FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls
RAESE - Why I Was Lord Whiting

WhiteHall, Paladines

RAESE

Raese had planned this meeting with the Rodger Barnes and the Widow Parker. Leslie…He felt his gut tighten at disgust with himself.

I should’ve never engaged with the widow.

They were all sitting in his parlor now having tea. Rodger had collected the Widow Parker and brought her to WhiteHall with him as Raese had requested.

Raese hadn’t failed to note the fond little touches the two exchanged. Good.

It was obvious they were now intimate. But it elicited nothing in Raese save relief.

“Care to tell us why we’re here, Chap?” Rodger set his teacup down.

“I wanted to talk about how long we’ve all known each other.”

Rodger mulled it over. “You and I have been friends since you first moved to WhiteHall. Right after you had it constructed.”

I had it built for me?

Raese nodded thoughtfully. “Do you remember why I chose the Paladines?”

“Ocnomad.” Rodger blurted.

“What?”

The King of Grier? Why was I interested in him?

Rodger gave Widow Parker a quick glance.

She sat up stiffly. “I didn’t know that.”

“Well how long were you two together?”

“Since 1701.”

Raese’s head whipped to look at her. “You said before we were together before that?”

She said she knew me before Rodger found me wandering naked unable to remember. We weren’t?

“I did?” Her gaze fell. “Yes. Yes. Perhaps it was longer…”

She’s lying.

“When did we begin our relationship?” He gave her a cutting look.

“When you first moved here.”

“Thirty-five years ago?” Rodger argued. Sitting straighter. “I didn’t think it’d been so long.”

I’m getting the sense it wasn’t.

She pretended we were in a relationship before I lost my memory. Clearly we weren’t. Rodger would’ve known. Why’d she deceive me?

Raese gave her a cutting look though he was speaking to Rodger Barnes. “You hadn’t seen us together.” He supplied.

“I hadn’t.” Rodger agreed. He was staring sideways thoughtfully and began counting on his fingers as he tried to recall the details.

Widow Parker was shifting restlessly her gaze whipping around the room.

Raese leaned forward to encroach on her space.

“Who are you?” He whispered while Rodger wasn’t paying attention.

Her eyes momentarily formed a lava orange ring around the iris. It bled away as quickly as it appeared.

Raese sat back. Cimmerii. The word now came easily into my mind.

She spotted me and has kept tabs on me every since. Deceiving me into thinking we had an ongoing relationship. How much does she know?

She was flinching mechanically.

Her anxiety obvious.

“Rodger.” He caught his arm. “Might I have a private word?”

She doesn’t need to hear anymore.

Rodger nodded in bafflement. Excusing himself from the widow before walking with Raese out of the room.

Once in the entryway, far from the widow’s eavesdropping he turned to Rodger.

“Why did I come here for Ocnomad.”

“Truthfully,” Rodger leaned forward and looked around. “you told me never to repeat it when you confided in me.”

“Tell me.”

“You theorized a man you fondly called ‘my brother’ was having an affair with the King’s wife. You wanted to get close enough to the Citadel to replace out if it was true so you could help protect him before King Nial found him out.”

What brother?

I thought someone was dallying with the King’s wife? Who’d be fool enough to do that?