Chapter 3

"I heard Myron's back. What do you think about that?" Floyd asked when he came back drunk at night, wrapping his arms around my neck and rubbing against me like a puppy.

"That tickles." I gently pushed him onto the bed. Picking up a warm cloth to wipe his face and sober him up, I said, "I'm yours, Floyd. Whether he comes back or not, I'll always be yours."

Floyd was delighted. With his boozy breath, he leaned in and kissed me. "I knew I wasn't wasting my love on you."

He held me and kissed me for a long while before finally stopping. Then he looked at me, sighed, and his eyes grew serious. "You know, being with me means you'll never be a lady of status. Do you ever regret it?"

Floyd could be unpredictable, but he always had my back. I knew that since marrying him, although I was a concubine, no one in the manor dared bully me.

For someone like me, just nobody, being able to live like this was already pretty good. I was honestly satisfied.

I shook my head, cupped his face in my hands, and said, "Having you is more than enough for me."

But out of nowhere, Floyd snapped. He shoved the copper basin off the stool, sending it clattering to the floor. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me. "Don't lie to me.

"If you're content, why have you been sneaking that herbal brew to keep from getting pregnant ever since you married me? If your heart's still with Myron, I'll send you back to him."

The water from the basin splashed all over me.

I jumped in surprise, but all I could do was put on a smile and say, "Floyd, you're drunk. You should get some rest."

I wanted to stay alive, so I couldn't be honest with him.

Floyd was not so easily tricked as he had once been that day. He sat up, gripped my chin tightly, and demanded, "Jewel, you've been with me for so long. Why can I never capture your heart? Get out."

I nodded and didn't resist, even though the night air outside was icy cold.

But I had barely taken a few steps when Floyd suddenly got out of bed and tossed a blanket at me. "Take this and sleep outside. Don't catch a cold. Getting a doctor costs money, you know."

I nodded, clutching the blanket as I headed out. Before leaving, I pulled another blanket from the cabinet and spread it out for him.

His body was delicate; I couldn't let him catch a chill. If he got sick, sure, money was one thing, but I'd be the one stuck looking after him.

But just as I lay down outside with the blanket, Floyd suddenly stumbled out after me. Still drunk, he plopped down beside me, clinging to me. "Jewel, my head's spinning. Hold me, will you?"

I sighed. The formidable Mr. Gregory, decisive and ruthless outside, acted like a child in front of me, so good at acting spoiled.

Suddenly, I didn't feel sorry for myself. The wind was cold, sure, but I had a blanket, and with someone like Floyd, born with a silver spoon and all, right here beside me, I wasn't lonely at all.

I reached out from under the blanket and started massaging Floyd's shoulders and neck. He got so comfortable that he just fell asleep right there on the floor. He was so reckless.

Panicked, I hurried next door and woke up the maids and footmen. Together, we carried him back inside and put him to bed.

Afraid he might kick off the covers and catch cold in the night, I slept by the door, going in every hour or two to check on him and tuck him in.

I got a salary as his concubine, so of course I had to take good care of him. I knew I was of low birth. Even though maids attended to me, I never considered myself a proper lady of the house.

I thought of myself merely as his bed wench and only did the duty that belonged to me.

If he ever got bored of me and tossed me out, as long as I didn't end up in a brothel or shipped off to the army, I could probably still scrape by with my embroidery skills.

The next morning, Floyd reached for me but found the bed empty beside him.

He called out anxiously, "Jewel!"

I called back right away, "Floyd, I was sleeping outside the door. I'll come in and help you wash up."

Only then did Floyd remember the outrageous things he did last night. He rushed to open the door and swept me up into his arms, blanket and all.

He asked, worry written all over his face, "Jewel, are you cold? Come back inside and get some sleep. I'll have someone get the brazier going to warm you up."

After he set me down, Floyd rushed out of the room barefoot, only to run straight into his old nanny, the one who had raised him since he was little.

She started in on him, scolding that he was letting me get way too out of hand.

Floyd frowned. "She's mine, and I'll spoil her however I damn well please. If you keep yapping, I'll send you back to Journ to stay with my mother."

Hearing that, the nanny clamped her mouth shut and didn't dare say another word.

Floyd was super protective of me. In his eyes, I belonged to him, and he'd never let anyone push me around. He'd take it as a slap in the face, even though I was his concubine.

Feeling guilty, Floyd was extra sweet today. He even let me warm my icy feet on his stomach and promised to take me to the Treasure Coffer Hall to pick out some jewelry as an apology.

Floyd was always generous with me when it came to spending. He had given me things like gold filigree hairpins, ruby-encrusted temple tiaras, and bracelets.

Honestly, I was more than happy for him to pick out jewelry for me. Those pieces were worth a pretty penny. If he ever kicked me out and let me take them, that'd be my savings for the future.

As Floyd held me close in the Treasure Coffer Hall, he gestured casually and said, "Bring those pieces over, and those boxes too. Let my darling have a look."

The Treasure Coffer Hall was his own business, after all. He was browsing his own shop, spending his own money to pamper his woman.

The shopkeeper, though it pained him a bit to see all those treasures handed over to me, could only keep a polite smile on his face.