Free Queen of Lost Stars (Dragonblade Series/House of St. Hever) by Kathryn Le Veque

would not want to lose that efficiency.”
    Madelayne cocked her head curiously at his attitude. “But I cannot remain,” she said. “I have no husband here; it would not be right. Mavia is more than able to assume the duties herself. You do not need me.”
    He shook his head, faintly. “That is where you are wrong,” he said. “You are far more efficient than Mavia is and if it is a choice between the two of you, I should choose you. Besides, it would be uncharitable for me to insist you leave Lavister after all of the loss you have suffered and I do not wish to be uncharitable. ’Tis a cruel fact that a widowed woman such as yourself will face a bleak outlook on your life without a husband to take care of you.”
    He may have been trying to convince her that remaining at Lavister as the chatelaine was the best course of action, but he was only succeeding in making her feel worse about the entire circumstance. She had been feeling enough self-pity about her situation without him being so brutally frank about it.
    “As I said, I can return to my father,” she said, embarrassed that he was making it clear that he viewed her as a charity case. “I worked with him before and I can do it again. You need not keep me at Lavister simply because you feel as if you should.”
    Kaspian wasn’t catching on to the fact that he had insulted her. He had never been very good with women in that sense. “As I said, you are efficient as chatelaine and that is why I would ask you to remain,” he said. “Surely you would rather remain here with people that you know. And Mavia is your friend, so surely you do not want to leave her.”
    Madelayne shrugged. “I do not, but that does not change the fact that with my husband dead, it simply would not be right for me to remain here alone.”
    “Then I will insist you stay.”
    She looked at him pointedly. “My lord, I do not need your charity,” she said frankly. “I will return to my father and you do not have to worry about me telling others that you turned me out. I would say no such thing.”
    He was finally coming to see what she thought of the conversation and of him, as if he were asking her to stay purely out of pity. He hastened to assure her that was not the case. “You would be doing me a favor by remaining,” he said. “You will become my ward and everything will be proper. Or do you wish to return to your father so much?”
    She shook her head hesitantly. “I do not, my lord, but….”
    He cut her off. “Kaspian.”
    She had no idea what he meant. “My lord?”
    “You may even call me Kaspian. Addressing me formally seems strange under these circumstances. May I call you Madelayne?”
    She nodded before she could even think about what he had asked because the conversation had her muddled. “You may,” she said. “But… are you certain I will not be a burden?”
    “You let me worry about that,” he said. “For now, you will continue to sleep in the chamber you shared with Cairn and you will continue with your chatelaine duties. It is the least I can do for Cairn, Madelayne. You will remain here with us until the situation must be addressed again.”
    Madelayne had no idea how to respond to him. She simply nodded her head, feeling confused and strange about the entire conversation. In fact, she didn’t want to talk about it any longer, knowing that he was allowing her to stay because he felt pity for her. She didn’t like that at all. She didn’t want to be a charity act for him.
    “You said that you wished to see Thomas?” she said, rising off of the stool and heading for the chamber door. “Would you like me to send him to you now?”
    Kaspian watched her move, stiffly, and he remembered she had given birth days before. “Send a servant for him,” he said. “You will not go. Return to your chamber now and I will send for you when I need you.”
    When I need you . More suckling, more touching, more silent fantasies in her heart about the man. A