Page 17 of Centerpiece

“If I took you to the capital, many, even those I consider friends, would try to lure you away with sweetmeats and silks.Perhaps even diamonds.I could do that for you, if you’d like.Introduce you to them.Though I’d warn you to save the diamonds for the future.”

“What do you do with diamonds?”Agreeable wondered, since he’d never seen one.

“Some wear them.”Holburn’s smile was the sort to give Agreeable flutters.“And look beautiful, or foolish, depending on how.Aliette looks a queen in hers.”He smoothed a line between Agreeable’s eyes.“She is not a queen.Don’t frown and don’t worry.”Agreeable didn’t get a chance to ask why he might worry.“But...I should tell you that my wife’s name is actually Luisa-Therese Aliette Elsibet du Albin, Duchess of Dharmin, Countess Lascarin, as well as a bunch of other titles you don’t need to learn yet.”

“Isn’t a duchess the wife of a...?”Without finishing the question, Agreeable startled out of Holburn’s hold and fell down to sit on the edge of the bed.

He was faint.His legs were wobbly, but this time it had nothing to do with lust.He realized he was sitting in the presence of a duke and shot back to his feet, continuing to wobble.“Am I allowed to sit around you?”he asked, voice rising all over again.“I took some grapes from your table this morning!”

“Remi.”Holburn met his panicked stare and spoke firmly.“Eat all of the grapes.It’s fine.”

“I thought you were a merchant.”Agreeable gulped.And a king.He had thought that too.He hadn’t been far off.All of him was shaking now.“Oh, you aretheDuke, aren’t you?Ourduke?”

“I didn’t want people to know.Not until after I met the Count.It’s what I’ve been doing, as Ali and I make our way to my home to take official residence.Are you well?Would you like some wine?”

“The young Duke.”Agreeable put his head in his hands, then jolted and looked up.“I spoke ill of the Count!”

“I asked for your honesty.”Holburn moved forward, sliding his hand into Agreeable’s hair until Agreeable was somewhat calmed.Only a few touches were all it seemed to take with him.“I prefer honesty.But not in public, for obvious reasons.Only when we’re alone.”

“Right,” Agreeable agreed dizzily.“What about in front of your guards?Oh, damnation, those areyourguards outside the door, aren’t they?I stayed here all night hiding from guards who didn’t care about a thief?”

Holburn cleared his throat.“I didn’t think a meal and a night by the fire would do you any harm.I was planning to help you in the morning before you ever climbed into my bed, if you recall.”

“You are as sneaky as a thief yourself.”Agreeable shivered for the gentle touch behind his ear.“And a good fuck.And a duke.TheDuke.Don’t you have servants enough already?And lads or lasses aplenty to put in diamonds?”

“In my house in the capital, I have servants of my own.No kept lads or lasses.”Another brush of Agreeable’s ear followed that.It was a compelling, unmanning sort of touch.Agreeable shivered and shivered.Holburn watched him and burned.“My family home has servants, but as I said, most are older, and nearly all of whom watched me grow up.Including those guards out there.I would prefer someone who is mine.”Agreeable stopped breathing.Holburn hesitated, then resumed petting him.“Someone loyal to me and not the Duke or the estate.Someone inmyemploy only.”

“And in your bed?”

Agreeable’s honestly confused question brought the return of the twitched half smile.

“You approached me,” Holburn pointed out.“I didn’t seduce you.”But he took his hand away and the pets with it.He raised his chin and went as distant as a magistrate.“You are probably used to exchanging services, but a page has a pay they receive for page duties.In addition, you would receive a little extra for spying, as long as you are loyal.”He said it as if some had not been loyal to him.Agreeable couldn’t imagine how anyone wouldn’t want to be his.“You wouldn’t receive payment for what is done in bed, if you chose to return to mine.That’s not what I offer you now.Although I think...no, Iknowthat I will be tempted to give you gifts.But I understand if that does not appeal, or if you don’t want to leave your friends.You’re more used to their attentions?”Some of the distance left him as he peered down, studying Agreeable very closely.“You are agreeable with all of them, you said.”

“Yes, but...”Agreeable shut his mouth to think.Holburn must have guessed that, because he stepped back and returned to dressing.He also went to the door to speak to his guards again.

The guards had known Holburn was hiding a thief in his room.Or at least that he’d hidden a woman.Who was now in the clothes of a man.And soon would be a man in the clothes of a page.Although the guards would still know.Everyone would know.

But once out of this area, he would no longer be Agreeable.He would be only Remi.

Agreeable watched Holburn lace his boots.“You’re going to take me into the home of the Count?”

Another shrug that Agreeable had thoughts about.“He’s a thief too.Anyway, he won’t question me.”

Agreeable had been questioning him, he suddenly realized, only to fall silent when Holburn shot him an amused look.He saw too much but it spared Agreeable from another stumbling apology and a fit of worry.

“And your wife?You should be kind to her, sir...my lord?”Agreeable’s worry was about to return.

“Your Grace,” Holburn answered then slowly shook his head.“Only in public.Holburnin private.Do you know how precious you are to fret over Ali’s feelings?You’re thoughtful of these things in a way that suggests you have been in a loving household.You’re quick, and loyal, and you’re sweet-looking, whether lad or lass.Trust me a little more and accept that you don’t need to worry over how Ali will feel about you.”

Agreeable stared at him for far too long and then felt his jaw go slack.“You’reinsinuatingthat she likes lasses, your wife?The Duchess, I mean.Her Grace.Lasses as well as lads?”

Holburn cracked a smile.“You might have been a good farmer but you were wasted as a thief, Remi.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”There Agreeable went again, questioning a duke.He bit his lip.Holburn crossed the distance to again spare Agreeable’s lower lip the pain.

“Aliette likes what she likes,” Holburn informed him gently.“But you are not obligated to visit any beds you don’t wish to.”

“That would be more of your extortion?”Agreeable didn’t see it this time, but already knew if Holburn explained it, he’d believe every word.

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