Chapter 36
Flange Orphanage, City: Three Prongs Fork, Republic of Shantu, Continent: Barat, the Year 2022, Planet: Grimoire
Thanks to his earlier suspicions having been on target about who was coming, and spying on the vehicles that arrived, Doyle determined that his presence wasn't necessary.
As a result of his earlier actions, Doyle Moline was able to bow out of the formal dinner that he'd helped set up properly. "I honestly think I'd be a hindrance to your dinner party than a good influence." He told her. "The visitors are some that I don't have good working relationships with, I fear."
Tesha frowned at him. "What did you do, have affairs with them or their spouses?"
"Err, close enough?" Doyle ducked when she swatted at him.
"Tell me the truth!" Tesha hadn't believed that coming from him.
Doyle held up his hands in surrender. "All right, all right." He hadn't committed any crimes other than not accepting anything from them in the financial sense.
Doyle didn't trust any of those shady individuals. "It is more of a case that I wouldn't accept financing from the Governor, his aide, or others with whom they did business together in our last meeting." A sigh escaped him. "If you recall what I mentioned earlier?"
Tesha nodded.
Doyle made his disinclination quite clear. "Some of their people have connections with the neighboring Empire, Taxos-Moline royal duchy and marquisate."
Tesha's eyes widened at his bald addition. "I would sooner walk through molten glass than suffer through another formal gathering with those two individuals anytime soon."
She coughed at that. Doyle grimaced. "Right, I do remember having done that on a stupid dare." He still had the scars and crippled toes to prove his stupidity.
Tesha shook her head. "Well, Commander Darmono and a few others will be attending. I think they'll be understanding regarding your absence. Though I have a feeling Darmono might still seek you out later." She shrugged. "You have my permission not to attend. The children are in your room and still in that box."
"Thank you." Doyle smiled with relief.
Rather, he received Tesha's polite permission to take his portion of the meal to his temporary room.
"Here," Tesha handed him a hefty portion placed on a tray. "Jessa is currently preparing your room. She'll have brought up a variety of snacks and drinks for your enjoyment." She eyed him. "Jessa is not part of the service."
Hmm, the message was received loud and clear. "I give my word that I won't touch her." Doyle nodded to Tesha who eyed him with surprise.
"So, what sparked that decision?" She was distinctly too curious about his private life right now.
Doyle didn't mind indulging her curiosity. It wasn't as if she would spread it around the area. "I'm currently enjoying the tail end of an abstinent streak that lasted four months." He still wasn't inclined to enjoy any flirtations. He'd tired of that...well longer than four months now that he thought about it.
Tesha stared at him in shock. "I wasn't aware that the Taxos-Moline Empire required that of men."
They both knew it was the exact opposite. "Mmm, very true, they don't." Doyle shrugged. "I just chose to enforce that decision on my own terms." That was yet another reason why Doyle hadn't wanted to remain a citizen of that parochial society.
Tesha gaped at him in complete confusion. "Well, I never," She sputtered at last.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not a damned saint." Doyle shook his head. "I'm out of here."
He left before she chased him with a hard wooden spoon.
Once finding the room given to him, Doyle exchanged polite conversation with Jessa and sent her off with a polite nod.
Fortunately, she hadn't tried to do anything further than report on the children's condition. She did mention that the one he'd named Grifton, seemed rather restless though he'd calmed down when speaking to him.
After closing the door behind Jessa, Doyle finally relaxed completely for the first time that evening. "Alone at last." Well, except for the four infants.
That reminded him, that he was still in everyday clothing. He continued to the wardrobe and found a spare pair of sleeping wear plus a robe. "Just what I need to complete my comfort for the rest of the night."
He dressed in the sleep shirt and pants, put on some sock shoes that would keep his feet warm, and pulled on a robe over the shirt when he noticed it exposed his neck and collarbones. A shiver ran down Doyle's spine when he recalled Darmono's appraisal of his soaked appearance. "Ugh, why'd I have to recall that now?"
An uncomfortable warmth surged through his entire body. "This isn't the time for such reactions." Doyle fumed. Besides, if he wasn't mistaken there were some results that he hoped Tesha wouldn't leak to the nosy individuals coming for the dinner affair.
"Well, even if she does reveal the results, I don't think it'll just because she's a fan of gossiping." Doyle knew that was not in her nature. Nah, if she had to reveal all the test results then it meant something else was going on than met the eye. "I just hope I'm not dragged into some kind of international incident because those idiots are here."
He despised the current Governor Jedidiah Hemsworth and his aide Stenton. They were totally sleazy and made him want to strangle them both. However, because they managed the entirety of the Shantu Republic, Doyle wasn't about to go anywhere near them unless in an official capacity. "I think I stayed with them for far too long." Nausea rose briefly at the thought of having to speak with them so soon. "Meh, I'll just ignore them if they come prowling around." He considered his options and shrugged. "Likely they'll behave if the Commander is around." That much he knew Darmono could do in a crowd. He commanded respect wherever he went. That recollection cheered Doyle up though he wasn't sure why exactly. "Guess maybe there's a bit of hero worship still in my heart." He'd always admired Darmono for his professional accomplishments if nothing else.