“In his routine meetings with his steward and reeve, he had been vague and unfocused, barely attending to the details of management that usually fascinated him. Even his latest contraption—a pulley to open the main gate unattended—failed to hold his attention.A persistent dread had taken up lodging in him, and he could think of nothing save the reason why.Juliana had found out about Oliver.Against his will, Stephen remembered the day King Henry had revealed that he knew the secret.“It comes to m...e that you’ve been hiding something, my lord,” King Henry had said, his voice ringing to the rafters of the Presence Chamber.With his insides knotting, Stephen had knelt before the gold-canopied throne and waited for the king to continue.Henry waved a jeweled hand to banish his courtiers from the dais. He dropped his voice low and said, “Why did you not tell me that Meg’s son still lives?”Stephen had yearned to deny it, to tell the king he was mistaken. But the look on Henry’s face—stern, all-knowing, and just at the edge of royal fury—convinced him that it was time for the truth to emerge.“I…The lad is sickly.MoreLessRead More Read Less
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