Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,13

wife’s humor only when it was crude.

William was warmed from the inside out. When Anne said she bore him no grudge with such a smile on her face William knew she told the truth.

He looked at Marianne, who gently put her arms around the smaller woman and stared at him, baffled and face alight with pleasure, before turning her attention back to her new cousin.

He laughed harder at the expression on her face, only to become somber again when he saw that Ferdinand had slipped away without notice.

***

Marianne could hardly believe her ears. Between Lady Anne’s insinuations and Lord Gray’s explanation she would not have been shocked if someone told her that her face matched her hair.

The nerve of him! To put the blame entirely on her for their hasty wedding and embarrass her in front of all her new relatives. She wanted to claw at him.

Still, she was aware that he could have said less than respectable things about her. The fact that he was even speaking on her behalf made her angry all over again, but she was a married woman, and he her husband, which meant there was naught she could do but let him. For now.

If Lady Anne could have so much freedom then Marianne would soon have the same.

William clapped his hands and stole everyone’s attention. “Now, to the feast! Be merry because tonight we all celebrate!”

Marianne barely managed to endure the celebration without bursting into tears. Her nerves were so tight that her hands shook with the strain as a new fear laced through her.

What should she do if an argument broke out? If someone complained about their seating arrangements? She had not planned this event, nor had she ever since her father never found a need to have guests.

The fear would not leave her once it came, and she could only be grateful that sir Ferdinand was no longer within sight. The dancing, laughing, and music did naught to raise her spirits either, and being forced to dance with every male member of the party had been just as horrifying as each one asked questions she had trouble answering.

What did she really know about Lord Gray? What could she say to explain a hasty wedding that would not turn her into a deceiver? That her marriage was based on a real contract and not one of her vengeful whims.

Marianne had yet to be introduced to Blaise. She hardly knew what she would do when she finally came face to face with him. She prayed that event would not be for some time now. In fact, she should have met him already. But there had been no mention of him at all.

She openly sighed when William finally took her hand and stole her away from everyone. She forgot all about Blaise when his hands clasped her shoulders, kneading the tension in her muscles to a calm warmth with his knuckles.

With little force, he used this method and turned her about and led her out of the main hall and into the darkness of the castle.

Though she was far too relaxed and exhausted from her journey to care that the night was still young, she could not help but ask. “Will we not wish the guests a good night?”

His fingers rubbed her lower neck, his thumbs pressing into her shoulder blades through her gown in a way that had her fully alert again. “Nay, I think not. I want no interruptions tonight.”

His mouth closed in on her ear. Marianne quivered with his words that filled her with promise, his hands sending a tingle through her gown that was not entirely unpleasant. “No delay, and no one shall bother to look for us as they are so occupied with their dancing and ale.”

His words were reassuring, but when the heavy oak door to his, nay, their chamber shut and locked behind her, she found herself terrified to immobility.

She stood in her husband’s chamber, her chamber now as well, one of the few places the lord and lady of the castle could find some privacy, and she was frightened.

She did not wish for privacy. She knew where it would lead.

The fire had been prepared for them and the chamber was warm and inviting. He had planned this. He had planned to lure her away from the guests unnoticed so he might have her without any drunken men or snooping women trying to interrupt.

She supposed she had to be grateful that he offered her at least that.

Thick, sweet