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    Pride of Hearth: Collections, #18
    Pride of Hearth: Collections, #18
    Pride of Hearth: Collections, #18
    Ebook302 pages4 hours

    Pride of Hearth: Collections, #18

    By Meyari McFarland

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    About this ebook

    Home: love it, hate it, stay forever or leave as quick as you can. Home defines us in so many ways. Each of these stories looks at finding home, building home, what it takes for home to be a home at all.

    A Risky Architecture

    The Crimson Vest

    Prescription for the Perfect Dinner

    The Girl of Silver Clouds

    Avoiding the Reunion

    Whisper of Andromeda

    Saving Imani

    The First Roses

    Stitched Lines, Watching Eyes

    Family in Progress

    Also includes an excerpt of City of the Dead!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMeyari McFarland
    Release dateSep 1, 2019
    ISBN9781393314059
    Pride of Hearth: Collections, #18
    Author

    Meyari McFarland

    Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

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      Book preview

      Pride of Hearth - Meyari McFarland

      Pride of Hearth

      Pride of Hearth

      Collections #17

      Meyari McFarland

      MDR Publishing

      Special Offer

      The rainbow has infinite shades, just as this collection covers the spectrum of fictional possibilities.

      From contemporary romances like The Shores of Twilight Bay to dark fantasy like A Lone Red Tree and out to SF futures in Child of Spring, Iridescent covers the gamut of time, space and genre.

      Meyari McFarland shows her mastery in this first omnibus collection of her short fiction. Twenty-five amazing stories, all with queer characters going on adventures, solving mysteries, and falling in love are here in the first Rainbow Collection.

      And now you can get this massive collection of short queer fiction, all of it with the happy endings you love, for free!

      Sign up here for your free copy of Iridescent now!

      Contents

      Author's Note: A Risky Architecture

      1. Wedding Gift

      2. First Morning

      3. Household Organization

      4. Card Catalog

      5. Head Office

      6. Lunch Table

      Author's Note: The Crimson Vest

      The Crimson Vest

      Author's Note: Prescription for the Perfect Dinner

      Prescription for the Perfect Dinner

      Author's Note: The Girl of Silver Clouds

      Housewarming

      Labor Day

      Halloween

      Thanksgiving

      Christmas

      Author's Note: Avoiding the Reunion

      Avoiding the Reunion

      Author's Note: Whisper of Andromeda

      1. Melting Walls

      2. Confused Conversation

      3. Potential Future

      Author's Note: Saving Imani

      Saving Imani

      Author's Note: The First Roses

      The First Roses

      Author's Note: Stitched Lines, Watching Eyes

      Stiched Lines, Watching Eyes

      Author's Note: Family in Progress

      1. Sushila Vlahovic

      2. Efemena Mac Diarmada

      3. Xue Lungu

      4. Purdie Tosi

      5. Zhi Meeuwis

      Author's Note: City of the Dead

      1. Lava Fields

      2. Growing Pains

      Other Books by Meyari McFarland:

      Afterword

      Author Bio

      Other Books by Meyari McFarland

      Day Hunt on the Final Oblivion

      Day of Joy

      Immortal Sky

      A New Path

      Following the Trail

      Crafting Home

      Finding a Way

      Go Between

      Like Arrows of Fate

      Out of Disaster

      The Shores of Twilight Bay

      Coming Together

      Following the Beacon

      The Solace of Her Clan

      You can find these and many other books at www.MDR-Publishing.com. We are a small independent publisher focusing on LGBT content. Please sign up for our mailing list to get regular updates on the latest preorders and new releases and a free ebook!

      Copyright ©2019 by Mary Raichle

      Print ISBN: 978-1-64309-068-9

      Cover image

      ID 81349088 © Grandfailure | Dreamstime.com

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

      Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to publisher@mdr-publishing.com.

      This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

      Created with Vellum Created with Vellum

      This collection is dedicated to my parents.

      Author's Note: A Risky Architecture

      Your home defines you in so many ways. Which can be a problem when you first move into a new place. The walls aren't the right color. Furniture doesn't fit the way you want. The landscaping is off from what it should be.

