Once And Always

Chapter 16

Hello!

Who here thinks Khun Luang Tae is now nice and changed by Khun Tee?

Hold that thought...

Enjoy reading, 

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"I haven't seen a young man create a stir like this since Copter made his bow," Kimmon Varodom said, grinning at Tae as they stood watching Tee at a ball a week later. "He's set every tongue in the city wagging. Did he really tell Mom Luang Warintorn Panhakam he could out shoot him with his own pistol?"

"No," Tae said dryly. "He told him that if he made one more improper advance to him, he would shoot him—and that if he missed, he would turn Hades loose on him. And that if Hades didn't finish the job, he had every faith I would." Tae chuckled and shook his head. "It's the first time I've ever been nominated for the role of hero. I was a little crushed, however, to be second choice after his dog."

Kimmon shot him an odd look, but Tae didn't notice. Tae was watching Tee. Almost completely surrounded by admirers who were vying for his attention, he stood serenely in their midst—a dark-haired young prince holding court with his worshipful subjects. Draped in an ice blue embroidered suit, his fringes almost reaching his eyes, he dominated the entire room with his enchanting presence.

As Tae watched, he noticed Lord Pakorn hovering at his elbow, his eyes looking very closely and intimately to Tee's nape and neck, and then further down. Tae's face whitened with anger. "Excuse me," he said tightly to Kimmon. "Pakorn and I are going to have a little talk."

It was the first of many times to come during the next weeks that the ton witnessed the staggering spectacle of Khun Luang Tae swooping down like an angry hawk upon some overeager swain whose attentions toward Khun Chai Tee became too marked.

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Three weeks after Tee's party, Prama walked into Tae's study. "I have made up the list of candidates for Tee's spouse that you wanted to review," he announced in the voice of one who has been forced to perform a repugnant task and now wishes to be done with it. "I'd like to go over it with you."

Tae glanced up from the report he was reading, and his eyes narrowed on the sheet of paper in Prama's hand. "I'm busy at the moment."

"Nevertheless, I'd like to get this over with. I've found the chore of preparing it singularly unpleasant. I've selected several acceptable candidates, but the task has not been an easy one."

"I'm certain it hasn't," Tae agreed sardonically. "Every fop and fool in Bangkok has been here sniffing after him." Having said that, Tae returned his attention to the report. "Go ahead and read off the names, if you must."

Frowning in surprise at Tae's dismissive attitude, Prama took the seat across the desk from him and put on his spectacles. "First, there is young Lord Suparat, who has already asked my permission to court him."

"No. Too impulsive," Tae decreed flatly.

"What makes you say so?" Prama said with a bewildered look.

"Suparat doesn't know Khun Tee well enough to want to 'court' him, as you so quaintly phrased it."

"Don't be ridiculous. The first four men on this list have already asked my permission to do the same thing—providing, of course, that your claim on him is not unbreakable."

"No, to all four of them—for the same reason," Tae said curtly, leaning back in his chair, absorbed in the report in his hand. "Who's next?"

"Suparat's friend, Lord Tangsrisuk."

"Too young. Who's next?"

"Arthur Lancaster."

"Too short," Tae said cryptically. "Next?"

"An English lord, William Rogers," Prama shot back in a challenging voice, "and he's tall, conservative, mature, intelligent, and handsome. He's also heir to one of the finest estates in England. I think he would do very well for Nong'Tee."

"No."

"No?" Prama burst out. "Why not?"

"I don't like the way Rogers sits a horse."

"You don't like—" Prama bit out in angry disbelief; then he glanced at Tae's implacable face and sighed. "Very well. The last name on my list is Lord Vachirawit Chivaree. He sits a horse extremely well, in addition to being an excellent chap. He is also tall, handsome, intelligent, and wealthy. Now," he finished triumphantly, "what fault can you find with him?"

Tae's jaw tightened ominously. "I don't like, him."

"You aren't going to marry him!" Prama shot back, his voice rising.

Tae lurched forward in his chair and slammed his hand on his desk. "I said I don't like him," he said through clenched teeth. "And that's the end of it."

The anger on Prama's face slowly gave way to surprise, then to a mirthless smile. "You don't want him, but you don't want anyone else to have him—is that it?"

"Right," Tae replied acidly. "I don't want him."

Tee's low, furious voice sounded from the doorway behind them. "I don't want you either!"

Both men's heads snapped around, but as he came forward, his magnificent dark eyes were trained exclusively on Tae's impassive face. He braced his palms on his desk, his chest heaving with angry hurt. "Since you're so worried about getting me off your hands if P'Godt doesn't come for me, I'll make every effort to find several substitutes for him, but you would never be one of them! You aren't worth a tenth of him. He's gentle and kind and good, while you are cold and cynical and conceited and—and a bastard!"

The word "bastard" ignited a leaping fury in Tae's eyes. "If I were you," he retaliated in a low, savage voice, "I'd start looking for those substitutes, because your good old P'Godt doesn't want you any more than I do!"

Humiliated past bearing, Tee whirled on his heel and stalked out of the room, only one thought in his mind: somehow he was going to show Khun Luang Tae Darvid Kreepolrerk that other people did want him. And he was never, never going to let himself trust him again. In the last weeks, he had been lulled into thinking they were friends. He had even thought the Khun Luang liked him. He remembered the name he had just called him, and his humiliation doubled. How could he have let Khun Luang to provoke him into calling him names!

When he had gone, Prama turned to Tae. "Congratulations," he said bitterly. "You've wanted him to despise you since the day he arrived at Khon Kaen, and now I know why. I've seen the way you watch him when you think no one is looking. You want him and you're afraid that in a weak moment you'll ask him to marr—"

"That's enough!"

"You want him," Prama continued furiously, "you want him, and you care for him, and you hate yourself for that weakness. Well, now you don't have to worry—you've humiliated him so thoroughly he'll never forgive you for it. Both of you were right. You are a bastard, and that Godt isn't going to come for him. Gloat away, Tae Darvid. You don't have to worry about weakening anymore. He'll hate you even more as soon as he realizes Godt isn't coming. Enjoy your triumph."

Tae picked up the report he had been reading earlier, his expression glacial. "Make out another list during the next week and bring it to me."

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Tae's stupidity intensifies... XD

Let me know what you think about this bastard and poor humiliated Tee. hahaha

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