Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,37
hardly any luggage or men to guard whatever possessions you carry, and in clothes that appear ten years old at that. ‘Tis a miracle you were not robbed. What is the real cause for you to risk yourself like this?”
William meant his question seriously. Even he in his apathy had known to keep his animals in proper condition. Seeing Holton riding into his stable on horses that were better used for the dogs was difficult to swallow.
Holton seemed to understand this and hesitated, thumbing his cup. Finally, having no other lie to present him with he nodded and placed his drink on the table that held the pitcher. He held one shaking hand in another as though preparing to plead for his life. “Before I tell you, might I ask that you take pity on me and not throw me away, for the sake of my daughter.”
William’s eyes became slits. “I have seen the way you handle your daughter and your servants. Do not try to use her to gain what you want!”
William realized too late that he’d raised his voice, so he bit his tongue. He turned towards the door and listened carefully for any sound that might be on the other side. There was no startled gasp, no sound of feminine shoes against the floor. Silence.
He hoped that if Marianne was on the other side that she had not heard him lash out. If there were servants standing out there, hoping to hear a bit of gossip, he would handle it later.
“You will either tell me why you burden me with your presence or I will throw you to the wolves.”
Holton paled and shamefully lowered his head. “I am penniless.”
William was certain he had heard incorrectly. He leaned forward so that he might hear better. “I beg your pardon?”
Holton continued as if he had not heard him. “I have nothing. Nearly everything in my home was stripped away to pay for Marianne’s dowry, I had naught left to pay my debts to Sir Ferdinand. I had to give him my land.”
“Debts? You owed Sir Ferdinand money?” William had not forgotten that Marianne had kidnapped him to be away from that creature, and the truth came to him quickly. “You offered Marianne to him to pay off a debt you owe?”
Again, Holton nodded, and he refused to look William in the eye. He was like a child being reprimanded, and whatever small remaining respect William held for him vanished.
“What sort of debt?”
Holton’s fists clenched under the scrutiny. “Gambling,”
“Good God!” William was not sure what horrified him the most. “You threw away your only daughter to satisfy an unpayable gambling debt?”
Holton finally faced him, his face puffed up and eyebrows drawn together. “What would you have done?”
“Certainly not that.” It explained so much and then much more that he had not noticed the first time.
When he said to Marianne that her father had told him everything that day in their chamber, he lied. What he had assumed had not been half as horrendous as this. “The day you brought them here, Marianne and Archer, you weren’t in a rage because you thought that Archer had tricked your daughter. You whipped him because you knew that without Marianne you had naught with which pay your debt.”
Holton clenched both fists tighter than before, they turned white and shook under the pressure. “That does not make it right! He tricked her into doing something unspeakable! Horribly unspeakable to both you and I, and it cost the both of us dearly!”
“Nay, it has only cost you dearly. If you had married off Marianne to that whoreson, your debt would have been paid and she would be gone, like she was supposed to be since she was thirteen. Perhaps having her out of your care would allow you to wed easier since there would be no one to care for the Holton home, correct?”
“‘Tis Ferdinand’s home now.” Holton muttered hatefully. “All he would allow me to keep were the few things I could pack onto that small cart, two of my oldest mules, the horses and Clovis.”
William resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair or sigh too loudly. Though baffled, he still wished to hold his position of power over the man.
“Dear Lord, you bet everything with those dice, didn’t you? And now that you are a beggar you cannot even search for a wealthy bride.” William remembered Marianne telling him that the men who aided in his abduction were family men.