      How much worse is it when you inheret a house that was perfected for someone else? Someone who viewed you as a scandal, a walking embodiment of shame?

      Jade has exactly that problem in A Risky Architecture, along with the problem of staff who don't respect him and a brand new husband who's far too flirty and flighty for his preferences. At least home is a thing that youc an change until it works properly for you…

      1. Wedding Gift

      Though Chas, personally, would have far rathered never set foot in Castle Mansion ever again, their Majesties had been quite clear. Severely clear. One could say obnoxiously clear, not that Chas could blame them given that Jade had proposed marriage in open Court after seeing to it that his obnoxious uncle, Lord Badr Castle, was arrested and removed from his position as lord.

      No matter what Chas or Jade had to say about it, Castle Mansion was their responsibility and their Majesties would have them take care of it come hell or high water.

      Possibly both.

      Nonsense, the lot of it. Chas really didn't see why they, personally, had to be responsible for Castle Mansion. He like Abaddon Manor. It was home. The Hidden Library was there. Mother was there. Father and Kelley, their chauffer, and Blair, the head Housekeeper. All the servants and his friends and his bed and…

      Really, their Majesties were being horribly unfair with this entire promotion to Lordship for Jade and Chas.

      Lord Badr Castle's trial had already been held. He had been found guilty of abuse and a variety of financial crimes against the crown. No one had been surprised by that. Threatening to castrate his sole relative, Chas' new fiancé Jade, so that he wouldn't 'pollute the bloodline' by reproducing had been bad enough that their Majesties more or less had to take action.

      All the rest of his foolishness, the many promises to adopt unrelated heirs and then dumping them, no one knew where, with ridiculous payouts to hide the absurd restrictions he'd imposed on them? That only made the case against Lord Badr stronger.

      At least it wouldn't happen again.

      The Castle lordship had been broken into five separate domains, each with a new noble family installed in them. Including Chas and Jade. Darn it.

      The peasants had, surprisingly, been quite pleased with the change. Jade had reported with a derisive little sniff that Lord Badr had never done a very good job of maintaining his estate despite the sheer amount of taxes he took in. Most of which never did make it to either their Majesties as required by law or into caring for the people Lord Badr was responsible for.

      Why did their Majesties have to insist on giving us the mansion? Chas complained as Kelley Allen, the Abaddon carriage driver, careened to a stop in front of Castle Mansion. His last ride with Kelley driving for quite some time and Chas couldn't even enjoy it properly.

      Their Majesties were quite clear on it, Jade said. Amusement wrinkled the corners of his eyes but his lips barely twitched at first. They want people with our particular skills to manage the Mansion. It is centrally located along the Wall, after all.

      He smiled more broadly as Chas snarled. The smile was distinctly besotted, something that Chas would never have suspected that stern, cold Jade Bulgarelli could be before the chain of events that brought them together. Stalking by Phoenix Tanzer, Lord Badr's final heir before his fall, rescue at Jade's hand, time spent in the Hidden Library uncovering explosive plots, then Lord Badr's fall. So much had happened so quickly but Jade had been utterly steadfast in his absorption with Chas, even when Chas had believed his cold mask to be the real man.

      But it was a mask that Jade had crafted to deal with his long-dead father's court back in the Orient. Apparently, there the threat was assignation rather than loss of position and jail but the game was played with just as much seriousness in both courts. Jade had crafted an exquisite mask that hid his true self perfectly.

      Chas had his own mask, that of a sweet, innocent young man who had no idea that anyone could ever be evil, cruel or immoral. Bless his baby-face for that, and the mop of unruly brown curls that topped his head. Without them, Chas would never have been able to carry the impression off. He was far too much like Mother. They would both prefer to knife someone in the back rather than give mercy, even if mercy was deserved.

      We should have insisted someone else take it, Chas complained. He waved away Jade's amused smirk. I know, I know. But you know Ms. Klimy is going to be horrible to us. She'll be so disappointed to serve someone 'unworthy' of her former Lord.

