Retribution Read Online Free PDF Page A

communion he withdrew,
but Dominic waved him in. Again I felt my husband’s relief at the
interruption.
    “Lady Amalie,” Niall said, “I hear you’ve
recovered in the nick of time to save us all from unceremonious
ejection.”
    “No,” I said. “Lady Ladakh has made it clear
we’ve outstayed our welcome. I told her we’d be gone by first light
tomorrow.”
    Niall whistled, impressed. “Are you sure
you’re well enough? You must have been delirious to have promised
such an early start.” He laughed, assuming so energetic a plan was
proof of my return to health.
    Dominic was meanwhile subjecting his lover to
intense scrutiny. “What have you been up to, cheri?”
    Niall gave me a quick glance. “I’ve been
introducing the uninitiated to the delights of love,” he said.
    Dominic gave a snort of disgust. “In case you
haven’t noticed, this is a Christian household. If you’ve been
buggering the stable hands you must confess and do penance.”
    “Thank you for your candid opinion of my
taste in amusement,” Niall said.
    “As Amalie just said, Lady Ladakh practically
asked us to leave. All to do with some nonsense about vengeance and
blasphemy.” Dominic explained briefly, wanting Niall to understand,
not liking to linger over the unpleasant events this day had
brought. “It’s better if we try to observe Christian morality for
the short time we remain here. And despite what they claim,
Christians are not—” Dominic thought for a word. “—comfortable with vir sexuality.”
    Niall laughed again despite Dominic’s stern
manner. “Is that so? Then it might surprise you to learn that this
nominally Christian household has produced an apostate, a young man
wearing Christian insignia, yet displaying a most pagan appetite
for—” He stopped, embarrassed now by my presence, and frightened by
Dominic’s angry face.
    “Are you telling us,” Dominic asked in the
ominous silence, “that you’ve been fooling around with a boy from
the family, the immediate family?”
    “Yes,” Niall said, his voice shaking a
little. “The third son, the youngest.” He looked into Dominic’s
eyes, seemed to take courage from what he found there, and spoke
more confidently, with real enthusiasm. “The boy is quite innocent,
only just released from seven years of servitude at their
monastery. He’s here for a short visit home, on his way to the
‘Graven Military Academy—” He raised his eyebrows at Dominic.
“—where you will see what I mean, if you don’t get a chance before
we leave. Turned sixteen a month ago, the last of his baby fat
changing to hard muscle—and I do mean hard.” He slanted his eyes to
me, worried that he had spoken too crudely.
    “Tell us more,” I said, in sympathy with
Niall’s hidden jealousy of Stefan, so similar to mine of Lady
Melanie. “He sounds very attractive.”
    Dominic sent me a quelling look, but Niall
took me at my word. “Yes, he’s well-educated, gifted, with the
sensitivity of the seminary-trained telepath and the looks of a
god—a pagan god of love, not that poor emaciated one the Christians
portray in bondage.” Niall held his arms out and hung his head like
the barbaric image of their crucified god.
    Dominic couldn’t help laughing at Niall’s
graphic imitation. “Cheri,” he said, “whether that’s idolatry or
blasphemy I’m not qualified to say. But after what’s happened with
Amalie and me, seducing Lucretia Ladakh’s son is not a good idea
right now.”
    Niall sank into a chair. “Too late.” He
studied his fingernails. “Besides, it wasn’t difficult. The boy’s
been following me everywhere for three days, and when he learned
about the small part I played in the rescue—” He lowered his voice
and eyes, a picture of modesty. “—he literally fell to his knees
and begged me to be the first to—”
    “That’s enough,” Dominic said. “We don’t need
all the pornographic details right this minute.” He wasn’t angry, I
decided,