manage to steal the letters from me?” Reid asked. “They were in a locked box.”
The corners of his lips rose in a half smile. “Mother gave me the key. When I was at your castle, I saw the box sitting on your bookshelf. I used the key, stole the letters, and put that chess piece in there.”
“Why?” By then, she’d been a Knight. He could have been honest with her and told her the truth. She may have even given them to him.
He shrugged. “I was being selfish and doing what I wanted—not what the Knights dictated. And I didn’t want Eldon to have the letters. I also wanted to see his reaction when he found the chess piece, and he realized he was going to be challenged for the throne. You have to understand, at the time, I suspected he’d killed Father, but didn’t have any proof.” He yanked out one of the stones near the bottom of the fireplace. Reaching his hand in, he pulled out a handful of papers. “Here they are.”
“Those letters prove Eldon is not the rightful king?” Dexter asked.
“They prove Eldon is the son of Leigh and Henrick.”
Which meant Eldon wasn’t Hudson’s legal heir. Which, in turn, meant he had no right to be sitting on the throne. Either Gordon—Hudson’s first-born son—or Henrick had the right to be king. However, since Henrick was considered dead, and Dexter had legally been declared his heir, then Dexter could inherit the throne.
“What’s our next move?” Reid asked, biting her thumbnail.
Ackley stood. “Dexter is going to officially announce his bid for the throne.”
They spent the next several hours holed up in the sitting room, trying to decide how best to word the letters to the dukes and duchesses. When they finished, Reid was impressed at the eloquent way Dexter presented the issue of Eldon not being the rightful ruler and declaring himself the true king. He also stated he wouldn’t move forward without the complete support of the dukes and duchesses. He welcomed everyone to the castle where they could discuss the matter in greater detail. Once those letters were complete, Dexter wrote one to Eldon as well, stating his case.
“I don’t know about you two,” Ackley said around a yawn, “but I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed.” He headed toward the door.
“Do you care where we sleep?” Reid asked.
Without turning to face them, Ackley answered, “You know where the guest wing is.” He left without giving Reid a chance to say anything else.
Silence filled the room, making her suddenly nervous to be alone with Dexter.
He leaned back against the sofa, resting his feet on the low table.
“So,” she said, contemplating the sleeping arrangements. Their marriage hadn’t been consummated yet. Would Dexter want to do that tonight?
He tilted his head as she sat on the chair across from him, unsure what to say or do. Apparently, he wasn’t going to offer his opinion on the matter. Of course, he’d bared his soul, telling her exactly how he felt about her. She had yet to do the same. Not because she didn’t want to, but also because she was embarrassed and unsure how to do so.
Fidgeting with her wedding ring, she tried to decide how to proceed. Should she lead him to a bedchamber, then ask him if he wanted to consummate their marriage? Or would it be better to try to seduce him? Maybe she should just remove her clothes, making her intentions clear.
Dexter let out a long sigh. “Reid, don’t look so panicked. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. We can wait.”
But that was the problem—she didn’t like the idea of waiting any longer. She wanted him to know how she felt. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“I’ll stay in the same room with you,” he assured her. “You can take the bed, and I’ll take the floor.” He stood and stretched.
Reid rose, then led the way to the guest wing of the castle where she chose a bedchamber at random. Inside, she lit a few candles before going over to the armoire, hoping to find something suitable to sleep in. After finding a large undershirt, she headed to the bathing chamber. It was small and nowhere near as luxurious as the one in Axian. However, it had water and soap, which was all Reid needed right now. She scrubbed away the dirt and grime that had accumulated on her body over the past week from traveling. When finished, she pulled on the undershirt.
Her legs