Free Haunted by Annette Gisby Page A

responsible for his own finances and he hoped Kestan would
teach him about that.
    "The money is not an issue," said Kestan. "But are you
sure you feel up to living on your own yet? Not to mention managing a
household. It's a big step."
    "I won't be living on my own," said Aedyn. "You'll be
living with me, won't you? As my guardian?"
    "I - I -" But Kestan seemed lost for words.
    "Jessamyn, you have finished, have you not?" said the earl
pointedly. "Let us leave Aedyn and Kestan to their discussions."
    "Oh. Oh, yes, of course." Jessamyn dabbed her mouth with
her napkin before following her father out of the dining room. She
turned at the doorway and gave Aedyn a good luck smile.
    Once they were alone, Kestan poured himself another cup of hot
chocolate and sat staring at Aedyn as he sipped it. Aedyn drank some
more juice, even though he was far from thirsty. "You don't want
to live with me?" Aedyn asked at last, unable to bear the
silence any longer.
    "It's not what I want that counts, Aedyn. Is this what you
want?"
    "Then yes, I want you to live with me," said Aedyn firmly.
Aedyn fluttered his eyelashes as he'd seen Hawise do to one of the
footmen. "I want you, Kestan."
    Kestan choked on his chocolate and set the cup down, coughing and
spluttering. "Aedyn, do you even know what you're asking for?"
    "I'm not an innocent, Kestan. At least, not anymore."
    "What? Has someone hurt you? Touched you?" Kestan asked
angrily.
    "No, no, nothing like that. I just had some very interesting
talks with Dame Nera. She doesn't believe in keeping her patients in
the dark. About anything ." Aedyn quirked his eyebrow on
the last word, making Kestan chuckle.
    "I see. And did Dame Nera also explain that anything that
happens between two men also happens to be illegal?"
    "She did," said Aedyn. "So you'd be unwilling to take
the risk in order to be with me? You don't think I'm worth it?"
Aedyn was appalled to find himself so close to tears. He'd promised
himself that he would never cry in front of Kestan ever again and yet
here he was blubbing like a child.
    "Oh, Aedyn, no," said Kestan softly. He leaned over the
table and stroked Aedyn's hand. "You would be worth it and more.
But I don't want to be responsible for your death. What if you were
arrested because of me? I couldn't bear it."
    "We would just have to be discreet," said Aedyn. "Very
discreet."
    "We would," Kestan agreed. "Very. But it's very
difficult to be discreet in a house full of servants."
    Aedyn nodded. "I heard some of the servants talking; there are
places. Places where men can go to be together. We could go there,
couldn't we?"
    Kestan spluttered again and set his cup down with a thump. "Aedyn,
no! I don't want to take you to a place like that. It's too risky.
Some of the owners have been known to blackmail the people who attend
their clubs. We will have to think of something else."
    "So what are you saying? Are you saying you do want to be with
me?" Aedyn hardly dared hope.
    Kestan leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to Aedyn's cheek. "I
do, Aedyn. I do."
    "What if I had a small house? So small that we didn't need
servants?"
    "Can you cook?"
    "No," Aedyn admitted. "Can you?"
    "No, but if you bought a small apartment in the city along with
a country residence, no one would think it at all odd if you didn't
have a large staff in Anterra. You could hire daily maids; a lot of
people are doing that now. So in the evening you could be alone."
    "We could be alone," said Aedyn, smiling broadly. "Kestan,
you're a genius! No one would think it odd that my guardian would
stay with me in the city, would they?"
    "No, in fact they'd probably expect it."
    "So, Kestan, do you fancy doing some house hunting tomorrow?"
    "I'd be delighted, Aedyn."
    Kestan leaned towards him, as if he might dare a kiss, but just then
the door to the dining room opened and Hawise came in, armed with
some more coal for the fire. Both of them jumped apart as if they'd
been scalded, but their eyes never left each