My Fair Captain (14 page)

Damn.

Nate sat in the computer chair and tried to ignore his conscience. He had to see if he could reverse what Aiden had done to the computer. It was surprisingly easy, but Nate would have never figured it out if Aiden hadn’t left the screen up. “Jeffers, show me audio and video outside the princes’ corridor right now.”

“Yes, milord.”

A light slapping sound could be heard seconds before Aiden ran down the hall, white nightshirt billowing behind him. Stopping outside his room, he heaved in a breath and rested his head against the door with a soft thud. He rolled his forehead against the wood, then banged it a few times before turning the knob and going inside.

-102-

My Fair Captain

Nate sat there, staring as the screen changed to a different hallway.

He should go after Aiden and talk to him. But to what end? Putting himself in the same vicinity as Aiden and a bed was not a good idea. He was proving to have very bad willpower where the prince was concerned.

* * * * *

Nate was up bright and early the next morning. He was determined to keep things professional between himself and Aiden, but he was going to request that Aiden be allowed to help him with this case. And it had nothing to do with the intense attraction they shared, or so he kept telling himself. Raleigh and Steven were too busy to sit around helping him and he needed someone who knew the servants. Besides, he could easily pretend to court Aiden. On Englor it wasn’t unusual for an out-of-town visitor to show interest in his host’s daughters. Sometimes the father even invited foreign business associates over to see if their daughters suited before an actual betrothal was announced.

Upon walking downstairs, Nate took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of brownies, his favorite. He looked around the foyer, amazed. A table with an emerald green tablecloth that hadn’t been there the day before sat in the entryway, covered with white bakery boxes. There were calling cards attached to the boxes, and the hum of people talking came from the parlor.

Nate looked through the French doors. The parlor was filled to the brim with lords vying for the young princes’ attention. Nate had expected flowers and visitors. On Englor it was customary for gentlemen to pay ladies a call and bring flowers after a ball. But the baked goods…that was new. Apparently, on Regelence they took to heart the ancient saying

“a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. He chuckled, heading toward the breakfast room.

If those men wanted to win Aiden’s hand, they’d be better off buying him some canvas and paints. The smile froze on his face and he backtracked, going back to the parlor doors. Rexley, Tarren and Colton

-103-

J.L. Langley

all sat side by side on a couch, with Steven to their left. Aiden was nowhere in sight. How had he gotten out of entertaining?

A rustling sound brought Nate’s attention back to the baked-goods table. A slender hand came out from under the green cloth, reaching on top. When the pale hand found a box, it latched on and slowly moved it, pulling it under the table. Nate frowned.
That better not be—
He crossed the hall and lifted the emerald linen.
Damn it.

A headful of platinum curls bent over the now-opened box. The head rose at the intrusion and a set of big aquamarine eyes met Nate’s.

Trouble grinned sheepishly, chocolate on his lips and nose. He fluttered his icing-covered fingers. “Hi, Hawk.” Trouble held up a chocolate-chip cookie, offering it to him.

Closing his eyes, Nate counted to ten, then kept right on going. He was going to strangle the kid this time, he was. And there was no one here to stop him.

Laughter rang out behind him and he turned to find Raleigh standing there. The king-consort sauntered forward. “Your son?” he asked quietly once he was beside Nate.

“For the next few seconds.”

Raleigh bent and took the cookie Trouble was now presenting to him.

“And after that?”

“He’s going to be dead.”

Trouble blanched, swallowing audibly.

Taking a bite of cookie, Raleigh held out his other hand to Trouble.

The pest took the offered hand and unfolded his willowy form from under the table.

Raleigh ruffled Trouble’s hair, grinning ear to ear, and finished off the dessert. “He’s adorable, you shouldn’t kill him. What’s your name?”

Trouble beamed at the man. “Jeremy.”

“Trouble,” Nate growled.

Raleigh’s brow furrowed. He stared at Jeremy for several seconds then shook his head. Nate was about to ask what was wrong when

-104-

My Fair Captain

Raleigh chuckled and spoke again. “Ah, well, we should keep him away from my Terror, something tells me they could likely bring the entire castle down about our ears if they combined their efforts.”

