Chapter 14: Deals

She woke to him caressing her breast.

He was just rubbing it gently through the nightie she wore, and it felt wonderful. She pressed her arse back into him, and he didn’t disappoint, as he was hard and ready. She knew he loved morning nookies.

He groaned, “Please don’t Kitten. I just needed you with me last night. I’m sorry I was such a bastard and didn’t trust you. I upset you when you hadn’t done anything wrong. You hadn’t had a chance to talk to me about the will, and I jumped to conclusions.”

Willow rolled over, so she was facing him. He brushed the hair off her face and smoothed it back. He loved her hair. He rubbed his thumb across her temple and down her cheek, “What am I going to do with you? You drive me crazy. The man who gets you will be one lucky bastard.”

She pressed her lips to his, and he kissed her back. She moved back and touched his face gently. She smiled sadly at him and then rolled out of his bed and went back to her own room.

She woke Prue when she rustled around looking for some clothes for riding, “Sorry, I’m going for a ride with Brain. I need to let off some steam.”

Prue chuckled, “He is still saying no?”

Willow smiled ruefully at her, “He can be a bloody stubborn mule. It must be a family trait.”

Prue giggled and snuggled back down. She’d been told that more than once herself. She idly wondered what her last lover Prince Tah, who was Ulani’s brother, was doing. She was surprised by how much she missed him and wondered if she had done the right thing breaking off with him. Willow wasn’t the only sexually frustrated woman in the room.

Willow made her way to the stables. The Palace was a Coney warren, but she had learnt were the main walkways were. Bethany wouldn’t be down for her ride until later.

She could have waited for her, but she needed to gallop. She didn’t have any trouble finding Brain. If he wasn’t sleeping or eating, he was with the horses. “Brain I need a fast horse, and I want to gallop,” she told him.

Brain looked at her; he folded her into his huge arms and gave her a gentle hug. “You want me to shake him for you?” he asked.

Willow swallowed back the tears and hugged him back. Trust Brain to understand. People sorely underestimated this lovely gentle giant of a man. “What would I do without you Brain?”

He merely shrugged as if it was a moot point, as he had no intention of being anywhere she wasn’t. He grinned at her and took her hand. He led her down the stalls. “The King visited me the other day. Mighty, his horse, was feeling poorly but I fixed him good. The King said I could ride any horse I wanted.”

He let go of her hand and opened a stall, “This is Lady Rose. She was a gift to the King from them visitors.” He led the beautiful roan horse out of her stall. “I think she would love to take you for a good run.”

Willow looked at the horse and placed her head against its forehead. She felt a peace steal over her. The horse gently bunted her.

“Uh-oh,” said Brain.

“What?” Willow said looking at him.

“You did bond with her. She won’t let anyone ride her now but us unless you let them.”

Willow grinned at Brain, “well I’ll just have to buy her off the King. He wants something I have, so I think we can make a deal for Lady Rose.”

“Good,” said Brain, nodding his head.

They saddled her up and then walked down to a separate stable to get Brain’s horse. He was a monster, and that is what he was called. No one had been able to ride him for years. He was used as a stallion as part of the King’s breeding program. Otherwise, he would have been put down as a rogue horse.

Monster put his head over the stall when he smelt Lady Rose and rolled his lips at her. She nickered at him and stamped her foot. Brain giggled, “She tells him, mind his manners, she’s a Lady.”

Willow had to laugh. She reached up and scratched Monster behind his ear, and he dropped his eyes in pleasure. “They would have lovely babies,” she said to Brain.

Brain nodded in agreement and then looked at her sheepishly, “You might have to buy him, mistress. He won’t be happy if we go home without him.”

Willow said, “He is a nice looking boy, and we don’t currently have a good breeding stallion. I think you are right Brain, plus we can’t stifle budding love.”

Monster neighed softly in agreement, but Lady Rose just gave him a snort and a haughty look, making both Willow and Brain giggle again. They headed out along the path that led to the long paddock that was used to exercise the horses.

They were soon flying along the running lane, and Willow started to feel better. Lady Rose was a respectable mount, and they fit well together. They walked the horses back via the strolling lane and greeted several other people who were also out exercising their horses or just riding for pleasure.

They came upon two men who were sitting on their horses just off the path. “Lady Willow, how lovely to see you again,” said one of the men.

Willow looked up and recognised him. “Carl, I see you are well,” she replied. He looked her up and down, and Willow felt she needed a shower to wash away the feel of his look and his roving eyes.

“I understand you have a new guardian,” he sneered.

Willow looked at Brain, deliberately misconstruing Carl’s statement she said, “Yes, he is very protective of me. Brain won’t let me go anywhere without him.”

Her statement confused him for a minute until he took in the sight of Brain on Monster. He towered behind Willow and gave Carl a deep frown. His massive horse pawed the ground. Carl felt his bowels tighten. The guy was huge, and he obviously didn’t like him.

Pretending he wasn’t intimidated by Brain, he looked again at Willow. He felt his desire for her rise. She was even more beautiful than when he had encountered her two years before. She had filled out in all the right places, and he feasted his eyes on her breasts.

They were a lot bigger than when he last had his hands on them. The riding coat emphasised them and her tiny waist nicely. Carl wanted her as much now as he had then. The fact she was now also very rich didn’t hurt at all. His father had tightened the purse strings of late, and he needed to find a rich bride.

