John Ringo: East of the Sun, West of the Moon

“No!” the girl said, quietly but fiercely. “Let me go!”

“Certainly,” Herzer said, releasing her but snatching one hand and bowing over it for a kiss. “I hope we meet again… Linda, was it? So many girls, so little time.”

The woman looked at him poisonously for a moment and then stormed off.

“Bad boy, Herzer,” Edmund muttered as the lights came back up and the remains of the party started streaming out.

“Ya think?”

“No, Duke, it’s all right,” Megan said, brushing aside a hand as her carriage followed by a squad of cavalry pulled up. “I have my own transportation. Thank you, though.” Thank God Herzer hadn’t attended or a duke would have been punched through a wall!

“Perhaps a nightcap?” the duke asked, his hand sliding onto her back.

“It’s a bit late,” Megan said as Meredith interposed herself and the coachman opened the door. “Perhaps another time.”

“A good-night kiss,” the duke said, darting around Meredith and planting his lips on her cheek.

“Good night ,” Megan snapped, clambering into the coach.

“Have fun?” Herzer asked.

“Oh, God,” Megan replied, collapsing in the rear seat as the coach pulled out to the accompanying clatter of hooves. “What are you doing here?”

“My other other duty,” Herzer said, pulling back his cloak to show that he was in armor. “Guarding you. Good evening, Miss Meredith. I’m sorry, I’ve hardly said two words to you all evening.”

“That’s fine, Major,” Meredith said. “I’m used to being invisible.”

“Hardly invisible,” Herzer said, one cheek twitching up in what might be called a smile. “Speaking of hardly invisible, the duke’s jilted paramour turned up at the party and managed to inveigle me into the last dance.”

“My night is now complete,” Megan sighed.

“I’m sure it will be all over Washan tomorrow,” Herzer said. “I can see the headline now: ‘Paramour Swapping?’ Sorry. I missed getting any of the married females present and I didn’t realize how bad it was until we were already dancing. Loan me Meredith next time.”

“Or Mirta,” Meredith said, seriously. “That might not be a bad idea.”

“It’s a thought,” Megan said. “But next time I should be there. This was the wrong way to set this up. I had no idea that guy was as stupid and boorish as he was.”

“Neither did I,” Meredith admitted. “It’s unusual behavior for him.”

“You are overpowering, my love,” Herzer said on a chuckle.

“How did you handle the doxie?” Megan asked. “Punctiliously, I hope?”

“Except for trying to rape her on the dance floor and threatening her life?” Herzer asked. “Like a perfect gentleman.”

“You didn’t?” Megan asked.

“Well… let’s just say I probably should have restrained my demons just a bit more,” Herzer admitted. “But she really pissed me off. And quite the opposite by the end of the encounter.”

“Meredith?” Megan said, closing her eyes. “Repercussions?”

“More Mirta’s area than mine,” Meredith answered. “We’ll have to see what the gossip circuit says. Off the top of my head, it might be either okay or better than okay. She was clearly seen leaving without you, Major, correct?”

“And apparently in a state of high dudgeon,” Herzer admitted.

“And prior to that would she have appeared… available?” Meredith asked.

“Eminently,” Herzer replied. “If rape was intended, it was clearly not by me.”

“The wife set will be clucking like mad,” Meredith said. “In general, I think, in your favor. He had it thrown in his face and spurned it, presumably in favor of you. And you’d up and left him at the party. It should fall out well. I don’t know how it will fall out with Duke Dehnavi, though.”

“I think, whatever the political consequences, I’m willing to let the duke rot,” Megan admitted. “No more meetings with him other than in groups. Possibly no more meetings with him, period.”

“ ‘Oh, is Duke Dehnavi going to be at your party? I’m sorry, perhaps another time…’ ” Meredith said, suddenly smiling cold and hard.

“Perhaps a bit more subtle than that,” Megan said. “Ashly’s area. But not much; I definitely want to discourage a repeat. I’ll let her handle it.”

“Yes,” Meredith said, smiling again. “She’ll have the right malicious little words.”

“I should be covering what’s on the agenda for tomorrow,” Megan admitted. “But I’m just too tired.”

“The most important point is meeting with the Select Intelligence Subcommittee at nine AM,” Meredith said. “Nothing before then; I knew it would be a late night.”

“Wow,” Herzer said, widening his eyes. “I get you to myself for a whole, what? Seven hours? Less prep time?”

“And most of that sleeping,” Megan said, smiling sadly. “Sorry love.”

“Seven hours is worth much with you,” Herzer said gallantly, but there was a tinge of bitterness under his words. Among other things he knew that, besides a bit of conversation, maybe, and a kiss, the night would involve nothing but sleep. He could last. He had sworn he would and he’d never gone back on a vow.

“We’ll have time soon, love,” Megan promised. “And you didn’t have to show up. In armor no less.”

“You’re the most important person in my life,” Herzer said honestly. “And one of the most important people in the world. Keeping you alive is much more important than changing out of that monkey suit and into armor. Hell, armor’s more comfortable.”

“That is what the squad of cavalry is for,” Meredith noted sharply.

“Like I’d trust cavalry with Megan’s life.” Herzer snorted. “Horsey boys that don’t want to dismount and can’t handle themselves mounted.”

“You let me come to the meeting by myself,” Megan noted, frowning.

“There was a squad of Blood Lords shadowing you,” Herzer said with a shrug. “And you pointedly told me I wasn’t to come.”

“There was?” Megan asked.

“And is,” Herzer said, smiling faintly. “In the keeping of a fellow named Cruz who works for your poppa. He’s doing the actual stalking. They’re far enough back the cavalry haven’t noticed. Which, I think, says it all about your escort. If guards can shadow you and not be noticed, so can assassins. Look, leave the security to me and your dad, you just concentrate on what you do so well.”

“There are times I miss Baradur.” The petite Chudai warrior had expressed a wish to return to his Highland home and Megan had had him returned with a bag full of silver for his services. “But he would have been a problem at this meeting, for example.”

“He would have cut the duke’s hand off the first time he touched you,” Meredith noted. “While I see the political repercussions, I would have enjoyed watching it.”

“Blood all over the white tablecloth,” Megan said with a grin. “All the glitterati gaping. The screams. The headlines. No, I think it’s better that he wasn’t along.”

“It’s always odd to look at a stump where your hand used to be,” Herzer said, holding up his prosthetic.

“I hope I never find out,” Megan said, shaking her head.

“Useful for opening jars,” Herzer said with a shrug.

“Herzer!”

Herzer was walking back from another round of meetings at the War Department when he heard his name called. It was midafternoon and he could have easily gotten a hansom cab for the kilometer or so walk, but after six hours of sitting on his butt listening to staff officers arguing about details of logistics trains a walk felt good.