“What!” Oss shouted.
Startled, I almost fell out of my chair. “Stop yelling,” I growled.
“Sorry.” Oss set down his cup. He stood and paced back and forth across the room. “I’m going to punch him in his pretty face.”
“You’ll do no such thing. This is why I didn’t want to tell you. You can’t fix my love life with violence.”
Oss stopped in place. “Why not? You can’t say he doesn’t deserve it!”
“He does, but have you forgotten about your lover? Thorne won’t like you hurting his big brother.”
Oss plopped back down onto the chair opposite me. “What did he say about the baby when you asked? I’m assuming you confronted him?”
“He said the baby won’t have an impact on our relationship and that he needed to have an heir. Oh and my favorite is that the vile woman he bedded will leave him alone after giving birth to his heir. Apparently, he has a fancy contract and everything.”
“Who’s the mother?”
“Minerva Grace!”
“Bitch Grace?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say why he didn’t tell you?”
“He danced around it. Something about it all be arranged before we got together, as if that makes any difference! What kind of man believes the impending birth of his child isn’t worth mentioning to his lover? Someone who doesn’t expect to keep him, that’s who!” I finished with righteous fury.
“Or someone who expects his heir to be raised by servants and to have little impact on his daily life.” Oss’s fingers twitched. “Thorne hasn’t said much about their childhood other than that it involved a lot of nannies.”
Oss’s fingers twitched again.
“Did Thorne make you lock up your knives?” I couldn’t help asking.
Oss groaned. “Yes, he said I don’t need them in our home. Personally, I think he’s worried about his damn butler. If anyone needs a good stabbing, it’s him.”
My shoulders shook in silent laughter. Oss’s desire to fight anyone who annoyed him had crashed against Thorne’s affable stone wall. I’d seen Oss shout at Thorne only to get an adoring expression in return. I couldn’t buy that kind of entertainment.
“I just can’t be with someone who considers their own child, or me, an afterthought.” I sighed.
“Is he marrying that whore?”
I shook my head. “He says not. I told you it’s all contractual.” I mimicked Justin’s upper-crust accent for the last sentence.
Oss poured us both another cup of tea. “The things the tosh come up with.” He shook his head. “I’d gut Thorne if he pulled something like that.”
“Well, you don’t have to because his brother is taking care of their bloodline problem.” Sharp and sour bitterness coated my voice.
“Do you think that’s why he’s doing it? If they both prefer men, it’s the only way to continue their bloodline. Lear could be doing this because he’s planning to keep you, but he needs an heir for the lordship. If he wanted to break up, he could’ve married the bitch and dumped you altogether.”
I tugged at a lock of my hair that tumbled into my vision as I tried to order my thoughts. “He did say that was one of the reasons.” I took another sip of tea before continuing. “I’m not upset that he needs an heir. I would be fine with that. Maybe not with Minerva, but I understand him wanting pass down his legacy. It’s just if he had at least prepared me, I wouldn’t be so upset. He should’ve been the one to tell me.” I couldn’t convey how much it hurt that Justin hadn’t thought it worth mentioning to me.
Oss tapped a restless finger against his teacup. “I can’t imagine what he’s thinking, but I can make sure Thorne never finds out if you need me to take care of him.”
There was something comforting about Oss’s casual offer of death and destruction to soothe my wounded heart. I reached over and squeezed his free hand. “I appreciate that, Oss, but Thorne might not like it if you kill his brother.”
Oss snatched his hand back. “Fuck that. He could adopt. I’m sure there is a second cousin or something that has the family magic he’s so eager to pass on.”
Thorne entered the room, startling us both. Luckily, no tea was spilled. “I’d appreciate it, love, if you didn’t murder my brother. And Justin can’t adopt a child.”
