Alec put an elbow against Toby’s chest to slow his struggles, knocking over a chair in the process. Perturbed, he grabbed Toby by the neck.
“Cease your wrestling, boy, or I shall bind you hand and foot,” he snarled. “What in the hell do you not want me to see?”
A perfect set of teeth marks appeared in the weak light. Alec’s very perplexed look met with Toby’s guilty expression.
“What is this?”
Toby averted his gaze. “A bite. What does it look like?”
Alec’s eyebrows rose and he refocused on the wound. “That’s not merely a bite, Toby. Someone tried to have you for supper. Who did this?”
Irritated, Toby yanked from his brother’s grip and straightened his tunic. “I am a grown man, Alec. What I do is my own business.”
Alec folded his thick arms across his chest. “And I never said otherwise. You are not into peculiar sexual thrills, are you? I can tell you from experience that you might end up seriously injuring yourself.”
Toby cocked an eyebrow at his brother. “You can tell me this as fact?”
Alec shrugged faintly. “I was young once and eager to sample anything remotely erotic.”
Toby raised an eyebrow. “Does your wife know that?”
“She does not, and you will not mention it lest I castrate you the hard way,” his gaze turned to that of genuine concern. “What happened?”
Toby absently touched his abdomen, moving his gaze to the floor. “I…. oh, hell. Jubil bit me.”
Alec nearly keeled over with shock. His eyes widened and his arms uncross. “Jubil bit you?” he clapped a disbelieving hand to his forehead. “Christ, I do not want to know anymore,” he turnedaway, pretending to storm down the hall when he suddenly whirled on his heel and was back in Toby’s face. “Jubil bit you?”
Instead of cowering in fear of his brother’s anger, Toby faced him openly. “She did. And other things.”
Alec’s mouth gaped open, and then promptly shut. Suddenly, his eyes twinkled. “Did you…. take her?”
“Several times.”
Alec’s mouth was open again, but there was a curve to the corners. “You…. several times? Christ, Toby, she is old enough to be your mother!”
Toby scratched his neck thoughtfully. “Your point being?”
Once again, his mouth closed and Alec blinked thoughtfully. “Nothing, I suppose,” he said slowly. “Except…. I will not allow you to make a sport out of her. She is my wife’s aunt and a respected member of the family. Do you comprehend me?”
“Indeed,” Toby nodded. “And who says I intend to make a sport out of her? I…. well, I just might marry the woman.”
Alec’s shocked expression was back, greater than before.
“Marry her?” he repeated, then rolled his eyes as if unable to believe what he had heard. Grabbing his brother about the neck, he started down the corridor. “You and I must have a talk, Toby. You do not marry the first woman who pleasures you beyond reason. You may believe yourself in love with her simply because she has made you mindless with erotica but, believe me, that is not love.”
Toby allowed his brother to lead him away. “I never said I was in love with her. What I do with her is my affair and there is nothing to say on the matter.”
Alec cocked an eyebrow. “Aye, there is a good deal to discuss, but now is not the time. I have a messenger from Blackstone waiting for me and I shall not be distracted.”
Toby did not say anything more, unable to decipher the confusion he was feeling and unwilling to discuss it further at themoment. Since the first instant he had beheld Jubil, he’d been in the grip of something powerful, something he had been unable to resist. Something he could not put into words and he was glad Alec had not pressed the subject. He wasn’t sure exactly how to answer.
Alec released him from his grip when they hit the stairs and he silently, pensively followed his brother out into the courtyard.
The damp night air was filled with smoke from the torches as Alec approached the messenger. He recognized the man as one of his father’s household soldiers, and the warrior saluted him smartly.
“Greetings, my lord,” the soldier said formally. “I bring a message from your father, Baron Rothwell.”
“My father is well?” Alec couldn’t help himself from asking; he’d frightened himself with thoughts of his father’s demise and wanted a bit of simple reassurance.
