It offered a shameful relief. Honestly, he was seriously considering giving whoever it was a helping hand.
The question was whether Lionel could betray his king's heart so completely. He had seen what losing Livia once had done to Henry. After the fall at Beaumont's, when everyone believed she had died, the king had not merely grieved. He had broken.
Henry had stopped eating. He had abandoned council meetings, spent hours staring through windows. Even his anger had deserted him.
For weeks, Lionel had feared Henry would never be made whole again. Now the folded message seemed to burn against his chest.
Miss Valenti's life is in danger. Lionel swallowed and shifted his hand away from the pocket inside his doublet. He could investigate. He could warn the king.
Or he could remain silent and allow someone else to solve the problem.
The thought sickened him. Before he could decide which part of himself he despised most, a gentleman usher appeared at the chamber door and bowed.