He also felt he had first claim on her as his mother had picked her out for him. If her bloody father hadn’t intervened and refused his offer, she would already be his wife and having his kids, and he’d now have her money.

He hadn’t objected when his mother suggested he got friendly with Willow before. He knew she wanted control of the Earls money. Carl, however, did not intend to let his parents anywhere near the money.

Willow’s look and statement indicated that she wouldn’t let him anywhere near her now. Apparently, she still hadn’t forgiven him for hitting her. The silly little cow should have just submitted and accepted that he was to be her husband and master.

He may have to resort to a more indirect method of claiming her. She needed a strong hand, and he was sure he could teach her to be more biddable. His friend nudged him for an introduction. Reluctantly he complied, “Lady Willow Terrell, this is an acquaintance of mine, Earl Robert Lindum. Robert, this is my distant cousin Willow.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Willow, are you going to the opening ball tonight?” Robert enquired politely. He had much better manners than Carl did, even if his reputation was no better.

“Yes, I believe my family is attending. Vincent and Prue have promised to introduce me to some suitable companions. Gentleman,” she nodded at them. “We must get the horses back as they haven’t cooled down properly yet,” Willow nodded her head again and moved off.

Brain followed her, “I don’t like either of those men, Willow.”

Willow agreed that she didn’t either. She had found Earl Lindum creepy.

They got back to the stables to find Ty pacing outside of them.

“Willow, you have got to stop disappearing without letting me know where you are,” he barked at her.

“Prue knew I was going riding,” she replied tightly, not particularly happy to have to explain her every move. Ty was getting over-bearing. He didn’t want her, but he expected her to be at his beck and call. She was not some simpering little girl that needed her daddy to tell her what to do and when to do it.

He looked at the belligerent expression on Willow’s tightly drawn face. “The King is expecting us to attend him in an hour,” he said rigidly and walked off.

Willow sighed. She hated them being at cross-purposes, but the problem was his, not hers. She handed Rose over to Brain and made her way back to the apartment.

Several of her new dresses had arrived, and she picked a dark blue dress and matching shoes and got dressed for the meeting. She decided the colour made her look older and more mature, so she formed her hair as a soft bun. As she was doing her hair, Prue came in and informed her she had to go to the meeting as well.

“I don’t need a companion within the Palace do I?” she asked as she watched Prue finishing getting ready. She wished she had the woman’s poise. She also wondered why they never talked about Prue’s Gift. She didn’t even know what it was.

Prue grinned at her, “No, I have a vested interest in the outcome of the meeting.”

Willow didn’t understand. She knew Prue worked at the Academe and had something to do with the Clicker communication device, but she didn’t really talk about what she actually did. “Can I know how?” Willow asked.

Prue gave her a cheeky grin and said, “I’m the Inventor, the King is doing all this for. It’s part of his and my agreement. I love that you and Ty will benefit as well. He is part owner of one of my companies, so it’s only fitting.”

Willow shook her head in wonder and picked up the portfolio of documents that David had given her. They met Ty in the sitting room. He ran his eyes over her choice of dress and tried hard to hide his desire. The new dresses were doing nothing to help him to keep his hands off her.

He held out his arm expecting her to take it and reluctantly she did. Prue was happy to walk beside Willow. The group didn’t talk as they walked to the meeting, being immersed in their own problems.

When Willow started going through what she had inherited with the King and Prue, Ty was appalled to find she was probably now one of the richest women, if not persons in the Kingdom.

Prue thought it was awesome. It was nice knowing another woman was as wealthy as she was. She had a feeling she and Willow had a lot in common. She hoped like hell Ty sorted out his problem because she felt Willow would make an excellent addition to the family.

David was attending the meeting as Willow’s legal counsel, and between the two, they worked the King over. Ty and Prue were both fascinated by her business aplomb. She didn’t haggle. She listened to what was wanted. She then came up with alternatives or workable solutions, favouring both parties.

Prue found she liked all of Willow’s suggestions and let the King know it. Willow knew her town and area better than they did and came up with a lot of excellent ideas. She addressed issues they hadn’t even thought of.

Ty was amused when the two horses he has seen her and Brain with, were worked into the deal. The party split for a break, as David wanted to check some details with Willow. Prue was reading through the proposals and taking notes.

The King came up to Ty, “I feel like I have been put through a ringer and hung out to dry. She drives bloody hard but fair bargains.”

Ty nodded, “But she doesn’t lie or miss-lead. What she says is what she means. Prue’s Companies and The Province of Terville will do very well out of this deal.”

“I have learnt her grandfather was a canny businessman, I think that she is more like him than even she would like to know. She even has his title now.”

The Earls title had not reverted to the Othello’s since Willow accepted the inheritance. She kept the title in its female form. Titles could be passed on to the closest female relative if she had no immediate male siblings or a male heir hadn’t been nominated as in Vincent’s case. Grand-daughter beat grand-niece. Lord Terence didn’t count, as he wasn’t a blood relative.

The King grinned at him, “Yes, that’s exactly who she reminds me off. Let’s just hope she didn’t inherit his unbending will. When that man held a grudge, it was for life and beyond, especially in the case of her parents. I’d not want to be on her shit list, even as the King.”