JACE

I had the worst headache of my life. I lay in bed, shirt open, pants unopened. Penelope lay beside me her fingers drawing lazy circles on my chest.

The last few days had been a haze of pleasure. During the day, I would go to work. In the evenings, I would come home and fall into bed with Penelope.

I wasn’t sure what to do now. I’d taken her virginity. But I couldn’t give her a title. That belonged to Sophia.

I felt like I had no choice but to make Penny my mistress. That wasn’t such a bad thing, was it? I could take my time with Sophia, make her love me again. Make her forget the whole idea of divorce.

And Penelope would satisfy my baser urges. I could give her a comfortable life. She would be satisfied with that. After all, she was only a country bumpkin maid. What rights did she have?

"You need to drink the contraceptive soup," I said. I pushed her hand off my chest and sat up. "And change out the incense. This one keeps giving me headaches." I reached over, lifted the lid off the incense burner and poured my cold tea over it.

I got off the bed and buttoned my pants. Then I pulled the bell rope. A few minutes later, my housekeeper appeared. "Bring the soup for Miss Shire."

"Yes, sir."

She returned quickly, and gave Penelope the steaming bowl of birth control tonic.

"Drink it all."

I knew she was unhappy about drinking the soup, but I didn’t want any illegitimate children. Only Sophia could bear my son. Only she would produce the next Willowmarch heir.

Penelope finished the bowl, grimacing as she handed it back to the waiting servant. "It’s bitter," she complained.

"Get her some candied fruit," I told the housekeeper. Then I turned to Penelope. "I’m going to take a bath."

"Shall I join you?"

"Get some rest. I have some work to take care of, so I’ll be in the study later."

"I’ll bring you tea."

"Very well."

I turned to leave, but Penelope pulled on my arm.

"Jace," she said coyly. "Kiss me good-bye."

I pulled free of her grip. "I think I need to remind you of your status. You’re my lover, not my wife. We don’t share free affection, Penelope. I don’t want you to get ideas that you shouldn’t."

"I’m just as good as Sophia," she said.

"No, you’re not. If you hadn’t saved my life, I would’ve never looked at you."

I saw the flash of anger in her eyes before she smoothed her expression and offered a smile. "You took my innocence. I belong to you."

"The same way this house and all the objects in it belong to me," I said. "Don’t think you’re special because we sleep together." I sighed. "I will make sure you have a decent life, Penny. I’ll give you a house, a monthly stipend, plus clothing and jewelry allowances."

"Okay."

Pleased that she’d agreed so easily, I bent down and kissed her forehead. "I’ll have someone bring you something to eat then you can rest."

She nodded.

With the incense gone, my headache was already receding. Whistling happily, I headed to the bathroom.

***|***|***

PENELOPE

"He wants me to be his outside woman?" I punched the pillow next to me. "How dare he!"

I had never wanted to be the mistress. I wanted to be Jace’s wife. I wanted the title, the money, the prestige, the ticket into the upper echelons of society.

Before we’d slept together, he would take me to banquets and military events. He didn’t seem to care if people thought I was his wife. And he hadn’t given any face at all to Sophia. Even if people knew she was Jace Willowmarch’s fiancee, they treated her poorly.

Because Jace treated her poorly. And Jace let me smear her reputation with his indifference.

Oh, how the tide had turned. Jace would never take me anywhere in public again. I wasn’t his savior anymore, I was his illicit lover. The woman he would take to bed, but never love.

I punched the pillow again.

My only recourse was to get pregnant. Get pregnant and make Sophia disappear.

It seems my attempts to have her die in a carriage accident had been for naught. Word had been sent to me that not only had Sophia survived, but my boy toy had been sent away.

How was she so lucky?

Without Sophia in the picture, Jace could only turn to me. And if I was carrying his child, surely that would mean marriage. Stability. A life as the beloved wife of Brigadier General Willowmarch.

I wanted it so badly, I could taste it. I’d been at Jace’s side for more than seven years. I nearly died to save him.

He owed me.

He owed me everything.

I went downstairs and brewed the tea just the way Jace liked it. With so many servants in the kitchen, I didn’t dare put the drugs into his drink right then. I waited until I was in the bedroom.

I only had three pills left. Jace continued to be stubborn about our future together. Weren’t these drugs supposed to make him more obedient?

Three pills.

I usually only gave him one, in addition to the incense. Courtesan Lila had been right about the incense losing its effectiveness. Jace didn’t have headaches before, and now he had them every time I used the incense.

I needed Jace to be under my thumb so he wouldn’t even think about the contraceptive soup or about going back to Sophia. While I had him occupied, I would send someone to take care of Sophia, once and for all.

I considered the pills. One, two, or three? Would it really poison him? Hmm. He hadn’t really had that many. Maybe that’s why they weren’t working as well.

He needed more.

I put all three pills into the cup and stirred it until they were completely dissolved. Then I headed into the bathroom where Jace had stretched out in the tub, smoking a cigarette as he relaxed in the water.

"What is it, Penny?"

"Tea," I said. "Your favorite."

"i’m a little thirsty," he said. He stubbed out the cigarette and sipped the tea. He frowned. "It tastes different."

"Did I put too much sugar in it?"

"Maybe that’s it." He downed the rest and returned the cup to me. "Prepare some clothes for me. By the way, I’ll be sleeping in the study tonight."

I managed a smile as I took the cup, resisting the urge to fling it at his head. "Fine," I said.

Then I left room. I leaned against the door and smirked. We’ll see who wins this game, I thought. But I was betting on me.