Page 22 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
"It really would be easier if Marcus just gave Lord Luca a job. Can't he make him his personal secretary or something like that?"
"I'm not sure, actually," Linc responds. "But now you mention it, that would solve a few issues for him. You should suggest it next time you see him."
"I'm not sure I have that kind of relationship with Marcus."
Linc shrugs. "He seems to take what you suggest seriously."
"Maybe." I reach out and take his hand in mine. "But are we really going to spend the rest of the evening talking about your brother?"
He laughs. "What would you rather talk about, Bea?"
"I'd rather not talk at all," I tease, leaning in and bringing our faces so close together that we can almost kiss.
"Is that so?" he murmurs, reaching out to draw me to him. He kisses me deeply and I let myself sink into him, enjoying every touch for what it is and what it means for our future together.
TEN
Even though I no longer need to sew in order to make money, there's something soothing about doing needlework. The push of the needle through the cloth again and again is hypnotic in a way that I can't really explain. Pip lets out a rumble in her dream and kicks her leg out, bringing a smile to my face. I stick my needle into my cloth and reach out to scratch her belly, getting another rumble in response. She's put on weight since we came here, though I suppose that's also true of me now that we're both getting enough food to eat.
I look up as the door to the drawing room opens and Thomas steps inside. Pip looks up and wags her tail, but doesn't move from her comfortable spot.
"Good afternoon, Beatrice," he says. "I thought Bella was here."
"I haven't seen her today," I respond, pausing in my needlework.
"She's meeting me here at some point, I'll join you if that's all right?"
"Be my guest, this is your home too," I remind him.
"Mmm, I'm not sure your brother's wife believes that," he says as he takes a seat.
For a moment, I'm surprised that he's saying as much to me, but it's reasonably clear from the past few months where Thomas stands on some of my brother's thoughts, and that they align with some of my frustrations with Bastian.
"She's wrong," I say, setting down my needlework now it's clear I won't be doing more of it. "I mean, I'm not sure what the agreement you have with Lord Fallmartin is, but Bella speaks very highly of your management talents."
Thomas raises an eyebrow. "Does she now?"
"It's only a passing comment or two," I say quickly. "I shouldn't have said anything, Bella would probably kill me in my sleep if she knew."
He chuckles. "I can assure you she won't. Bella likes to say things like that, but I doubt she'd hurt anyone, especially not those she holds in high esteem."
I do a double take at his statement, considering what it might mean that he considers that to be Bella's opinion of me. The two of them certainly seem to be close enough that they'd confide in one another, but that doesn't always track with the way Bella describes their relationship.
Or maybe that isn't entirely accurate. The way she describes their relationship is fine, it's the way she talks about relationships in general that has me questioning her stance on things and what it means about her marriage to Thomas.
"In truth, I'm not entirely sure what you do," I say to him. "I know that you manage your own estate, and that you do something similar for Lord Fallmartin, but what exactly does that entail?"
Thomas leans forward, seemingly surprised by my question. "It's mostly a matter of making sure that the farmers working the land have everything they need, settling border disputes, and things like that. A lot of it is making sure that the numbers match and that everyone is heard fairly. The happier the farmers on the land are, the more productive the yield is." His whole face lights up as he talks, and it's easy to see his passion for what he does.
"The yield?"
"Ah, sorry. What they're making, basically. So a lot of House Rothorne's income comes from livestock. But for House Vermouten, it's wheat. Lord Fallmartin actually helped me by getting a lucrative contract to supply the royal family with the wheat for their bread, it helped with raising my House from complete obscurity."
"That was kind of him." I stroke Pip as I consider everything he's saying. I think what he's saying makes sense to me, but I'm also aware that he hasn't said anything particularly complicated.
"It was a good business decision for him too," Thomas says. "Lord Fallmartin is a shrewd man. He'll do something that benefits others if it will benefit him too."
"Like with my marriage."
