Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,62
they were alone before turning his anger loose on her.
She opened her mouth to confess, but William spoke to her first, and she held the breath that had been difficult to take in.
“You will forgive me if I have pressing matters to attend to?”
Marianne blinked. She had not expected his calm demeanor and soft gaze.
Remembering his guests, and that he had been making an effort to improve his sword skills, she determined they were the matters that needed attending to.
Still, she did no believe for a moment that this would be the last she would see of his anger. It would drive her mad waiting for him to confront her with his accusations later.
Why had she not thought about the consequences of her actions before carrying them out?
“Of—of course.”
The four men quietly turned and went back in the direction of their training space near the courtyard. Bryce, Hugh and Nicholas stole curious glances at Marianne as they went.
William never looked back at her, and Marianne watched them go with her eyes focused on William’s back. Regret filled her.
He had not made a declaration of love to her last night, but what they shared opened a door to her that had previously been shut, a door leading to him. ‘Twas important enough for her to have no desire of returning to their former hostile and suspicious natures.
“Milady? ‘Tis getting cold, perhaps we should go inside?” Olma said, shivering for affect, but Marianne ignored her.
William barely spoke a word to her, and she was sure he knew she was seeking out Robert. If he was aware that she was digging where she ought not to be, he should have given her a verbal thrashing for it where she stood.
Yet he did not. He walked away to the consoling words of his friends.
What had he thought she was doing that was so terrible it could not be spoken aloud?
Marianne became angry. A suspicion formed in her mind as to what he thought she would be seeking out another man for, and instead of asking her about it he left to think horrible thoughts about her with his companions.
Men, they never wished to speak about anything, and forever would women suffer for it. No matter, she would make him speak and tell her what he thought she was doing. Then she would scream at him for daring to insult her in such a manner.
“Milady? Milady!” James called when she stormed in the direction of her husband.
She should have realized that one night in his bed would not change how he felt about her. His feelings remained the same as they had ever been. Lust.
She was a bed partner to him and nothing more. That would not do at all.
Marianne spared no time to be surprised when she came upon them and discovered them not training, but speaking of other things. She was too angry to hear anything other than her own name from William’s lips, suggesting that the entire conversation had been about her.
William’s back was to her as she came, but he did not see the shocked stares of his friends until she forcefully spun him around.
“I demand to know why your feelings towards me have not changed.”
“What?” He looked at his shocked friends, and then over Marianne’s head, as if searching for the source of her sudden madness.
Olma and James stood watching in the distance, having stopped following her so that she might have some privacy to rage at her husband. Then receive her punishment for it.
Marianne paid no mind to the confusion on his face, rage took over and she continued to babble her words without thinking. “What did you think my purpose was with Robert? I spend one night in your bed and am a whore now, is that how I am?”
His eyes narrowed at her, teeth bared. “You know not of what you speak.”
She jabbed the center of his chest with her finger. “You refuse to trust me!”
“Refuse to trust you!” He roared. Marianne shot back a step. “I have defended you when my own son accused you of aiding your father in the theft from my castle, after you have me brought to a church by force for a marriage! And you say I place no trust upon you?”
Nicholas stepped forward and asked her gingerly, “Milady, forgive me, but what was your purpose in seeking out Robert?”
Marianne flushed and folded her arms. “I was enjoying a walk, nothing more.” She put emphasis on the last of her sentence,