There’d been whispers of occasional discreet liaisons between him and registered courtesans, over the years, but such relationships were fully accepted—even regarded as therapeutic—on Manticore. Gryphon and Sphinx were less convinced of that, each for its own reasons, but the capital planet was far more… sophisticated in that regard.

Yet there was a universe of difference between occasionally patronizing a registered professional courtesan, particularly when one’s spouse was a complete invalid, and entering upon an affair with a nonprofessional. And that was especially true for Hamish and Emily Alexander, who were Second Reformation Roman Catholics and who’d married monogamously, for better or for worse, until death parted them. Both of them took their marriage vows seriously, and even if they hadn’t, the depth of Hamish Alexander’s love for his wife was something not even his most bitter personal or political enemy would have dared to doubt.

Until now. Until Honor.

She raised her face from Nimitz’s fur and stared at William, unable even to look at Hamish, and her pain only grew as she realized at last what William had been thinking. He’d been wondering if the story Hayes was about to publish might be true, and she knew why.

Because it should have been. Because if she’d had the courage to tell Hamish what she felt, they would have become lovers. Whether that would have constituted a betrayal in Lady Emily’s eyes or not, Honor didn’t know… and it wouldn’t have mattered. And that, she realized, was the true reason she’d politely declined every invitation to visit the Alexander family seat at White Haven, despite the closeness of their working political relationship. Because that was Emily’s place, the home she never left. The place where she belonged with Hamish, and which Honor’s very presence would somehow have violated. And because as long as she’d never herself met Emily, Honor could pretend she had never transgressed against her, even in her heart of hearts.

And that was the most bitter irony of all. She had no idea if the people who’d fed Hayes the story for his savage gossip column in the Landing Tattler believed their allegations. But while there’d been no physical violation of Hamish’s marriage to Emily, she knew both of them had wanted there to be one. Neither would ever have admitted it to the other, but now they would stand accused of the very thing both had been determined would never happen, and any effort to refute the allegations would only make it worse.

It was absurd, a tiny corner of her brain told her. Every right of privacy should have protected her and Hamish, even if they had been lovers. And it didn’t matter. Even here in the Star Kingdom, no more damaging scandal could have been devised, not given the iconic stature of Lady Emily and her husband, because William was right. The very people most likely to share Honor’s personal values and support her political views would be the ones most revolted by her “betrayal” of such a beloved public figure, and what made it damaging in Manticore would make it devastating on Grayson.