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Now, the story was starting to make more sense. “I see,” Cam said. “What is she doing tae earn money?”

Titus shrugged. “She is educated,” he said. “She wants tae teach men tae read and write for a small price.”

“A teacher, is she?”

“Aye.”

“Is that what ye’re telling Clegg?”

“What do ye mean?”

Cam glanced at Brody. It was clear that they were both thinking the same thing.

“Titus, we’ve known ye a while now,” Cam said quietly. “Every woman at the Ludus Caledonia wants a piece of ye and now ye have a woman living in yer cottage. Ye needna lie tae us about her. If she’s warming yer bed, we’ll not judge ye.”

Titus’ brow furrowed. “I’ve never lied tae ye,” he said. “If she was warming my bed, I’d tell ye and be proud for it, but the truth is that she’s not. She’s tending my cottage and doing what she can tae earn money. She’s… she’s not like the women I’ve known. She’s… different.”

“Different?” Brody repeated, confused. “Different how? Does she not like men?”

Titus snorted. “I havena asked her,” he said. “But I hope she does.”

That piqued the curiosity of both Cam and Brody. The way Titus said it led them to believe that there was some interest behind that statement.

“Is that so?” Cam asked, his eyes glimmering with mirth. “Do ye intend her tae warm yer bed, after all?”

Titus was feeling cornered. He almost pushed them away, but something stopped him. They knew how to woo a woman in a way that he didn’t. They had wives, after all. They knew something more than he did. All he’d ever done was flex his sweaty muscles and women fainted at his feet.

He didn’t want Esme fainting at his feet.

He wanted something more.

“Not now,” he said after a moment. “What I mean tae say is mayhap I do, but honorably.”

“What does that mean?”

Titus was starting to become exasperated because he was embarrassed to say what he was really thinking. It was difficult to put into words.

“It means just what I told ye,” he muttered, looking at the two of them. “Since when have I ever had a woman in my bed honorably? They pay the price and I permit them the honor. I suppose that makes me nothing more than a whore. I take their money, they have their way, and I’m the richer for it. I thought that was all I wanted until…”

Cam and Brody were hanging on his every word. “Until what?” Brody pressed.

Titus sighed heavily and scratched his head. “Well… how did ye woo yer wives?” he asked. “What did ye do that told a woman that ye thought she was special above all others?”

Brody was trying very hard not to grin, but Cam wasn’t so lucky. He had a full-blown smile on his face. He patted Titus sweetly on the side of the head.

“Marriage, my fine lad?” he said, delighted. “Do ye want tae marry this Spanish lass?”

Titus frowned. “I dinna say marriage,” he said. “All I know is that she’s different. I’ve never met a lass like her. I dunna want tae do the wrong thing. I want her tae like me, too.”

“Then do all of the right things,” Cam said. “Say nice things. Bring her flowers. Tell her she’s lovely. Women like those things, Titus. Not just yer sweaty muscles.”

That was all new territory for Titus. Those were always things that other women did for him, not the other way around. “That’s all?”

Cam nodded. “Usually,” he said. “Unless ye’re Isadora and ye’d rather be gifted with a new dirk instead of jewels. My wife was more of a challenge.”

As he snorted, Brody spoke up. “Is it that ye want tae court her, Titus? Or just be nice tae her?”

Titus shrugged. “As I said, I dunna know,” he said. “The lass has had a difficult life. I think she needs someone tae be kind tae her.”