“Do you seek revenge, Henri?” she taunted. “Were you embarrassed in front of your friends for having a wife run off? Did you—”
The kick was swift and vicious, striking her in her ribcage, knocking the breath from her. Pain burst throughout her body but she kept her mouth closed. She would not give him the pleasure of hearing her cries.
Henri twisted his mouth in a semblance of a smile. “Your lover cannot help you now,” he said menacingly. “Only I can, Madeleine. Confess your sins to me and I will try to make things right for you with God.”
She tried to quell the mounting hysteria in order to answer him calmly. “The only sin found in this room is with you, Henri. You’ve shown me no love, nor mercy, and you have beaten me in anger. That is your sin, not mine.”
The evil smile still played upon his thin, cruel lips. “I know what you do, Madeleine, and you will not tempt me. We shall do this slowly, methodically, so it will be carried out correctly. In fact, we must exact punishment repeatedly for God to be satisfied.”
*
Madeleine groaned in pain. Henri had left her trussed on the cold stone floor. She was unable to move. He’d promised there would be more. If there was one thing Henri did, it was keep his promises.
If this was God’s judgment upon her for breaking her vows, so be it. Henri had said that he was taking her home to France. She would simply kill herself at sea, fling herself into the murky waters and find death. She knew by taking her own life she would be damned forever but it seemed a small price to pay to escape Henri de Picassaret.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Garrett leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, and stretched lazily, counting the moments until Madeleine returned from the market. His thigh was stiff but he’d incurred far worse injuries in battle. There’d been several nasty wounds over the years, the most severe given to him by a wayward Scot. A slice to the thigh rated as low as a slight bump on the head but he’d let Madeleine fuss over him because he enjoyed her ministrations.
He could not wait until she was back in his bed.
He’d never been so taken with a woman before. But then, Madeleine wasn’t just any woman. He knew that unraveling her layers would take most of this lifetime and on into the next. He looked forward to every minute of it.
Together, they would deal with their problems. He was sure she had been ready to confide in him before Maude interrupted them. Soon, he would learn where she came from and the name of the man that had so cruelly mistreated her. As for Lynnette, that mystery would also be solved. He only had to return to Stanbury and confront Barth. Then he could begin to piece together the puzzle of his wife’s disappearance.
Had she truly left him for a lover—or would Barth reveal a different story? Was there a possibility that Lynnette could be dead?
It was hard for him to remember now just what they’d shared together. He’d always been satisfied with Lynnette as his wife. She’d been a bit meek in their lovemaking but he’d assumed that’s how it was with all ladies of good breeding. She’d brought him considerable wealth and most importantly, Lyssa—a treasure more precious than gold or land.
Madeleine had changed everything, though. The happiness he thought he’d found in his marriage was a pale shadow against the passion he had for this songstress. Madeleine possessed a fire that lit his soul and Garrett knew this as true love. It went beyond even the physical love they’d made, which was full of heat in and of itself. No, he desired her in every way imaginable. He could not—would not—live without her.
But where was she? He was hungry for her, as well as his noon meal. She’d been gone far too long in his opinion. He stood from his comfortable position in the velvet chair, pushing the footstool aside.
He might have known with Maude involved in the marketing it would take longer than usual. The woman drove a harder bargain than his steward ever dreamed of pursuing. If he were smart, Garrett would put Maude in charge of the selling of his wines. He was certain the Hanseatic ports had never seen the likes of a Maude in all their tradings.