Chapter One #3
In the end, though, sanity prevailed. “I cannot accept a woman as a present like she’s a horse or something. Good God, can’t you explain that to him?”
Max turned to the captain. He didn’t know what he could add to the conversation, but he tried, speaking in a low tone. “You know this will not work.”
“But it has to, my lord,” the captain shot back.
“Why?”
Unfortunately, Prinny was too impatient to wait for an answer. “Never mind, Max. Thank him for his generous offer, but I cannot accept. The Chinese might keep women like stray cats, but the Crown does not. I suggest they take her back to the hippo people—”
“The Wong cohong.”
“Whomever. And—”
The ring of steel being pulled from a scabbard cut off the prince’s words. Indeed, it silenced everyone after a gasp of alarm. Max tensed. He knew the sound, but it took him a moment to figure out who was drawing a weapon in a royal home.
The nearest palanquin bearer had his sword out and pressed it to the Chinese woman’s neck. His arm was extended, and a simple pull would slice her throat open.
Just like everyone else, Max gaped in shock. What had seemed like a fun display of pageantry had abruptly changed in tone. Especially since the two palace guards in the room abruptly lifted their guns and pointed them at the Chinese delegation.
Good God, they couldn’t shoot people in here! Half the servants would be caught in the crossfire, not to mention himself and the poor woman.
And when the hell had they gotten guns?
Meanwhile, Prinny was reacting in the way of all sane people. “What the devil is he doing?” he squeaked. “Put those things away!”
The captain abruptly lost his grin as he turned to the official. He spoke in rapid Chinese and pointed to the sword, but none of the Chinese moved, least of all the woman. Damnation, why wasn’t she having hysterics? She stood there as if insensate.
Again, the official spoke, his tone and expression appeared regretful. He even bowed before the prince, but when he straightened the sword was still at the woman’s throat.
“Well?” the prince demanded.
“He says that she is a gift to you from the great Wong cohong. She is the daughter of the Wong patriarch himself.”
“Then why does he want to kill her?” Prinny demanded, his voice ratcheting higher. “We don’t kill people in England. Not on my marble floor!”
“She is a gift, you see,” the captain said, clearly sweating as he tried to explain. “Her task was to gain your favor. If you reject her, then she has failed. And failure… Well, you can see they don’t tolerate it very well.”
Prinny stared at the tableau in front of him. “I’m supposed to take her as a mistress or they’ll kill her? Right here?”
“It’s your favor they want, Your Highness.
The emperor has issued an edict restricting the cohongs.
There’s to be only two merchants, you see, rather than the dozens we have.
It’s a bad deal for us. We need more cohongs to keep the prices down.
But the emperor issued his edict, and now the Wongs are trying to be named one of the two—”
“Max!”
Max stepped forward, trying to condense a complicated trade situation into as few words as possible. “A merchant family is trying to bribe you into working exclusively with them.”
“By giving me a wife I can’t have.”
“Yes.”
“Are they idiots?”
“They have different customs, Your Royal Highness.”
“But why bribe me?” Prinny pushed forward on his seat, his expression tight with annoyance. “It’s the Chinese side. I don’t get to pick the Wongs or anyone else.”
The captain stepped forward, his expression eager. “Very wise, but you could influence things.” He raised his palms in a supplicating gesture. “You could say that the British will only trade with the Wongs.”
And no doubt the captain would benefit greatly from such a situation. He probably had a favored relationship with the Wongs. He certainly would if he managed this. But Prinny’s snort showed he wasn’t fooled.
“Why would I do that, Captain? We need more people selling to us, not less.”
“They’re called cohongs.”
“Wong, hong, I don’t care.” He sent a glare over the entire room. “They should send their bribe to the East India Company! The Crown doesn’t handle the trade. You lot do!” Presumably, Prinny meant the sea captains who actually managed the cargo. “Tell him that!”
