“Many married men retain their paramours, Your Grace,” the woman insisted. “Allow me the opportunity to regain your good graces.”
“I have a wife,” Constantine said flatly.
The woman laughed, and the sound of it made Elara’s skin prickle.
“That little prim and proper lady you have shackled yourself to?” she said, her voice dripping with contempt. “Come now, Your Grace. You and I both know a green girl like that could never satisfy a man like you. She has no idea what you need. What youlike…” Her voice dropped to a sultry murmur. “But I do.”
Elara heard the swishing of skirts, the purr of desire from the woman’s lips, and even though she could not see them, she pressed her eyes shut. She did not have to see to know what was about to happen. The mystery woman was batting her lashes, leaning toward Constantine—her husband—and was going to plant her lips on his.
“Caitlyn,enough!”Constantine snarled.
The sound of Constantine’s dissent was so savage that Elara jerked, then yelped in pain as the top of her head banged into the bottom of the desk she was hiding under.
“Ow,” Elara whimpered, and reached up to rub her head. Then, realizing that she had just spoken, she clapped her hand over her mouth.
Please, Lord, tell me they did not hear that.
“Is someone there?”
Elara winced as she heard Constantine’s sharp question.
So much for prayers.
With a look of chagrin, Elara crawled out from under the desk and did her best to muster a smile. Constantine and Caitlyn’s narrowed eyes both grew wide as they saw her emerge. Elara cleared her throat as a blush exploded across her cheeks.
“How do you do?” she greeted meekly, wiggling her fingers at them after she got to her feet.
For a moment, Constantine and Caitlyn only stared at her in shock, and it was then that Elara took the opportunity to take in the features of the woman who had just attempted to seduceher husband and realized she had seen her before. It was, she confirmed, a maid. One ofhismaids.
Despite their marriage being just a deal to save them both from ruin, Elara felt her heart tremble in pain at the realization.
“I thought you were still on your trip,” Elara explained, her gaze focusing on Constantine.
His gaze hardened, and his jaw twitched with irritation as he pressed his lips together.
“I just returned,” he answered stiffly.
“And ran straight to your paramour, I see.”
The words were out of Elara’s mouth before she even realized it, and then she snapped her mouth shut.
I said that aloud? What is wrong with me?
Some words were too bold, even for her.
Constantine’s eyes narrowed with growing irritation, then his head snapped toward Caitlyn as he put his hands behind his back and took another step back from her.
“As I stated earlier, Caitlyn, our... arrangement is finished. Since you cannot accept that, I will be releasing you. Today is your last day.”
A surprising amount of satisfaction rose up in Elara as she watched the young woman’s face grow pallid, and her jaw drop.
“But Your Grace! I... please, do not be so harsh,” she pleaded. “I apologize for pressing you, but you cannot dismiss me. Where will I go?”
“I assure you, I do not care. I warned you to stop pressing me, and I will not accept you speaking ill of my wife.”
“I am sure that Mrs. York will write you a stellar letter of recommendation, Caitlyn,” Elara stated, her tone calm and full of authority. “In fact, I shall see to it myself. But you may leave our presence now. I have things to discuss with my husband, and as he just said, you are dismissed.”
Constantine’s vivid green eyes stayed locked with Elara’s even as Caitlyn turned to him with a pleading tone and whispered, “Your Grace.”
