Chapter 1
The small square box was the first direct communication between Jag Martin and his husband-to-be.
Jag cradled the box in his palm, wondering if he should open it. Nobody had told him what to do should Brace Rivers send him a gift. He supposed nobody had thought to mention it because it had never happened before. All messages, all gifts, all introductions, should take place between the families of the intended. Had his parents seen this tiny box? Did they know who delivered it? It must have arrived while Jag was in the bath, applying the strange concoctions and oils left for him by Drake, the family’s only servant.
The box arrived without a card, but Jag knew the gift came from Rivers. The box had the traditional mark of a wedding present—two purple entwined vines growing towar
