Malcolm lifted his gaze to the ceiling in a valiant attempt to accept what he went through every time they spent time apart. “Oh, yes. I often wonder how I survive without your kisses.”
Nasser released him and gave him a pointed look. “You are usually far friendlier than this. What is it? Are you still angry with me?”
“A little,” Malcolm grouched. “I wasn’t ready to come to London. Why did you have to send me out? My life was what it needed to be. Coming back was…I’ve helped so many damn people in my life except for the one person who needed it most.”
Nasser hesitated. “Is this about your father’s death?”
Malcolm’s throat tightened. Mourning for the loss of his father, which had happened well over three years ago while he was at sea, had actually been surprisingly easy. Whilst his poor father had always been a good Christian man, they had never been close. He’d gotten more attention from governesses growing up than his father. And that wasn’t saying much.
Malcolm was actually coming to terms with a much greater loss. Knowing his brother was irredeemable. “No. I’m at peace with my father’s passing. Well before his death, I wrote to him and disclosed the truth about what really happened and why I never returned. I have no doubt he shared the letter with my brother.”
Nasser’s voice softened. “What about your brother? Did you see him? Did you try to?”
Malcolm flexed both hands in an effort to remain calm. “I didn’t really want to, given he tried to stab me through the heart, but after thirteen years of silence, I…” He hissed out a breath and raked both hands through his hair before letting them drop. “I convinced myself to covertly peer in on him a few days ago. His life is exactly how I had left it. In shambles. In fact, he and Miss Silverthorn are associating again.”
Nasser’s eyes widened. “
Khak too saret
. Tell me they are not.”
Malcolm tried not to be angry about it. He knew what it was like to fight the demon within. But after all he did to try to protect them from each other, this was his recompense: their reunion. “I made the other half of my own soul think the worst of me because I was convinced I was saving them both from darker things to come. So what does this female
bala
go and do in honor of my sacrifice? She abandons her monastic vows as a nun up in Scotland and prances back into London to work as a birch mistress.
A birch mistress
. Because apparently, nuns know even more about crucifixion than Jesus. And conveniently…
James
now frequents her establishment.
“At first, I decided I wasn’t going to bother. Why would I? It isn’t any of
my
business what the hell these two are doing to each other. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt I had a right to know how demented it really was. So I paid this mousy-looking scullery maid there at the brothel to tell me more and do you know what she told me? Do you? They don’t kiss or have sex. They never do. All they do is drink brandy and dare each other to do odious things like taking turns pulling the trigger of a pistol while aimed at each other. Does that sound normal to you?”
Nasser gaped. “Are you certain that is what is going on?”
Malcolm sniffed hard. “Yes. I actually followed James one night when he carried in two pistols. One for her and one for him. Shortly after he left the brothel, I ploughed my way in to see Miss Silverthorn, but she refused to answer any of my questions. She simply sat there with her crop and told me unless I wanted to pay for a session, it was time for me to leave. My brother is a damn profligate looking to die. I warned him. I warned him to stay away from what they were doing to each other lest one of them end up dead. Those two are crossing lines.”
Nasser averted his gaze. “Maybe your brother has learned to control it.”
“That would be like saying the devil loves Jesus. Not true.” A ragged breath escaped Malcolm. “It doesn’t matter. I’m done. Seeing I announced myself to Miss Silverthorn and still haven’t heard anything from my brother, it’s fairly obvious he isn’t interested in re-connecting. Which I’m fine with.”
“Are you?”
No. But he also didn’t want to find out what would happen if he and his brother ended up in the same room after thirteen years. They were too much alike. “It doesn’t matter. He and I are better off not associating. We have only ever encouraged each other.” He sighed, wanting to change the subject. “I thought you should know your father requested I arrive at the palace before September. He has ‘questions’ about your involvement with a certain ropemaker. Please tell me nothing happened between you and Rami. Please tell me your father is overreacting to whatever rumors he heard.”
Nasser winced and edged back. “I drank too much.”
“Which means…?”
Nasser whined. “I have created a mess. Rami and I…mounted each other. Even eight months later, I swear I am still having trouble walking. And the worst of it? He has been nagging me to return to Persia and do it again. Even though I am not in the least bit interested. Rami is an empty-headed boar. There is nothing remotely interesting about him other than his cock.”
Malcolm lowered his chin. “Your lack of self-respect is going to cost you. Because your little ropemaker ended up bragging about your ‘night’ to one of the gunners and the gunner couldn’t help but tell the purser who then told the whole ship. A ship that is under your father’s jurisdiction. Not yours
or
mine. What the hell do you expect me to say or do now?
Lie for you
?”
“Yes. Lie for me. Bribe Rami with a few thousand, tell my father it was a misunderstanding and we are done.”
Malcolm slowly shook his head. “No. I once lied for my brother and it cost me everything but changed nothing. I’ll not do it again. You have to face this and tell your father. For pity’s sake, when no child comes of whatever union you decide on, people will accuse you of making the throne vulnerable to invasion.
Beloochistan
has fifteen thousand men waiting to seize Persia.”
“
Beloochistan
is hardly a threat. Those morons are still trying to figure out how to fire a cannon without blowing themselves up. It is the Russians who worry me. After taking Poland off the map, they recently started using their armies to take over other regions. As if their damn country is not already beyond the size it needs to be.” Nasser was quiet for a moment. “If things progress, we will have no choice but to send you and the entire fleet to defend the Caspian Sea. Because if the Russians seize the Caspian, they seize us. Persia will no longer exist.”
