Page 22 of Cross Me

I only had one way to play out the lie we’d told. Had Norris foreseen this? Was that why he’d broached security concerns? Either way, it was my only way to save face and avoid all out civil war.

“I’m certain she’ll want to talk to you further,” I said. “I had a duty to inform you of what we knew.”

Norris stiffened, the movement was imperceptible to the others, but I caught it. He knew, as did I, that I’d just given my unofficial approval to the games and thrown him under the bus at the same time.

“You understand,” I added, more for his benefit than theirs.

“Of course, a king must consider all his movements carefully.” Henry’s genial smile stopped at his watery, blue eyes.

My family left after exacting more promises they would hear from Clara soon. Mary stopped on her way out and turned her shrewd gaze on me. “We’ve already delayed enough. Don’t try to drag this out any further, Alexander.”

I’d fooled neither of them.

She left her warning hanging in the air between us. I didn’t bother to shut the door. Soon we’d move onto the next appointment on the agenda, leaving me no time to consider my next move.

“That went well,” I said flatly.

“No matter what you might’ve said, we still have options.”

I shook my head, laughing a little at the idea. “I think our options just walked out the door.”

“Talk to Clara further. Maybe try a different form of persuasion,” Norris said.

“What did you have in mind?” I’d tried every persuasion I could think of with her. Some twice.

“Perhaps, actually talking.”

“She doesn’t listen to me,” I said, leaning against the wall, frustration overtaking me. “I’m supposed to be the King, but I can’t control my wife.”

“Maybe you should stop trying to control her,” Edward’s voice broke into our conversation. He stood in the doorway, eyeing me reproachfully. He was dressed down for the day in a sweater and jeans. There were no meetings or debates on his agenda, which left him all the time in the world to harass me. My brother had always sided with Clara. They were best friends, and I wouldn’t take that away from either of them. Even having him here, discussing this now, seemed to undermine the trust between them.

When I didn’t respond, Edward walked to my desk and picked up the framed picture of Clara and Elizabeth. “Have you ever asked yourself why you believe Clara needs to be controlled?”

“She needs to be protected,” I corrected him.

“You said controlled. You said ‘I can’t control my wife,’” he repeated my words back to me.

I hated the way they sounded, but it didn’t change facts. Why couldn’t he see that? He’d panicked after the attack. I’d spoken with him. Now he was acting like there was nothing to fear.

“Why do you want to control her?” he asked again.

“She’s in danger.” That was the most obvious thing in the world.

Edward replaced the photo and turned a penetrating stare on me. “So are you.”

“That’s different.” He was baiting me and I was biting.

“How?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, daring me to come up with a good answer.

I couldn’t.

“That’s what I thought,” Edward said. “I’m in danger. David is in danger. Elizabeth is in danger. It’s a fact of our lives and one you must come to grips with.”

“It’s not the same thing. There’ve been no attacks on you or David. Elizabeth is home safe.”

“She won’t always be. Someday, she’ll fight you on this, too. And you better have found a better way to handle it by then or you’ll wind up becoming our father.”

He might as well have crossed the room and thrown a punch. His words sliced through me but even as blood heated, I couldn’t deny the truth in his words. Was that were I was headed? Was I doomed to become a man I despised?