Strange.
What was that odd look about? Nate narrowed his gaze on his son, but decided to let it go. He was fairly certain Raleigh would tell him if Trouble had been into something…make that something else besides cookies. Then it occurred to him that Raleigh knew about the staff’s nicknames for the princes.

Raleigh retrieved the box Jeremy had left under the table and handed it to the kid. “You are supposed to be a servant, remember?”

“Yes, sir,” Trouble said.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Nate corrected.

Trouble darted a glance at Nate then back to Raleigh, batting his eyelashes. “Yes, Your Highness.” The little flirt’s voice was as sugary as the box of cookies he held.

Pinching his cheek, Raleigh fought his mirth. He bent close to the kid’s ear. “Go upstairs before Nate throttles you, Trouble.”

Trouble glanced at Nate, then back to Raleigh, then back at Nate. His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Nate opened his mouth to tell the pest that he better behave when Trouble went up on tiptoe and kissed the consort’s cheek. Giggling, he fled up the stairs.

Raleigh threw his head back and laughed long and loud. “Oh boy, you have your hands full.”

Nate shook his head, trying not to be amused, but the kid
was
cute.

It was the only reason Nate hadn’t beat him to death over the years. “Yes, I do. Sorry about that.”

“Quite all right. Believe me when I tell you I understand.” He clapped Nate on the shoulder. “Breakfast?”

“Sure. I was on my way there.”

“Me too. I’ve two children to browbeat. Come along. I’ll glare, and we can both grab a plate and go to the study.”

-105-

J.L. Langley

Nate and Raleigh entered the breakfast room. Aiden and Payton sat slumped at the table with piles of food in front of them. When they noticed Raleigh and Nate’s appearance, they bolted upright, attaining perfect posture in the blink of an eye.

Looking up at Nate, Aiden turned three different shades of red before averting his gaze.

Nate grimaced. He’d gone to bed last night harder than stone and unable to get Aiden out of his mind. He’d finally jerked off so he could catch some sleep, but that had proved to be even more disturbing, because he couldn’t quit picturing Aiden.

Glancing between Nate and Aiden, Raleigh lifted a brow. He shook it off and leaned his hands on the end of the table, glowering at his sons.

“Are the two of you going to sit here with the pretense of eating until the callers leave?”

Payton took a bite of food, and Aiden grabbed his drink, both feigning interest in the meal.

Suppressing the urge to smile, Nate wondered how long they’d been sitting here. These two really did not like being in the public eye. He pondered if it was just the idea of marrying, or if it was the attention in general. Aiden didn’t seem to mind attention so long as it had to do with art, so it was probably the adoring lords he objected to. Not that Nate could blame him. It would make one feel like a piece of meat. It gave him a new appreciation for what women everywhere had gone through for a millennia.

Raleigh sighed. “If the two of you insist on keeping this up all season, you’re going to get fat. I’ll expect you both in the ballroom at noon, starting tomorrow.”

Payton frowned. “Whatever for, Cony?”

“Exercise.” Raleigh crossed to the sideboard and began filling a plate.

“What kind of exercise?” Aiden wanted to know.

“Running mostly. Nate?” Raleigh turned. “Grab a plate.”

Both the princes groaned, but Aiden sought out Nate’s gaze, his cheeks still pink.

-106-

My Fair Captain

Could the man look any more adorable? And since when did adorable make him hard? Nate shifted, willing his cock to behave.

“Ahem.” Raleigh handed him a plate.

Nate realized he was staring and turned his attention to the food. He had to quit staring like some love-struck fool. He had priorities. Food, business, kill Trouble…in that order. Aiden didn’t fit anywhere in that picture, except in regards to the case. He filled his plate and followed Raleigh to the office without another glance at Aiden, even if it did take all his willpower.

After retiring to the study with breakfast to ensure their privacy, Nate and Raleigh discussed everything Raleigh had discovered so far. Sadly, it wasn’t much. Nate had actually discovered more talking to Aiden last night.

“Why do your children call you Cony?”

