Page 26 of Desperately Yours

“You look about ready to break out of your skin, Cousin.” Bishop’s voice took on a gravelly quality when exhausted. “I’d think you’d be happy right now.”

“I am.” No question about it, I felt a miracle had occurred. Gratitude and happiness were my only options.

“Then smile or something, would you?”

I started to fire back with some less than witty retort, but the chamber door opened and Sadira exited. I rushed forward, eager to hear her report. “How is he?”

Her sleepy smile spoke of the hours she’d sacrificed to do this service for him. “Stronger. He’s sitting up now. The queen is with him.”

Sitting up? For the past week, he’d been unable, but in one night she…

“I don’t know how to repay you for this.” My hand slipped over hers, but she didn’t pull away. “You’ve done something no one else could.”

“I’ve balanced his system, that’s all. It’s not a cure, Your Highness.”

“From where I’m standing, it looks like more of a cure than anything I’ve seen from the dozens of doctors who came before you.” When she ducked her head away, I sought her out again until she met my gaze. “Tell me, what can I do to show my gratitude?”

She drew in a soft breath, delicate lips parted but only barely. “I’m sure you’ll find a way, Leonidas.” Pulling away, she bobbed in a short curtsy. “Pardon me, but I need to take this to the kitchen.”

Like a scared mouse, she hurried from the room. I watched her leave, more conflicted than ever. Eight hours ago, I was ready to run away with Michaela, and now, with Sadira saving my father, I didn’t know what to think.

“There, that look.” Bishop pointed at my face like he was spotting a rare lark. “That pained, agonizing, perhaps slightly constipated look on your face. What, pray tell, does it mean?”

I groaned and rubbed both palms over my face. “It means that love is fickle and complicated and I’m ready to either run away and join the circus or perhaps become a eunuch and do away with the whole lot of it.”

Bishop whistled through his teeth. “If I’m weighing in, might I suggest the circus.” He crossed his legs and cleared his throat. “But, if you’re talking love, isn’t that a good trouble? All things considered? That was the goal, wasn’t it?”

“Love withonewoman,” I clarified.

“And you find yourself in love with…”

“Twowomen.” I glared.Wasn’t it obvious?

“Well,” Bishop’s leg dropped to the floor as he shrugged, “since you have three on the line, I’d say you’re whittling it down. I’ve found myself in love with five or six at a time. Once,” his finger popped up, “the whole female cast ofAMidsummer Night’s Dreamout of Salisbury.” He sighed as if caught in a memory. “What a spring that was.”

“Come on, man.” I kicked his boot. “This is my life, not your soap opera. You can’t possibly expect me to believe you were fully in love with six women at once. There is a difference between love and lust, you know.”

“Same animal, different uptake, at least in my opinion.” He smirked, perhaps hoping I would hang onto his lighthearted approach, but I wasn’t having it. His palms slapped against his thighs. “Very well. Ask what you really want to know.”

I drew in a deep breath to clear my jumbled mind. “Is it possible, do you think,” I hated to even ask, making me feel like a traitor from four different directions, “to love two women at once?”

“Absolutely.” He put up his palms to claim innocence before I fired back with a quip about his love life record. “I mean it too, but not from personal experience.” He cleared his throat and shifted, displaying his discomfort. “I was in love with someone who was in love with meandsomeone else.”

I rocked back a step. The idea of Bishop being in love at all was unbelievable, but to pair it with the look of pain in his eyes, I knew it had to be authentic. He meant it.

“And she chose him?” Stupid thing to ask, but it tumbled out without much thought.

“No, we have eight children and we summer in Yorkshire. Haven’t you received the holiday post? Young Timmy got a puppy. And Tabitha got high marks last semester, We’re so proud.” Bishop rolled his eyes and shook off his sarcasm. “Blimey, Leo. Obviously, she chose the other bloke.” He clearedhis throat again, this time to cover the way emotion choked his throat. “I don’t blame her. My track record was blighted at best and I was the foreigner; her Coco, so to speak. She chose the safer option, at least on the surface.”

Something triggered a memory. “Wait, the American? That’s who you’re talking about? The starlet from the movies? Youlovedher?”

Bishop pushed to his feet and started for the window. “I thought we were talking about your love life. Why on earth have we settled on mine?”

“Sorry, I just… You’ve never said much about that time… I wasn’t sure how deeply…” His eyes begged me to abandon the train of thought. “Yes, my love life. Feel free to weigh in.”

“You know where I stand, Cousin. Sadie may have come through in the moment, but your heart has belonged to Michaela since you were young.”

“And what of the kingdom? I must sacrifice the crown to have her. But with Lady Sadira—”

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