      Jade went decidedly pale at that. His beautiful golden skin went sickly yellow as he swallowed audibly. Chas leaned forward to steal a kiss only to get snatched up into Jade's lap for a much more serious, much longer kiss than he'd intended.

      Kissing Jade was like giving over his soul.

      At least until Kelley cleared his throat at the door to the carriage.

      Kelley, Chas complained. He put on a proper pout because Kelley would never have interrupted the kiss unless they were being observed.

      Sorry, Lord Chas, Kelley said with a huge grin and an eyebrow waggle at him. Got an audience. Didn't figure you wanted your marriage bed to be public.

      …We weren't going to go that far, Chas said with a proper hesitation to make it seem that he would actually have had a problem with being publicly affectionate with Jade if only Jade weren't so magnificently attractive and masculine.

      Which he was. That was true. Chas simply didn't care who saw them together unless it was necessary to play his role.

      We are not making love for the first time in a carriage, Jade declared as he stood Chas up and then guided him out of the carriage. As tempting as the thought is, that's not happening.

      Darn it.

      Kelley handed them both down, a kindness given the frills and satin of their wedding clothes. The ridiculous shoes they'd both worn made clambering down the carriage steps a hazard anyway. Chas would have jumped if it weren't for Ms. Klimy standing stiff and formal with the entire staff behind her.

      All sixty-one of them. Chas blinked and bit his lip. Not a single servant he could trust like Mother's vicious, cut-throat bunch. Not one of them vetted or trustworthy at all. He couldn't even tell which were properly untrustworthy. They'd bowed to Lord Badr's whims and stupidity, accepted his racism and done nothing to help until faced with Chas's baby face and carefully spotless reputation.

      Lord Jade, Consort Chas, Ms. Klimy said between clenched teeth. Welcome home.

      Chas is not a consort, Ms. Klimy, Jade corrected so firmly that Ms. Klimy flinched. Their Majesties have given him rank equal to mine.

      I'm responsible for the estate, Chas explained. Jade is responsible for the Wall.

      Ms. Klimy's eyes went wide. Behind her the servants shifted, not quite whispering but exchanging looks that were a marbled mixture of fear, delight and awe. More fear went towards Chas than Jade. Appropriate given that he now held their fates in his hands. More awe went towards Jade, which was also appropriate given that their Majesties had entrusted him with part of the defenses of the nation.

      The delight was as malicious as could be and all focused on Ms. Klimy.

      Interesting.

      I see, Ms. Klimy said. She shut her eyes for a moment, steeled herself and then smiled at Chas as if her face might break. Welcome home, Lord Chas.

      Thank you! Chas said, bouncing on his toes and beaming back at her. Her stiff smile went wry for a moment before smoothing away into a properly blank mask. We'll be spending a great deal of time together as I sort out how things were run and shift them around. I'll want to talk to absolutely everyone, all the way down to the scullery maids and footmen. Not right away, of course. It is our wedding night. But soon. I really do have to make sure that Lord Badr didn't hurt any of you. It's my duty to make everything right.

      He put on his best solemn expression, the one that made him look approximately ten years old. It worked as it always did, bringing tears to the more sensitive eyes and confused looks from the more cynical. Chas could almost see them asking themselves how someone so innocent and kind could exist.

      A bit tenuous to continue for the long term but until Chas had weeded out the staff, necessary. He'd replace the bigots and ease the public face away over time. Chas nearly started as Jade rested a hand on the small of his back.

      I'm trusting you with Chas' safety, Ms. Klimy, Jade said directly to her which made her pulse leap at her temple. Their Majesties already warned me that I would be pulled away from the Mansion frequently. Chas is… everything for me. I was prepared to leave my birthright behind entirely, to become an Abaddon in name and blood before their Majesties asked us to do this. If anything happened to Chas, there would be… consequences.

      And that shifted the mood dramatically.

      Marvelous how smoothly Jade did that. The footmen and butlers all stiffened, nodding their acceptance of the charge. The maids all looked nervously at Ms. Klimy. The cooks? They shuffled their feet and refused to meet anyone's eyes. Definitely an issue there.

