Page 105 of Unmasked

“Quite right.” The small, lean man stepped more forward, putting his attention on Penelope. “I’m Jarrod. I am the head trainer and the stud manager until you hire a new one, Your Grace.” He glanced at me. “We can start with confirmation on the Whitmore’s mare’s spring pairing. The Hanoverian stallion’s stud rights expire at the end of the month.”

Penelope’s eyes shot to me.

“The Duchess will have to decide that.” I let the unease settle within her before I continued. “I will talk it over with her after this and we will get back to you. What else?”

“We’ve been approached about syndicating the Gilvore’s colt.” Jarrod looked at her. “Do you intend to retain full breeding rights or release partial ownership?”

Penelope’s lips parted. “I will let you know today.”

“Excellent, Your Grace. Rosemoor mostly prioritizes jumper lines, but we’ve talked of pivoting towards dressage prospects next season. There are also the French buyers who are expecting confirmation on Rosemoor’s next auction. It’s your call on whether we begin early conditioning, or if we should wait until after winter.” Her mouth opened, but he continued. “We’ll need a decision on seeding the paddocks. Rotating the broodmares to the north fields.” Jarrod winced. “I’m afraid this is only the beginning of questions, Your Grace. There’s really so much more. I’m trying to start you off light.”

“Don’t apologize.” She gave a dazzling smile, but I could see her mind spinning. “You’re doing great. Why don’t you all show me around and explain as we go. I know King Lawrence has done a supreme job developing this program.” Penelope’s blue eyes rose to mine. “I plan to do my best to continue that.”

“And you will do great.” I turned to her, grabbing Penelope’s hand and bringing it to my mouth. “Jarrod will take good care of you. Take your time learning the land. I will be inside going over the financials so we can pick up there after you’re finished. After lunch, we will meet with the estate manager to go over staffing and maintenance.” I lowered my voice, leaning in closer. “Take control. If you don’t understand, ask. If you need help, I’m a call away. I know you want to do this alone, but don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need to. I’m always here for you, Penelope, even if you don’t want me to be.”

She shifted, leading me a little further away from the group.

“I never said I didn’t want you here on this tour.” Her lids narrowed. “You’re really leaving me?”

“Don’t you want me to go?”

“I never said that. I was raised for this, but I’m afraid it’s been a while since I’ve studied bloodlines. You say you’re here for me. I… need you …here with me. I—Your Majesty.” She shifted, and I could see how painful it was for her to ask for help. “You can’t leave. I don’t want to make a mistake. I want to learn how to keep Rosemoor the best. I can’t do that alone. I can’t just step into your shoes and have it run flawlessly. Show me how to make Rosemoor succeed. Teach me. Don’t leave me to learn this the hard way; I most certainly will fail.”

“Oh, Penelope.” I rubbed along her jaw. “No more worry. If you want me to stay, I most certainly will. I’d love nothing more.” I smiled. “I’ll teach you everything I know. We’ll work together… and together, Rosemoor will be better than ever.”

CHAPTER 34

Vaughn

I didn’t need to look at my phone to know Penelope was calling. I also didn’t need to answer to know exactly what she was going to say.

After hours of watching King Lawrence play on her emotions and manipulate her, I’d had to walk away from my monitor. I raged. I plotted. I did what I should have done days ago. I called Mr. Prescott. Within hours, he was flying into London, and he’d come to The Order immediately. I didn’t feel good about his impatience. It told me more than I wanted to know.

“I feel as though I’m offering my condolences every time we speak.” His lips tightened. “I am truly sorry about the loss of your child, Unavowed. The Council did not take the news of what happened well.”

My jaw set. “They didn’t do anything about it, either.”

“It doesn’t appear that way, but it was a battle within our walls whether you saw it or not. It came down to the facts. We had no proof King Lawrence was at fault for what happened to your heir. He killed the physician before we got a chance to interrogate him. It is his word against yours, and he’s made it clear he didn’t even know you were alive, which is the truth.”

Hotter, my blood boiled. “He knows now.” I clasped my hands over the table. “So let’s talk about what comes next. What can I expect out of this ridiculous ball he’s throwing in my honor? Should I start planning my funeral?”

Amusement flashed on Mr. Prescott’s face.

“Don’t be absurd. King Lawrence is aware of the repercussions if something were to happen to you. He has agreed that violence is not the way.”

“Has he also agreed to leave my Intended alone?” My sigh came out half sarcastic, half disgusted. “No. He has not. Because if he would have, he wouldn’t have her at Rosemoor right now, drowning her in the weight of responsibilities that could have come with time. He’s trying to steal her away from me, and I think we both know how far he’s willing to go to accomplish that. What did The Council say about Theodore? Will there be any consequences for that?”

Mr. Prescott’s head cocked to the side. “Do you have evidence aside from a dead SLB’s confession? Had you not killed Katia Marchase, perhaps we could have found some, but in your haste, I’m afraid… nothing exists.”

“Convenient.” I ground out. “You’re the fucking Council. You’re supposed to have eyes everywhere. You’re supposed to know things. I am not impressed. I think you only know something when it benefits the narrative or your game.”

He shrugged. “What I know right now is that your worried out of your mind over King Lawrence taking away your queen. More than you worry about your life. Does he have a shot?”

A day ago, I would have told him no. Today, after what I saw… I wasn’t sure.

“Penelope loves me. Her place is at my side.”

“Whether she likes it or not, I take it.”