Page 13 of Betraying Korth

Determined to not let conversation lag, I noted, “Tess told me you never say anything you don’t mean.”

“That’s true,” he said simply. “No one should.”

“If only everyone shared your integrity,” I said, giving his bicep a light squeeze. I hadn’t thought his arm could get any more tense, but it did.

Silence swelled between us, and I felt torn on how to address it. I was doing my utmost to coax conversation out of him, but Korth seemed determined to give as few words as possible. How was I supposed to convince this man to fall in love with me when I could barely get him to say a few words at a time? I’d assumed that the prince I was going to marry would be outgoing and confident. Was he simply shy, or was it something more? Was he perhaps unhappy with the arranged marriage? Odette certainly had been, and Korth had every right to share her feelings.

My stomach churned as the knowledge that the falsified letter would be arriving in two weeks suddenly felt like a looming deadline. Declan would be setting sail with it soon.

“You’ve been very quiet since my arrival,” I told Korth.

His eyes flicked over to me, but he didn’t respond.

“I understand if my coming here interfered with another relationship you might have developed during my absence.”

Korth’s face reddened and he spluttered, “No! I never would have; we’ve been betrothed since childhood. I wouldn’t betray your trust.” Then the coloring in his face drained away just as rapidly as it had reddened. “You said you would understand…have…have you, you know…” All of his princely dignity hadevaporated and he barely managed to whisper, “seen other people?”

“Of course not; we’re engaged. I just wondered why you aren’t talking to me.”

Finally,finally,a measure of tension left his body. After walking a few more paces, Korth once again snuck the slip of paper out of his pocket.

As his eyes dropped down to examine it, I spoke up. “Why do you carry that?”

Korth jumped and shoved the paper out of sight. “I…it’s just notes.”

“Questions to ask me in case you run out of things to say?” I asked slyly, unable to restrain myself from a tiny bit of teasing.

He flushed and slowly withdrew the paper. “You can look if you want.”

Curious, I took it and smoothed it out the best I could. There, in the neatest handwriting I’d ever seen, was a list of questions. From simple queries about favorite foods and hobbies at the top of the list right down to more serious ones like my comfort level in participating in drafting laws and how many children I wanted.

“This is a very thorough list,” I told him, genuinely impressed at his attention to detail. It must have been comprised of nearly fifty questions. “But I must ask, why the need for it? We’re engaged to be married; you can ask me anything at any time.”

A thick vein in Korth’s neck throbbed. “I wanted to be prepared in case I got nervous. I’ve never been in a relationship like this before.”

“What sort of relationship do you mean?” I blinked, feigning ignorance just to see him squirm.

“You know, a…a romantic one.” Korth mumbled the words, his face looking hot enough to fry an egg.

“Ah, yes. I’m very much looking forward to that aspect of our relationship.” I shot a glance behind us at the manservant, who still shadowed us like some dog from the streets after someone gave him a morsel of food. The middle-aged man even looked somewhat like an old hunting dog, with a broad and bulbous nose and ears that seemed to hang halfway to his shoulders. He walked with a slight limp, but each step was purposeful, again reminding me of a faithful hound who would tail his master to the very end. “Will he always follow us?”

“Um—yes. Until we’re married, we can’t be alone together; we need a chaperone. His name is Godfrey.”

“I see. Is it because you’re worried that I might make advances, or should I be worried about such things from you?” I inclined my head and whispered, “Are you a dangerous man to be alone with?”

Korth’s ears darkened to maroon, and he began spluttering again. He really was cute when he was flustered. “No, I’m not. It’s just that…the rules! And…to protect your reputation.”

“Ah, yes, we can’t have you sullying my reputation. That would be quite the scandal.”

Korth’s eyes darted around and his movement became so stiff it was as though he had become a nutcracker. I tilted my head curiously. Had he never been flirted with before? If he didn’t know how to respond, it could either make my task much easier or much more difficult.

“To answer some of your questions,” I began, delicately waving his paper as I elected to ease his discomfort, “my favorite childhood memory is swimming in the oceans before the sirens came. I would be delighted to participate in drafting any laws or legal proceedings that require my input. As your wife, I anticipate contributing politically and will honor my commitments with as much dedication as I can. I sing alto and play the harp, though I prefer to listen rather than perform. AndI’d like three children.” I folded the paper and handed it back to him. “You can surprise me with which ones you ask next, and I will welcome them all. Also, it wasn’t one of your questions, but I prefer natural conversation.”

Some of the redness had faded from Korth’s neck and ears, and his arm relaxed beneath my fingers as I looped my arm into the crook of his elbow again.

“I can’t think of any other questions right now,” he admitted.

The geese waddled onto land, stretching their necks out and flapping their wings as they honked. Korth adjusted us so that he was between the birds and me. “They aren’t always the friendliest,” he explained apologetically. “We can’t seem to keep a good gooseherd; they always quit and say that it’s too smelly and messy. I hope the family is prepared.”

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