      Ms. Klimy only nodded once, sternly. I will ensure that he is perfectly safe, Lord Jade.

      Then we'll head inside, I think, Chas said, looking at Jade who had his besotted smile on again. He blushed violently before whirling back to Kelley who laughed and held out his arms for a hug. Thank you for driving us here, Kelley.

      Ah, had to be the one driving you to your new home, Chas, Kelley said as he squished Chas in a bear hug. Been driving you around since you left the nursery. Just not going to be the same going home without you in the carriage.

      You'll have to come bring Mother and Father to visit often, Chas said and no, he most certainly wasn't tearing up for real. He was just having a hard time breathing with the strength of Kelley's hug.

      It's a promise, Kelley replied and if his words came out a bit thick, well, he was a bit tipsy. As always. That was all it was. Now go on. Have a good wedding night.

      Kelley, Chas groaned but he put enough little boy drama into it that Kelley just laughed and pushed him back into Jade's arms.

      Jade grinned and scooped Chas up, holding him easily, especially once Chas flung his arms around Jade's neck. There was a little sniff of disapproval from Ms. Klimy at the sheer impropriety. Chas ignored that. He also ignored the giggles and approving murmurs from the rest of the staff.

      Because Jade carried him up the front steps and into Castle Mansion, their new home.

      Their stark white and gold home with its secret passageways and probably duplicitous staff and rampant gossip that Chas was responsible for reining in. None of which really mattered as Jade crossed the threshold, smiled and nuzzled Chas' lips.

      Welcome home, my husband, Jade murmured.

      Chas' blush resurged, heating his entire face and out to his ears to the point his face felt like it was broiling. He grinned and ducked his head a little before looking through his lashes at Jade. Who only smiled like Chas was the sun and Jade was a sunflower following his path across the sky.

      I'm painting you sunflowers, Chas whispered. A whole mural of sunflowers.

      Are you? Jade asked, one eyebrow quirking up. And will you explain why that flower someday?

      Chas laughed as he cuddled close in Jade's arms, very aware that even Ms. Klimy had lots a great deal of her frost. That Kelley was leaning against the carriage, snuffling into an oversized red-and-white handkerchief. That the maids had their hands clasped in front of their chests like this was the most adorable thing they'd ever seen before. Even the nervous, unhappy cooks looked like they were fighting smiles.

      Maybe, Chas allowed. He laughed. But not yet. Welcome home, husband.

      Now that you're here with me, Jade said, clenching Chas' heart in his chest, it is home.

      2. First Morning

      Jade woke to the sound of night soil carts rumbling past the window. He blinked several times. Abaddon Manor was well outside of their usual path. Why were they…? It took several seconds before he remembered yesterday.

      He'd gotten married.

      To Chas. At Court with His Majesty taking their vows before granting lordships on both of them, damn the man.

      He'd thought that he'd argued his Majesty out of that but King Roshan McLain did as he wished and as he was directed by the Gods. Jade chose to believe that his appointment as a Lord of the Wall was more a matter of the Gods making their wishes clear. Very likely, it was Lady Abaddon ensuring that she had another pawn in place to keep the kingdom safe.

      I married a spy master, Jade whispered as he blinked at the slowly brightening light filling their bedroom.

      Mmm?

      Chas mumbled into the pillow, face squinching up with distaste for the early hour. He looked nothing like a spy. Or a spy master. But he was heir to his mother, Lady Abaddon, Queen of the Spies. When she retired or more likely was killed in their Majesties' service, it would be Chas who stepped into her shoes.

      Logic dictated that Chas be Lord of Castle Mansion for that reason alone. Even if he looked like a grumpy cherub as he raised his head and scowled towards the window that they'd left open before falling into bed together.

      Too bright, Chas complained before face-planting in the pillow again.

      Jade chuckled. Go back to sleep, husband. I'm getting up.

      Window, Chas mumbled but his scowl transformed to a pleased smile before his face went lax and he began to snore.

