Page 50 of Enslaved
“This is outrageous!” Diana cried. “I refuse to wear this, I refuse to go downstairs, and you can bloody well tell him so!”
“The general told me you might be unreasonable. I am to remind you about the promise you gave,” Kell said stonily.
Diana was so angry, she couldn’t think straight for a minute. Then her own words came back to her:If I was not wearing a garment that bared one breast, I would not object to sharing your couch. Perhaps tomorrow evening?
“Tomorrow. Swear it!” he had commanded.
I promise, Marcus.Her thoughts ran about like quicksilver. He had tricked her. Deliberately tricked her! He had diabolically used her own words to trap her. The garment he had chosen for her tonight did not bare one breast, it bared both!
“You can go down and tell him all promises are off. In fact, our bargain is off!”
“You mean the one where you agreed to be his slave only when others are about?” Kell asked with a straight face.
“How did you know that?” Diana demanded angrily.
“The walls have ears,” Kell said dryly.
“The entire household knows?” she asked in outrage.
“Knows what? That in return for pretending to be his slave, he has to keep his cock to himself until you agree to yield willingly?”
“Ohmigod!” Diana covered her blushes with her hands. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Then she decided the shame was not hers, it was Kell’s for violating her privacy. “Are you taking bets as to when he will bed me?” Diana asked in outrage.
“Actually, it won’t be long if you call off your bargain,” Kell warned.
“Get Nola up here!”
“A slave cannot issue orders.”
“I’m a pretend slave, remember? Get Nola up here before I have your flagellum removed.”
“That could be painful, Briton,” Nola said from the doorway.
“Woman of Gaul,” Kell said, rolling his eyes ceiling-ward, “that’s all I needed.”
“Nola, does everyone in the household know my secrets?”
“No. Only the Briton knows, and I’m shrewd enough to put two and two together, but Marcus is a most private man and it is Kell’s job to preserve that privacy, so you can rest assured none know your secrets.”
“Thank you for undermining my authority. Perhaps you can persuade the lady to dress and go downstairs to dine.”
“Look at this!” Diana cried, holding out a garment of bloodred crimson.
“It is a loin dress. You will look magnificent in it.”
“I will look naked in it! One of you will have to go and tell him I refuse to put it on.”
“This will take diplomacy. The Briton would be useless; I’ll go.” Nola had spoken simply to disparage Kell. Why did she get herself into these things? She walked into the triclinium, hiding the trepidation she felt. “The loin dress you chose would look exquisite on her, General, but you forget she is extremely modest and has never seen a garment like that before.”
“She has promised to obey my orders. Is she refusing to do so?”
“No, no. But I think it would be most thoughtful of you to clear this part of the villa of male slaves. She would feel more at ease if only your eyes observed her charms.”
“Have Kell remove all the males. Will you serve us tonight, Nola?”
Nola inclined her head. She had a delicate task before her and did not quite know how to accomplish her mission. When she returned to Diana’s chamber, Kell said, “Ah, Woman of Diplomacy, did you tell him the lady refuses?”
“I explained that she is extremely modest and has never seen a garment like this before.”
