Page 34 of Heart of Iron
Though they kept thralls for fresh blood, they also needed a supply of chilled blood on hand.It was dangerous to take too much from a thrall, and draining one to death was in utter poor taste.The only lords who could afford to keep and maintain enough thralls to survive off of were the great dukes who ruled the city.The rest of the Echelon were forced to buy blood from the government-owned draining factories or keep blood slaves.
“The working class won’t be very happy about this.”There’d already been three riots this year, twice about automaton factory workers taking jobs and then again when a young woman was found drained to death in an alley.
Mrs.Wade made a disapproving sound and stabbed a piece of sausage.
A knock sounded and Leo appeared in the doorway of the dining room, dressed in his usual strict black.“Ladies,” he greeted.
Mrs.Wade snatched her napkin to her lips.“Good morning, my lord.You are joining us for breakfast?”
“I’m afraid not.”He glanced toward her and Lena stilled.From the look in his eyes, Leo was up to something.
“Yes?”she asked, her heart starting to pound.Had he heard of what happened to Adele?Or Cavendish?
“I’ve a favor to ask,” he said, resting his hip against the edge of the dining table.
“Of course.What is it?”
Movement shifted at the edge of her vision.Will.Stepping into the room, his hands shoved into his pockets and satisfaction burning in his eyes.
Lena stared.His collar was open, revealing a healthy slice of tanned flesh, and he hadn’t bothered to shave.With his burning amber eyes and the stubble on his jaw, he looked eminently dangerous.A silver claw hung from the leather thong at his throat.
His mouth curved with a rusty smile, sending her pulse into a frenetic tempo.Oh Lord!She’d rarely seen him smile.And certainly not at her.The result was rather devastating.
Leo cleared his throat and Lena tore her gaze away.“Absolutely not,” she snapped.
“You haven’t heard the proposition yet.”
“I don’t need to.”
“Carver’s received a commission from the Crown,” Leo continued.
The words jerked her attention away from Will.“A commission?”What could the prince consort possibly want of him?For that was where the commission had to have come from.The queen might sit on the throne, but she was the prince consort’s puppet-on-a-string.She barely dared speak without his permission.
“There’s a delegation arriving from Scandinavia in a week.”
“There is?”she asked breathlessly.
“Just some political business for the Council and the prince consort,” Leo said.“Nothing interesting, I’m afraid.But you know how feelings run between our two countries.It was felt that Will’s presence might be some sort of soothing factor.”
Lena nodded slowly, her mind scalded with shock.Will was involved in this?
“He needs tidying up,” Leo continued.“Both in manners and appearance.And he also needs someone to guide him through the dangerous waters at court.Unfortunately, I don’t have the time…”
Oh, yes.She saw where this was going.
“You want me to escort him.”Her eyes narrowed on Will.“I wonder whose ideathatwas?”
He didn’t even have the grace to appear guilty.Leaning against the door, he smiled his cat-got-the-cream smile.
The one that did so much damage to her insides.
“Your skill in navigating the Echelon would serve your country in good stead,” Leo replied.
“My, it’s so terribly well thought out.”Inside she was boiling.How dare he?And yet this was precisely what Mr.Mandeville had warned her about when she first agreed to spy for the humanists.She couldn’t allow her feelings to disrupt such an opportunity.
Finding out about the Scandinavian treaty was more important than braining Will Carver with the soup tureen.
“You’ll help us then?”Leo asked.
