norwegians will come to the party.”
Will eased a possessive hand over her shoulder. “They can’t see Lena. Spreadin’ the loupe’s punishable by death.”
Lena’s hand shot to his. “What do you mean?” She looked from him to Blade. “They won’t hurt Will, will they?”
“Not if I’ve anythin’ to say ’bout it.” Blade sobered. “It’s too late to ’ide. The prince consort already knows. I believe the Lady Astrid told him. She probably thought it didn’t matter much.”
“He wouldn’t dare hurt Will,” she said, finding her feet and dragging the blanket tighter around her. “He can’t risk alienating the Scandinavians until they’ve signed the treaty. Will, your best chance is to make an appearance tomorrow, force his hand. Make him publicly acknowledge me and what has happened when he must keep face with the Scandinavians.”
Will glared down at her. “I ain’t takin’ you into the heart of the Echelon. Not with the Norwegian’s allegiance still in doubt and them pasty-faced maggots swarmin’ round us. Not ’til the treaty’s signed and you’re safe by the law.”
“But they won’t change the law unless the Norwegians sign,” she said softly. “Do you think they will?”
Will’s silence was answer enough. “Astrid and Eric helped us. But they ain’t the ones in power. And I don’t think the Fenrir rules with his heart. I think he knows exactly which way he’s gonna play this and why.”
“Then we need to convince him otherwise,” she said earnestly. “I know you don’t want me in danger. But I’m not about to sit and watch when it’s your head that’s on the line!”
“No.”
“You promised we’d work together—”
“Unless I thought it were dangerous—”
“For you! Not for me.”
“You don’t know that,” Will snapped. “You’ve never been spat at or had women hide their children from you. You’ve never been trapped in a cage, Lena, whilst the blue bloods sneered that that was where you belonged. I tried to tell you. This is a different world and I’m so bloody sorry for that. I’ll try to get them to sign the treaty, but I won’t risk you. Not again. I couldn’t bear to lose you. You know that.”
She took a deep breath. Arguing with him was futile. She had to be rational if she had any chance of winning his approval. “You don’t know the court. You don’t know the dangers to be encountered there. You don’t see them because you don’t play such games yourself, therefore you don’t expect them to be played.” He opened his mouth but she hurried on, determined to finish. “It won’t be knives or fists or fights in dark alleys, Will. It’ll be played with words. You wouldn’t even realize the trouble until you were buried in it. You need me. I know this world. I know how to play the game.”
“I won’t put you in danger.”
“If you fail, then you die,” she replied bluntly. “And there’ll be nobody to protect me. Especially not the law.”
He didn’t like that. “Damn it, Lena—”
“You know I’m right.”
Strain whitened his jaw and his eyes rolled with white. But his shoulders slumped and she knew she had him.
“You don’t leave my side. Not even for a moment. If anyone makes a move against you, I will kill ’em.”
“I believe you,” she said softly. Sensing his distress—to let her do this went against every instinct he owned—she stroked his hand. “Thank you.”
“Well. Never thought I’d see the day.” Blade laughed, then clapped Will on the back. “You know you’re in trouble when you been outmaneuvered by a mere slip of a lass.”
“Don’t you laugh,” Honoria warned. “I think it’s time we dusted off your court clothes and made an appearance. We can help guard Lena.”
Blade winced. “The Echelon’s gonna love that.”
***
Lena scraped the last of the soup out of the bowl and peered inside it mournfully. She’d already eaten half a kidney pie, a plate of stew, two slices of bread, and now the bowl of soup. And she still felt hungry.
The others had taken over Blade’s sitting room at the warren and were arguing about how to convince the Scandinavians to accept the treaty tomorrow. Will glanced over at her with a frown, then looked down at the bowl. “More?”
She shook her head. “I shouldn’t.”
Ignoring her, he took the bowl out of her hands and crossed to the soup tureen on the table. “Gotta keep your strength up.”
“I’ll get plump.”
He shrugged and filled the bowl. “It ain’t likely, but it wouldn’t matter anyway.”
The bowl warmed her hands almost as much as his words warmed her heart. Lena peered down into the broth. All her life she’d been nothing more than a pretty face to most men. Her father’s princess. A piece of froth to the Echelon.
Only Will saw her as something else. Something more.
A knock sounded at the door and Blade swung around sharply as Esme entered. “Sorry,” she murmured with a cheerful smile. “But I’ve a letter for Lena.”
“Lena?” Will straightened.
Lena frowned, accepting the letter. Who would think to find her here? The only one who knew she visited with any great regularity was Leo.
Sliding a thumbnail under the edge of the envelope, she slid it open. It was empty except for a small curl of hair, tied neatly with a ribbon.
Blond hair. Silky fine.
It smelt like Charlie.
Lena froze. “Where did you get this?” she asked hoarsely.
The room stilled as everyone sensed her sudden fear. Esme licked her lips. “There was a man at the door not a few minutes ago. Said he had a letter for you.”
Blade crossed to the windows, twitching aside the curtains. “What did he look like?”
As Esme stammered out a vague response, Will took the tuft of hair from her and sniffed at it. He shot a look toward Charlie, then raised a questioning brow at her.
Lena put the soup aside, her appetite destroyed. She knew exactly what it meant. She hadn’t been performing as expected. Someone wanted her to destroy this treaty and so far she’d made no headway.
“What is it?” Will asked.
Lena shook her head, pushing herself to her feet. Her throat felt thick. It had to be the person from Crowe Tower. If he could get to Charlie here, get so close as to steal a lock of his hair…
She froze, her hands clenching in her skirts. What could she do? Destroy the treaty and she risked Will’s life. But if she didn’t…
“Lena?” A warm hand slid over the small of her back.
They were all looking at her.
“I…I…”
Will would hate her for this. She thought of his smile, only moments earlier, of the gentle way he stroked her back now.
“It’s Charlie’s, isn’t it?” Honoria asked quietly, her eyes locked on the piece of hair. “What’s going on? Lena?”
Tell them and she risked losing Will… But no, that was a selfish thought. Her stomach clenched. Charlie’s life was at risk, and so was Will’s. This had grown beyond her capabilities to solve.
Her shoulders sank. “It’s Charlie’s. It’s…” One glance toward Will, as if she couldn’t help herself. “I couldn’t tell you. Somebody threatened me. They had one of Charlie’s clockwork soldiers that they’d taken from his room. They said that if I didn’t destroy the treaty they’d hurt him.” The words wouldn’t stop now. “I thought if I did what they said it would be all right. But I couldn’t. Not when it meant your freedom…”