The Surrogate by Ann Somerville Read Free Book Online Page A

him, unfortunately. I began to count the books I could see around him, and was staggered to find I had reached two hundred before I’d finished a single wall. How could he afford so many? How could he read so many? I wasn’t much of a scholar myself, but I loved to read and would plough through almost anything I could get my hands on. I knew no one who owned so many books themselves, but in our village, we had a small but respectable library for everyone’s use, for the teacher to use for the children, and for the edification of the adults. I’d read every book in it, several times. I wished I was there now.
    The wave of homesickness that came over me at that memory, made me sigh, and he looked up. “Go and get dressed.”
    The order was phrased less harshly than before, and I chose to interpret it as a slight softening of attitude. “Don’t I need to bathe first?”
    “ No.” His expression tightened. “We’ll do that tonight...before....”
    “ It’s tonight? You said two days.”
    “ Yes. This is the second day.”
    Right. He was correct, of course. I just thought I’d have more time before I had to face this. “Clothes?”
    “ All that are in the dresser are for your use. Leave the dirty ones where I instructed.”
    He was still being, for him at least, close to polite, so I obeyed, even washing my face, hands and mouth without waiting to be ordered to do so. I guess he had an obsession with oral hygiene since he might have to kiss me—and for some reason, that made me more nervous than the prospect of being fucked by him. Kissing was for lovers—not for whores, and for all his airs, he was a whore too. I found my stomach tying itself into knots again.
    Stop it, I told myself. It’s a job. He’s not revolting. No doubt he’ll want it over as quickly as I will. But the uneasiness remained, and would not go no matter what I told myself.
    I resumed my seat, and my dedicated examination, but he paid me no more attention for nearly two hours, by which time I was hungry and my bottom was getting sore from the hard seat. “You’re not going to give in, are you?” He ignored me. “See, I’m not either. How about a compromise—ever heard of them? I read out here under your supervision, I don’t bother you or talk to you, and you can make sure I don’t damage your books or fall asleep over them. That seems fair, don’t you think?”
    He still ignored me, and I lost my temper. “Oh, for the gods’ sake, Jaime!”
    That made him look up, a sneer on his lips. “The gods?” he said in a quiet voice. “You ask this for the gods’ sake? Why should I give them one more thing than they already have, since they have everything I am, or could ever want. What more could I give them that would make a difference?”
    The sharp bitterness in the soft words stung me. “I thought you were this terribly pious person, who would give up everything for Lord Paon.”
    “ Think what you like.”
    “ Jaime, please....”
    “ You realise that’s the first time you’ve said that? You lecture me about manners and civility, but you demand my precious possessions, all that I have to keep my mind from rotting, you abuse my trust when I reluctantly grant you a concession and you sit here like a spoiled child for three hours to try and force me to change my mind—and only now it occurs to you to say ‘please’? Truly, your breeding must not be anything exceptional.”
    The bright scorn hurt, because it was just. I got up and bowed. “I’m sorry. I have been rude, and inconsiderate. I didn’t mean to cause you offence.”
    I walked back into the bedroom and threw myself on the bed. “Oh yes, Nikolas, some silver tongue, when you forget basic politeness.” He’d been rude too, but he’d not presumed to lecture me on proper behaviour. All he had asked of me was all that I had agreed to. And I hadn’t specified books in my contract, so it was my own damn fault.
    It looked as if the penalty for my own failing was