Rolling his eyes, Raleigh took a sip of his juice. “It’s a nickname. Most children call their parents Father and Sire. But thanks to Steven and his penchant for irritating me, my children call me Cony. It started because Steven used to call me Consort Dear to annoy me. Rexley was a baby at the time, and altered it to Cony. It stuck.” He smiled, shook his head and took another drink. He may not like the name Steven had tried to stick him with, but apparently he didn’t mind the one the children had given him.

Nate thought about it for a minute. What would it be like to have your kids give you a special name? Trouble had always called him Hawk, like everyone else on the ship. It didn’t matter, he had no plans for more children. “Raleigh, I need talk to you about Aiden.”

Frowning at his orange juice, Raleigh set his glass down. Crossing his hands over his beige waistcoat, he leaned back, giving Nate his undivided attention. “You have my blessing, but he will have to choose you himself, Nate. I won’t force him to take a consort he doesn’t want.”

“What?” Nate’s mouth dropped open before he caught himself. For half a second he considered going with it and pretending to court Aiden.

It would enable Aiden to help him, but Nate didn’t want to lie to Raleigh.

-107-

J.L. Langley

He honestly liked the man. “Since you and Steven both have other duties to attend to, I wanted to see if Aiden can help me. He knows the castle and its occupants. He can tell me things only an insider can. I need that if I’m going to figure out who took those weapons.”

Raleigh stared at him for several minutes. His gray eyes, very much like Aiden’s, seemed to see everything.

Nate got the distinct impression the man could see through him. It was chilling. He couldn’t remember the last time he had the urge to squirm under such scrutiny.

Finally, Raleigh nodded. “If anything happens to him, I will hold you personally accountable.”

“Nothing is going to happen to him while he’s in my care.”

“Just so that we understand each other. Your military record is exceptional and quite impressive, I’ve no problem with that. You are more than a worthy suitor for any one of my boys and Admiral Jenkins says you really are an earl. If you compromise him—”

Without hesitation, Nate held up a hand. “I swear I will propose marriage immediately.” The ease at which that came out should have been scary. He wondered briefly if he was getting in over his head. “And before you give your final consent, you should know that I’m no longer an earl. That honor now belongs to my brother. I’m an IN captain, period.”

“As I said before, we are a military-based society. Your record as a solider and your rank makes you more than an acceptable match for my son.” Raleigh was quiet for several seconds. He stood and stared down at Nate. “He may be rebellious, but make no mistake, he is innocent, and I don’t mean that in just the most literal sense. I will not have him hurt.”

The warning was clear. And the cold ease at which Raleigh delivered it had Nate nearly squirming again.

Raleigh smiled, dissipating the tension in the room, and held out his hand. “If you leave the house with him, you will take an appropriate chaperone. Other than that, you have my blessing. Take care of him, that’s all I ask.”

-108-

My Fair Captain

Nate gave him a crisp nod and shook hands. Why did he get the feeling he just agreed to a betrothal contract?

-109-

J.L. Langley

He had fifteen seconds to make it to the end of the hall and through Nate’s door. If Nate’s door was locked…he might even be able to make it into the next hall over undetected. Two minutes ago, Jeffers had said he’d heard Nate in the shower. Aiden sure hoped
The Spy
’s info was correct. Looking at the pocket watch one last time, Aiden began counting in his head. Ten seconds to go. Putting the pocket watch into his waistcoat, he secured his grip on the sketch pad and artist’s pencil he’d brought for this expedition. He’d have rather had his sketchscreen, but the sketches on the screen were stored in Jeffers’ memory and for what he had in mind he didn’t want to chance one of his nosey family members hacking into his files and discovering it.
Three, two, one…

Opening and closing the door silently, Aiden took off down the hall.

His shoes slid on the wood floor, making him wish he’d ditched them and the hose. Thankfully, no one but Nate had a room in this hall, so he didn’t worry too much about the clacking sound his running made. The video loop Jeffers was on in the hallway included audio but it too was off at the moment.

Much to his relief, when he reached Nate’s door and turned the knob, it opened. He hurried inside and closed it as quietly as he could. Jeffers had audio function in the bedrooms, whether the hall video was off or not. He didn’t record in the bedrooms, but he could still notify Aiden’s parents of his presence. Leaning against the door to catch his breath, he did a quick survey. The room was empty and he could hear the water running in the other room.
Thank you, Jeffers.