Page 33 of Her Royal Houseguest

‘You are unsettled. What has happened?’

He frowned. ‘Nothing has happened.’

‘Is it because of the insult you gave to Lady Anna?’

Deva winced. ‘I did not insult her! I offered her marriage.’

‘You offered her carnal relations first. Marriage second. That is an insult and you know it. Do you think these barbarians love their daughters any less than we do?’

Deva felt his teeth grind together. He did not like being questioned but he knew that Vaji was right. ‘Of course they do.’

‘Then why did you do it?’ Vaji pressed. ‘It is unlike you to be so careless.’

He knew it. He had spent the night wondering why he had acted so rashly. He who measured the length of his breath had been so impressed by Lady Anna that he proposed. Women were the fastest way to land on the Wheel of Suffering and yet he had still done it.

‘I have been forgiven that insult,’ he said. ‘We made a bargain, remember?’

‘I remember but you are unsettled. What happened between then and now?’

Nothing.

Well, nothing except that he had seen her set buckets on her shoulders and tromp to the stream. She acted without complaint when he could not imagine any high-born lady of Siam doing such a thing.

That was startling enough, but she’d worn an expression that he knew from his own mirror. It was the internal sigh of the long-suffering. The one who knew she was due more respect, but it was not worth the time or the argument to demand it.

Apparently, she—like himself—toiled in the way of forgotten royalty. He constantly walked the thin line between demanding respect and doing what was required. Who could he challenge? Who could sully him in the eyes of the king? How much to bend before he broke, losing everyone’s respect including his own?

It was a difficult life and he saw in her an equally trapped spirit. Worse, she was a woman. She could not venture forth on a wild gamble such as he had done, hoping to gain a trade deal with a foreign country.

She had touched his heart this morning and he did not know what to do about those feelings. Especially when he had trailed behind her on their way to the water. He had seen her lithe body work and his kway had thickened to an embarrassing degree. Worse, she’d spilled water on her dress, plastering the fabric to her breasts.

Had she noticed how her nipples tightened? He certainly had. And the graphic images of what he would do to those breasts had kept him from speaking more as they walked.

But rather than confess all that, he grumbled at his brother. ‘Bathe. I have much to accomplish before we are presented to their king.’

Vaji frowned. ‘What is there to do? Negotiations won’t begin until after the presentation.’

‘We must learn everything we can about these English. Quickly! We cannot negotiate from a place of ignorance.’

Vaji grinned, as Deva had known he would. ‘I will be happy to help.’

Of course he would. If it was new or different, Vaji embraced it. ‘Do not insult anyone. Do not cause an incident. Be quiet, circumspect and polite.’

‘I am always so!’

‘You are never so.’ Vaji could not help but cause intrigue. It wasn’t just his saffron robes or bald head. It was the way he embraced every experience with the joy of a child. It was endearing, distracting and the exact opposite of quiet circumspection.

But it was also an inextricable aspect of his personality. Deva gave his brother a long, hard look that had no effect whatsoever. Indeed, the man flashed an impudent grin as he performed a mocking bow.

‘Lazy swine,’ Deva groused.

‘Choking collar,’ Vaji retorted. Then they smiled at each other and were done with the insults.

Or so his brother thought. There was yet one debt to be paid but that would wait a half hour.

Deva went downstairs again, pleased to join the duke and Lady Anna for breakfast. The duke had returned from the English prince’s home while Deva and Anna had fetched the water. Which meant Deva could begin to understand the English at this morning’s breakfast.

Their food was strange to him but he had learned something of their customs during the journey north. He understood eggs and toast. Also jam and clotted cream. He especially loved the kippers with his tea.