Page 62 of Wicked Queen

Edward glared at his husband over the horn rim of his glasses.

“What?” David held his hands up. “She was. We had to find someone to sit with her.”

“Then she’s—” I shook my head. Of all the stupid, irresponsible things to do. “I should have hit Jonathan harder.”

“He didn’t have drugs on him,” Georgia said, quickly adding, “if it makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t,” Clara and I answered at the same time.

“Maybe I should get Elizabeth,” Clara said thoughtfully, biting her lip.

“We have a guard inside her room and outside her room and one sitting in your parlour. Elizabeth is safer than the Crown Jewels,” Edward promised her soothingly.

“Now that’s settled,” Norris said, sipping his Scotch, “where do we begin?”

“With the truth.” I dared a glance at Georgia, uncertain how she was going to take this part. “What Jonathan said about me, about how I met Georgia. It was—”

“We know,” Edward said, delivering me from actually saying it.

“You do?” I didn’t know what to make of that. “For how long?”

“Since Dad ranted about it to Grandmother Mary every time you pissed him off, which was frequently.”

“After I got back from Afghanistan?” I couldn’t believe he’d known for all this time.

“Since he sent you,” Edward corrected me.

“He talked about it in front of you? You were a kid.”

“I was old enough to know I was gay and Dad was old enough to know it, too,” Edward said, his tone both bitter and resigned. “Most of the time he treated me like I was a potted plant—of no consequence and someone else’s problem. I overheard a lot of things.”

“But not about Sarah?” Clara asked.

“I guess he did,” Edward said slowly. “I didn’t understand it when he talked about taking care of her. I think he was a little more careful with that information than…”

“My perversions?” I finished.

“No kink shaming,” David jumped in, his mouth splitting into a grin. “Your brother’s a bit more submissive in the bedroom, but I—”

“I’d like to be able to look at you all in the morning,” Norris interrupted with a heavy sigh, “without all the imagery.”

“Sorry.” David grinned sheepishly, and I couldn’t keep my own lips from twitching.

There was one more thing that needed clearing up, though. “Sorry, Norris. One last bit to clear up. As far as Clara and I go, our relationship—”

“Is no one’s business but our own,” she broke in. “But to put your minds at ease, Alexander has never harmed me and our relationship is completely consensual.”

“Change the subject.” To my surprise the plea came from Georgia. “Shag and dominate and whatever, but leave us out of it. Now what do you want to do about your sister?”

The room quieted. It was telling that we were all more comfortable owning up to our private secrets than dealing with the Sarah issue.

“She needs to go.” There was no room for discussion in Clara’s voice. “I know I said she could stay here, but…”

“Where will she go?” I asked.

“She does have the emotional capacity of a teaspoon,” Georgia pointed out, “and about as much life experience.”

“Windsmoor?” Edward suggested and we all stared at him. “What? She’d probably feel comfortable there.”