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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

The man had wasted his first sentence by introducing himself, well before John had taken Myla the first time. She had been shy at first, undressing in front of the earl, but as the wine flowed she found the joke in it all and soon they were both oblivious to Waleran’s unfortunate presence. When they were done, the earl had asked if he was allowed to speak, which John counted as a sentence. The third had been their longest, slower and sweeter, and they rolled so close to their guest once that he scooted backward. For the long interim between three and four, John had baited his guest with innocent questions, but he never responded, just stared and chewed his lips.

He must have to piss fiercely, John thought, having relieved himself over the edge of the balcony twice, and be a eunuch as well, to have not been roused by watching.

Unfortunately, the drink was not enough to fade away the man’s name.

“Speaking of maps,” John extended a finger at the Earl of Warwick, “Waleran is my neighbor, so to speak. Warwickshire and Gloucestershire share a border, yes? Well the Duchess of Gloucestershire and I share a marriage.”

“You brat! You’re married?” Myla teased him, tugging on his earlobe with her teeth.

“Don’t worry, she’s not a threat to you. Isabelle’s my cousin.” Myla feigned disgust and stomped about the room, trailing her arms in the hanging silks. “Of all the innumerable slights that are my life, my marriage is my favorite. John Lackland, they called me, youngest son of the king, with no lands to own nor to inherit, and four elder brothers to eat the world up before I would ever get a crumb. The best that my father could do for me was to betroth me, as a young boy, to the notably brotherless Isabelle of Gloucester.”

Myla snickered, but John put a finger to his lips. “That’s not the good part. My brothers had their rebellion, as you know, and started dying one by one. Three of my brothers have made their last kick at the world. Only Richard is left, and every day that he wastes at war leaves me with the terror that one day a messenger will come to me. King Richard has been killed, he’ll say, and even in my imagination I vomit, cut out the messenger’s throat, and sail as far away as a ship can take me.”