The captain turned to the official and spoke in halting, awkward Chinese. The official didn’t seem to take it well. His skin turned dark, and his mouth tightened in a hard line. When he finally spoke, his words were curt and challenging.
“Um, begging your pardon, but he says, um—”
“What?”
“He said that you’re the king.”
Prinny pursed his lips. “I’m not the king yet,” he groused.
“Er, yes, but he knows you’re regent for the king. So…” The captain shrugged. “You’re the acting king as it were.”
“But I don’t control the East India Company. I have nothing to do with that.”
That wasn’t true. Half the business of the Crown was to manage trade routes.
Indeed, one might say that it was nearly the entirety of what they did beyond going to parties and the like.
They’d just been less than successful lately with China.
Hence the current situation where merchants thought they could grab a piece.
Meanwhile, the captain continued to wheedle. “Begging your pardon, but he says, as king, you can make a decree. You can say, England will trade with the Wong cohong.”
“Because they sent me a woman?”
“Yes.”
“And they’ll kill her if I refuse.”
“Yes. On account of you rejecting her.”
“Damned barbarians.”
The captain nodded. He seemed to be shrinking into himself as he realized that there were guns pointed in his direction, too. “It’s the way they do things there. And you can interfere. You just have to make a decree.”
“It’s not how we do things,” Prinny snapped. It was a useless gripe. And damn it, unless something changed quickly, there was about to be a bloodbath right here.
Max didn’t think deeply about his next action. He certainly knew it could be dangerous. But no one else—Prinny included—seemed to see a solution and he did. He regretted that he had to do it hungover and unshaven, but some things couldn’t be changed.
Max crossed the last of the way around until he was even with the woman. She appeared oddly relaxed for someone about to get her throat cut. He glanced at the captain.
“Tell them I just want to look at the, um, offering. We can’t have the prince accepting a false gift, as it were.”
“Oh no, my lord. She’s pure and everything. Me and my men were kept away from her all during the trip. Most of us weren’t even allowed to look on her.”
“I’m sure you acted exactly as you ought.” He glanced back at room at large, but mostly at the guards. “Everyone stay calm. I’m just having a look. Nothing dangerous at all.”
The captain explained things to the Chinese official while making stay calm gestures. Max blocked him from his thoughts. He was more interested in the girl and the sword pressed to her throat.
He approached slowly. His gaze took in the extended sword arm. To his dismay, the man holding it appeared rock solid. No wavering. No trembling. One swift pull backwards and the girl would be bleeding on the floor.
Max smiled weakly at the man. There was no reaction. He slowly raised his hands toward the woman’s face.
There were a whole lot of beads to either side of the woman’s face, and more still dangling in front of her eyes. He gently wended between the dangling things to touch her face. Her eyes were downcast, but at his gentle pressure, her gaze came up to meet his.
Beautiful. Long lashes surrounding dark eyes.
The kohl around them accentuated a shape that drew him in.
Her face was powdered white, her lips blood red.
It was theatrical paint, as far as he could guess, but she was exotic to his eyes.
And he was man enough to like it. Until he looked closer at her eyes.
She was drugged.
Her pupils were dilated, her demeanor completely placid. He supposed if he were going to kill a girl in front of a prince, he’d make sure she was barely lucid. In truth, he was surprised she was able to stand.
“Hullo,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes as if sorting her way through the fog. Her gaze sharpened as she took in his features and her nostrils flared as she breathed. Then she swallowed and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Stay still,” he said.
He didn’t know if she understood English. Probably not, but he hoped his tone would calm her. She had to feel the sword at her throat. Indeed, he felt her tense and her breath catch.
“Don’t move,” he stressed. “I’ll get you free.”
Her gaze locked on his and she remained quiet. What discipline! He doubted he could be so calm.
He shifted his stance, keeping his hands near her face. “She is indeed lovely.”
“Doesn’t mean I can marry her!” Prinny cried, appropriately so.
Which meant it was time for him to act.