Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 786

Rafael waited a full hour, but Malcolm never showed up.

The prince was furious. He couldn't believe the audacity of the Quinton family. He had sent someone to inform Malcolm last night, and yet today, there was no sign of the man.

It seemed they thought Carissa's visit warranted a deliberate snub. While it wasn't as blatant as the way the Duke of Oakspire's family had treated her by keeping her waiting outside, it was hardly better.

Rafael was fiercely protective of his wife. He wouldn't tolerate anyone bullying him, and he certainly wouldn't stand for anyone mistreating Carissa.

Without caring about whether Malcolm wanted the rest of the Quinton family to know about this matter, he called out to the assembled Quinton men, announcing, "You should all know that Eleanor placed a pawn in your family—a mistress Lord Malcolm Quinton has kept outside for three years, with whom he has a daughter."

Having said his piece, Rafael turned and strode away with Jacob in tow, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

The members of the Quinton family could hardly believe what they had just heard.

How could this be possible?

They prided themselves on their scholarly reputation and strict adherence to decorum. It was unthinkable that anyone in their family would keep a mistress. Even the number of concubines in their household was limited, and the hierarchy between wife and concubines was well-defined.

A concubine was essentially the property of the primary wife—managed by her and could only attend to her husband according to the schedule she arranged. That rule had been followed for a long time and was as strict as national laws for the Quinton family.

Malcolm had never been one to indulge in lust. He rarely ventured into the quarters of his concubines—maybe two or three times a month at most. Most of the time, he stayed in his wife's quarters. Their love was a well-known tale in the capital, a harmonious pairing that everyone admired.

Yet, here was Rafael, claiming Malcolm had kept a mistress all along?

"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Herbert Quinton, one of the older Quinton family members, exclaimed.

He shook his head vigorously and looked at the astonished faces of his relatives, especially at Malcolm's eldest son, Lionel Quinton.