Queen of Hearts Complete Collection: Queen of Hearts; Blood of Wonderland; War of the Cards. Colleen Oakes

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СКАЧАТЬ never a problem, my lady.”

      Dinah swiftly picked up the remaining coins, making sure to give the men a clean glimpse of all the coins inside the bag. The price of a necklace, she thought guiltily, just one of the many jewels that sit idly in my drawer, more than enough to feed a family. She often found herself feeling shame at such things. She nodded her head at Roxs, and then at the other Cards.

      “Thank you. Good day.” Lowering her eyes, she made herself fidgety and breathless before them. She hesitated a second and leaned forward, letting her hair swing down over her face, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “Could you please tell me where the cloak room is?” Dinah absolutely knew where the cloak room was.

      Roxs gave a nod. “Not sure why you would need that, Your Highness. You aren’t even wearing a cloak.”

      Dinah put a hand on her hip. “It’s none of your business, and above your station to ask.”

      Roxs’s eyes narrowed. No Heart Card liked being reprimanded by the royal family—it was an ultimate shame from those they swore to protect. “Forgive me, my lady. I will walk you there.”

      “No. Just tell me how to get there. I can walk there myself. Time is of the essence.”

      Dinah could see the confusion playing across their faces. Why is she in a hurry to get to the cloak room?

      “Follow this hall, past the oratory, and around the corner. It’s a small door on the right, across from the servants’ privy. There is an iron-and-glass window on the front of the door.”

      Dinah clutched her purse tightly against her chest and let a blush rise to her cheeks. “Thank you.” She hurried quickly past the Cards. The cloak room was very simple to find. Dinah had been there many times as a child, retrieving a winter cloak for her or for Charles. It was a long room, filled from ceiling to floor with every kind of cloak in every kind of color, all for the royal family or their distinguished guests. Steam hissed out from a fountain in the middle of the room—a porcelain whale that spewed mist periodically, making sure that the cloaks were always warm and soft, whatever the weather. Dinah quickly found a simple, brown, hooded cloak.

      She set her muslin bag down on the ground, yanking open its cords. Inside was a gray cotton dress, a tiny white heart embroidered on the sleeve. It was the kind of dress a maid or servant might wear on her day off. Dinah had swiped it from Emily earlier that month. She quickly shrugged out of her elaborate magenta gown, the ruffles swimming around her like puffy clouds. She carefully folded it and placed it into the bag. The cloak room door opened, and she gave a shriek as she stood with only a thin white slip on.

      “It’s just me,” Wardley hissed.

      Dinah turned her back to him and started to pull the gray dress over her head. Wardley crossed the room. “No. Wait. Leave it off.”

      Her heart felt like it was plunged into icy water.

      “They will be in here any minute. I saw their faces when I asked for the cloak room.” He shook his head and began grumbling. “The king should never have men like this in his service. In his attempt to build a strong set of Cards, he has taken even the worst of men. His ever-lowering standards are weakening the kingdom.”

      “Shhh—” Dinah heard heavy footsteps and the clanking of metal outside the door. Quickly, Wardley wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her against him. His lips traced down her neck, his breath scorching as it passed over her creamy skin. She closed her eyes and surrendered, aware of how every curve of her body showed through the thin fabric, so close to him, so close to being just her skin pressed against his. The heat from his body washed over her, their breath becoming one in the small space between them. Dinah’s body pulled toward him as she raised her lips to meet his.

      Wardley watched her silently as he gathered her thick black hair in his hands, his eyes tracing down her bodice before he looked away sharply. “Let’s not oversell it,” he murmured.

      The door burst open. The three Cards stood in front of them, grinning like fools. Roxs stepped forward. “Well, well, Princess; it seems you have acquired a taste for the stable boy.”

      “Get out,” growled Wardley. “Don’t come near the princess.”

      “You should have taken that advice yourself. Seems like you have quite the handful there. She’s not to my taste—that leans more to the Lady Vittiore and those blond curls—but there is a certain appeal to her. I heard she’s feisty like her father and crazy like her brother. She has fire in the blood.”

      Roxs circled Dinah, his lecherous eyes taking in entirely too much of her. “So, you’re plucking the princess. This secret tryst of yours, what’s it worth to you?”

      Dinah gulped. “What do you mean?”

      “I mean, how much gold was in that purse of yours? Two hundred? Three hundred? That would buy me land, girl, and food for my families.”

      Wardley laid his hand across his sword. “You may not blackmail the princess. The king will have your head on Execution Day for this.”

      “Well, let’s go tell him, shall we?” Roxs headed to the door, his two henchmen grinning like idiots beside him.

      “Wait,” Dinah said quietly. “How much do you want?”

      “Everything that’s in that purse, miss, and nothing less to buy our silence.”

      “That is a fortune,” breathed Dinah angrily.

      “And that’s what I’m asking.”

      Dinah reached for her bag.

      Wardley stepped forward. “Let the lady and me discuss this, then we’ll talk.”

      “Some lady,” grunted Fellen, but the Cards stepped out, shutting the door behind them. She could hear their greedy laughter outside the door.

      “That went well,” whispered Wardley. He pulled Dinah close to him again and pressed his lips against hers.

      The Cards barged back in, unable to wait. “Can’t keep your hands off each other, eh? I remember being young and lusty—you can’t keep your manhood down!”

      The Cards jostled with glee. Wardley raised his hand and they fell silent. Even when they assumed he was just a stable boy, he commanded attention. “Here is what we propose. The princess and I never have time to, let’s just say, be by ourselves. We will give you all the gold in this purse, along with—”

      Dinah pulled out a large amethyst ring. The Cards’ eyes lit up.

      “This, if you allow us to stay in this room for as long as we desire and make sure that no one, no one comes in. That includes you. If anyone asks where the princess is today, you are to say that she is having tea with the Lady Vittiore and studying in the library. You never saw us here. Do you understand? We’ll give you the coins now, but the ring we will give you after we are … finished.” Wardley let a naughty smile play across his face. “And we’ll need all day.”

      Roxs stepped forward. “And why should we do this for you?”

      “Because СКАЧАТЬ