Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue - Julie Johnstone Page 0,100

home.

Home. The word put a sour, bitter taste in her mouth. It was not her home. It was Asher’s home, the blackguard, lying manipulator.

She had no notion what she was going to do. She needed time to think and plan. Should she confront him? Should she flee him? He had his inheritance firmly secured now, he would probably not even come after her since…since—Her throat tightened as if she was going to cry again, but she refused to allow it. She was not some simpering, weepy, helpless lady! She was a strong woman. She had a mind of her own. She did not need Asher to be happy, despite how her heart protested the thought. He had lied to her. He had deceived her. She would harden her heart to him if it killed her, but when she got home, she would lock herself in one of the bedchambers first. She was not a fool, after all. She needed time to harden her heart.

The drive home was faster than she had hoped, and she had the oddest sense of being followed. Yet, every time she glanced over her shoulder, she saw no one. After handing off the curricle to one of the stable boys, she entered the house hoping to make for the stairs unseen. Asher was no doubt awaiting her, given they were to go to the Orcus Society tonight, but she no more than set one foot on the first step than Asher’s voice came at her from behind. “I’ve been waiting for you, mo chridhe.”

The endearment—was it even an endearment?—did not sound natural. How had she missed that before? Had she simply heard what she had wanted to? Her heart tripped at having to face him and at the edge in his voice. He was vexed. Well, his ire at her returning late was nothing compared with her rage. Clenching her jaw, she thrust back her shoulders and turned toward him.

His cool gaze swept over her and settled on her face. “Where are yer ribbons?”

For a moment, she didn’t know what he was talking about, and then she blinked, recalling her lie to the coachman earlier. She could rail at him now, tell him she knew he did not love her, had not married her for anything other than his own gain, but she couldn’t bear it. She suddenly felt desperate to get away from him. Swallowing, she said, “They did not have the color I wanted.”

His cold gaze hardened, and his mouth grew grim. “Nay?”

Her breath quickened at the thread of anger in his voice. Did he know she was lying? Perhaps he suspected it. Let him wonder as she stood wondering now why he had wed her.

“No,” she said simply, warily.

He stepped toward her, and she found herself backing up to keep distance between them. His gaze narrowed a bit more, but he stopped, his mouth twisting unpleasantly. “It took ye a long time for a trip to get ribbon. Did ye encounter someone ye know?”

She thought immediately of Kilgore, but she would not tell Asher that. She didn’t want him going to Kilgore and confronting him until she was ready to confront Asher. “My sisters,” she said, dismissing any guilt. She would need to tell her sisters so they would not give her away.

“I see.” His voice, though quiet, had an ominous quality that made her shiver.

She needed distance before she blurted what she had discovered and he possibly gave her false, soothing answers that she feared she would be too weak to question and, instead, would simply accept. She needed time to think everything through.

“Asher—”

“Guinevere—” he said at the same time.

She had intended to tell him she had a megrim and could not go with him to the club tonight when he said, “I’m afraid my plans for tonight have changed. I’ve some business to attend to, so…”

Her stomach dropped that he was abandoning the plans they had made. Perhaps he was tired of the charade? Perhaps now that he had slaked his desire for her, he simply did not care to pretend.

“Yes, of course,” she forced herself to reply, going up another step. The sting in the back of her eyes alerted her to the fact that tears would come, no matter what she had promised herself. “I’ve a megrim anyway,” she offered before turning and starting up the stairs.

Behind her, he said, “That’s convenient.”

That’s convenient!

She paused. He was apparently not going to bother to pretend at all anymore. The desire to