      Jade got up, closed the curtains on the window and then the curtains on the bed for good measure. If there was one thing he'd learned during their engagement, it was that Chas needed to wake up in his own time. If he rose early, it was at his choice. If he slept late, that was his choice, too. His hours were so inconsistent that it was difficult to predict but Chas always knew what his schedule was. Already, Jade had decided to leave both of their schedules to Chas to figure out.

      If he was sleeping late today, well, that meant that there was nothing urgent for them to attend to this morning. Good enough. Jade would get a detailed schedule for the day once Chas rose.

      He slipping into the clothes that they had sent ahead before the wedding. Ms. Klimy had ensured that everything was clean, properly hung or folded in their wardrobes and available for use the instant they chose. Jade decided on simple black trousers, a charcoal grey shirt that Chas adored and a silver brocade vest that Lady Abaddon had said would serve him well in the first few days of their life together. Why, Jade didn't know, but it was hip length, nicely formal and had four deep pockets to carry anything he might need.

      Whatever protections Lady Abaddon had woven into it, well, she hadn't shared that. Jade wasn't going to ask until later. Much later. Perhaps in a decade or so. He was far too intimidated by Lady Abaddon.

      Jade nearly tripped when he left their bedroom only to find Ms. Klimy already there with a breakfast tray for two.

      I've brought breakfast, my Lord, Ms. Klimy declared. I'm certain you'll wish to get started right away with reviewing the staff.

      Jade sighed. Actually, no.

      No? Ms. Klimy asked so sharply that Jade glared at her. My Lord, there are…

      She trailed off when Jade raised a hand and then waved for her to follow him to Uncle Badr's former office up the hallway. Such a change from the Hidden Library. Instead of caverns full of the books of his dreams, Uncle Badr's office, now his office, was filled with impressively bound blank books that Uncle Badr had bought strictly for intimidation purposes.

      The shelves lined the walls. Filled with nothing. The imposing desk had never been used for anything more than threatening Jade and other reluctant people. Uncle Badr's chair was stiff, uncomfortable and far too short a seat for Jade's long legs.

      Ms. Klimy put the tray on the desk with such a scandalized look for the casualness that Jade snorted at her.

      Chas does not rise until he chooses to, Jade ordered. He raised an eyebrow at Ms. Klimy's horrified gasp. You're perfectly free to wake him. I do think you need to get a taste of his temper eventually but I'd recommend waiting until a few days have passed first. Chas wakes when he chooses to. He keeps both my and his schedules firmly in his head and has never once, in our entire time knowing each other, missed a time. I think he has a clock between his ears, honestly. He prefers tea with cream and one sugar for breakfast, the blackest tea you can arrange. We sent some ahead. Brew it strong and bitter. Actually, if you burn the leaves that will be perfect for Chas.

      Lord Jade, Ms. Klimy complained, clutching her chest.

      I know, I know, Jade agreed. It's how his father drinks tea and the man is… well. He knows nothing of true tea. Lunch will be sharply on the noon hour, no matter how recently he woke or what's happening. There can be assassination attempts ongoing and Chas will still expect lunch to be ready for him at noon. I doubt that he'll want to get started right away with the staff. Chas is a bit of a bookworm and he mentioned wanting to go through the libraries first before starting with the staff. And their Majesties did say that we should enjoy a couple of days before beginning work. Chas does take such orders quite seriously.

      The stream of changes had Ms. Klimy huffing before Jade had gotten past tea. She did nod quite firmly about lunch being served at noon, no matter what, but everything else might as well have been an order to strip naked and seduce people in the street. Unsurprising. Ms. Klimy had always been rigid in her schedule. She ran Castle Mansion like clockwork and with as little mercy as any precision clock would have for a mouse caught in its works.

      Lord Jade, Ms. Klimy said, surely as the Lord of Castle Mansion you can overrule him on this.

      Jade snorted. "First, not even Lady Abaddon has managed to get Chas up before he's ready to. I think a mother with the will to drench one with buckets of ice water is more likely to succeed than a man who has just married Chas. I love him. I won't start a battle on the day after my wedding. Second, I am not Lord of Castle Mansion. Chas is. I was simply informing you of what sort

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