Page 93 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
Bella gives me a strange look.
"What?"
"It's not Bastian Uncle Gerard should be watching out for taking his place, is it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
She raises an eyebrow. "The head of House Rothorne wouldn't be coy, Beatrice."
"I'm not the head of House Rothorne." But I can hear the implication in her tone, and it is clearly saying yet.
NINE
Writing is a painstaking process still, even with a regular tutor and as much practice as I'm trying to get. The only advantage that comes of it is the fact that I've had to work out shorthand ways of writing down what I want, or I would never get through it. That would make it difficult for anyone but me to decipher the things I'm writing, though the drawings are another matter.
Pip stirs where she's sleeping at my feet, but lets out a soft sigh, signalling that she's perfectly content to wait with me until Linc returns.
The diary Linc gave me is a mess of notes and drawings, and a part of me feels bad about marring the pages with something so messy, but I know that's the point of him giving it to me, and it would be a waste not to use it.
A crash sounds from the room outside our bedroom, making Pip raise jump to her feet, and I pause for a moment to try and work out what's causing it. There are no following sounds, so it's probably just a servant dropping something.
"It's fine," I assure my dog. "You can sleep more." It takes a moment, but she seems to relax, though she doesn't close her eyes.
I'm poised with my pen above the page when the door bursts open, and Linc stumbles inside. I'm on my feet within seconds, hurrying over to him, worried that he's hurt. As much as I want to believe what happened with Thomas was a one-off, there's a concern in the back of my mind about what my brother might do next, and I'd be a fool if I didn't think that my husband could be a potential target.
"Pip! In your bed," I command as my dog races to the door, but she ignores me.
"Linc, careful," Marcus says, taking me by surprise.
I pull my robe closer around myself, even though I know there's nothing on display.
"Are you all right?" I ask Linc as I reach for him, helping him to his feet with Marcus on the other side. Pip seems to have realised she's underfoot, but hasn't gone to her bed yet.
I look at my cousin, but he just shrugs.
"I failed you, Bea," Linc murmurs.
"You couldn't fail me," I promise him. "Let's get you to bed."
"I don't think I can." He's slurring his words, and a horrible realisation of what's happening sinks in. I try not to panic and do my best to get him into our room and into the bed, he collapses down, not seeming like himself at all.
Pip jumps up beside him, sniffing his face before sitting protectively by his side.
I check that Linc's safe and reach for Marcus' arm, pulling him out of earshot. "What happened?"
"I don't know," he responds. "I found him like this. He's been in meetings with our father all day. I think my mother was there for some of them, which can't have been fun. You know how much she hates him."
"Seems a little reductive. Your father is the one who had children with someone else, Linc didn't choose that. And it's not like the rest of court isn't doing it too."
Marcus shrugs. "It's not really that Father had children by another woman, it's that he kept a human mistress, and he brought Linc and Agnes to court. Mother sees it as a slight."
"And you?"
"It doesn't bother me," he responds. "Linc and Agnes are my siblings, I wouldn't let anything happen to them."
I nod, knowing he's telling the truth. Marcus has been nothing but kind to me, and to Linc, ever since my arrival at court.
"Do you want me to help?" he asks, nodding towards Linc.