Motherless bastard. The Russians had a navy eighteen times the size of Persia. “The Russians would sink us and you know it.” Malcolm let out a ragged breath. “They’ve negotiated various treaties with your father before and have kept a civilized distance. Why isn’t your father negotiating with them now? Why insist on war?”
“Because my mother had an affair with a Russian officer shortly before I left for New York and now my father is trying to kill them all.” Turning away, Nasser muttered something, strode over to an ornate side table arrayed with crystal decanters and poured two glasses of burnt wine. “I prefer not to talk about my parents. They are destroying far, far more than each other.”
He glanced back at Malcolm. “Distract me with new conversation. What have you been doing with your time outside of the assignment? Did you go to the theatre?”
“No.”
“The opera?”
“No.”
“A coffee house?”
“No.”
With a look of exasperation, Nasser eyed him. “What
did
you do?”
Malcolm shrugged. “Aside from going to church every Sunday, I kept Holbrook out of trouble, visited with Trent on a few occasions and walked around London.”
“For two whole months?”
“My entertainment needs, as you know, are very simple.” He smirked. “By the by, Trent wants an introduction. He rather fancies the idea of meeting a prince. Shall I arrange it? He might be a willing play mate.”
Nasser gave him a withering look. “Oh, yes, put the two sodomites together. After all, we sodomites are so desperate for cock we will take whatever walks through the door.” He glared. “No. I do not want to meet him. What are you proposing,
Dalir
? That I get involved with your own cousin? After you scold me for getting involved with the ropemaker?”
“The ropemaker had the intelligence of a turkey. Why not involve yourself with someone capable of more insight and sophistication?”
“Turkeys are far easier to lead, I assure you.” Nasser rounded him and stared him down, his voice growing husky. “By the by, I, too, received a correspondence from my father. It concerns your duty as admiral.”
Not good. “What do you mean? I relegated every flag and ship to the vice-admiral in order to take temporary leave. How else was I supposed to address the assignment you so rudely tossed at me? Are you telling me there is a problem?”
“Not in the way you think.” Nasser angled closer. “My father delineated what was expected of you when he made you admiral. It involves
nikāh
. You had a birthday recently, did you not?”
Malcolm’s eyes widened. “Codswallop. I’m not actually going to be forced into upholding
nikāh
, am I? I’m not Muslim.”
A breath escaped Nasser. “If you plan to retain your position as admiral and continue living amongst my people, be you Muslim or not, you are expected to uphold our ways. Celibate life is against the teachings of the
Qur’an
. Every man in our kingdom is required to live in a married state and
must
be married by the age of thirty. As of fourteen days ago, you are
one
and thirty and therefore breaking Persian law. Which is why, setting aside my involvement with the ropemaker, my father insists you to return to the palace by September. The festival of
Eid-e qorban
is when everyone in the royal family weds. And you are very much a part of this family. You may not remember, but…you did agree to marry one of my sisters.”
Malcolm swiped his face, feeling the blood pounding against his temples. He knew he shouldn’t have drank so much burnt wine that night. He couldn’t even remember half the conversation he had with the Shah. All he knew was that he ended up admiral and all four of Nasser’s sisters started competing for his attention like female squirrels rifling through a barrel of nuts. “From what I remember, I was trying to be nice.”
“
You
?
Nice
?”
“Yes. He was worried that none of them would ever be married. He was practically sobbing about it, saying they were too much like the queen. I felt sorry for him and told him if after five years no one wanted them, I would take one off his hands. I was drunk and didn’t think he’d actually take me seriously. As you well know your sisters are overly needy. They only want to fill the palace with furniture, poodles and babies. None of which I need.”
Nasser stared. “You better have someone in mind, then. Because my father wrote to say that he already redecorated the Harshini quarters for you and your future bride. He expects you to live at the palace in between assignments. You do know that, yes?”
Shit. Setting aside that he didn’t
want
to get married, living at the palace was no different than living inside a zoo with animals who thought they were people. “Tell your father I’m not ready for either.”
“You had better be. My father ordered an additional eight men into London specifically sent to ensure you board your ship in eight weeks. You will be detained and arrested if you do not follow orders.”
Malcolm choked. “Detained and arrested?
For what
?”
“For not upholding the law of
nikāh
. You are an asset,
Dalir
. Since you became admiral, we have regained a stronghold on the Caspian Sea, which the Russians seek to dominate. Even if you are bold enough to relinquish your position and leave Persia, I assure you my father will not permit it for the safety of our country. He made it very clear that you either marry and uphold the law or you will be escorted straight to prison for your lack of subordination. Neither of which I can protect you from, because I am not king. He is.”
God blind him. These Muslims were crazy. How did he ever get so attached to them and their way of life? “I don’t even have time for women. You know my schedule. I only touch land long enough to remember my name before I go back out. What am I supposed to do? Marry and leave my wife the same night?”
Nasser scrubbed his head. “Most military men do. You may not want to hear this,
Dalir
, but you were given five years to find a bride and did nothing. No more time will be granted regarding
nikāh
. Not given your age. In eight weeks you will be escorted to Persia, and when you arrive at the palace, you will be expected to find yourself a bride.”
“But—”
“Surely, if you are unable to find one at such short notice, one of my sisters would be more than willing to oblige. They are beautiful, are they not? Men crawl in their presence.”
This wasn’t happening. Malcolm walked past Nasser and sank down onto the velvet cushion of the chaise. He raked his hair back. “Beauty is overrated.”