Libertine's Wife (4 page)

She wore her mother’s wedding dress for
the occasion, heartsick while dressing to think she intended to
wear it to marry Julian. It was an ivory satin confection that was
hastily pressed for the sudden nuptials. The drooping nosegay of
flowers Anna Wilkes pressed into her hand before the ceremony
seemed to match her dismal mood.

Arianne knew real fear at that moment.
Bound to this man through trickery; she could only pray he treated
her kindly. Her moist hands trembled. She discarded the small
bouquet on the scarred bureau top. His unrelenting back stiffened,
as though sensing her presence.

“
Do you think me a fool?”
Ravensford asked coldly with his back to her, making her jump from
the sound of his velvety soft voice. “We both know I never touched
you that night.”

The precise, well-modulated voice
didn’t shout. The effect was the same. Arianne was startled as he
turned. A trembling hand went to her throat, feeling speared by his
accusing gaze. Sickening dread fluttered in the pit of her stomach.
Eustace assured her the man would have little memory of that night.
Ravensford was supposed to believe he forced himself on her. It was
obvious he saw through their duplicity.

“
Perhaps you have no memory
of it, my lord?” She panicked to see his lip curl in disgust. “You
were quite drunk.”

“
Obviously you must think me
an imbecile, girl. I was hardly drunk. I remember everything that
happened that night, except the part where I relieved you of your
delightful innocence.” His green eyes looked her up and down
insultingly. “Oh, and just so you know; one doesn’t usually take
the time to leave such evidence on the sheets if they had any to
start with.”

Arianne stiffened in fear, reminded of
the reasons she did this. Her love for Julian made her raise her
chin a notch higher. She met his harsh regard without shaking under
his wrath-filled stare. “One doesn’t ask to be set upon by a drunk
who fails to find his way to his own room either, Lord Ravensford.”
She refused to be cowed by his harsh, disbelieving
glance.

“
You might wish to tell your
brother to find another drug to use on his next victim. I
distinctly recall passing out after one drink,” the marquis fumed.
“You might have gotten your way in this, little girl, but you will
find being my wife not at all to your liking.”

Arianne’s eyes widened at the subtle
warning. “What do you mean?”

The man laughed without humor. “For
one, you might have gotten my name, my lady, but that is all you
will get! You’re to be packed off to one of my estates. How does
that sound? It’s far better than you deserve!”

Arianne was pleased. She wouldn’t have
to endure his company for long at all. It was obvious the man hated
her. She stayed silent, seeing the rage in his eyes. His lips were
compressed in fury, his emerald eyes like chips of ice.

“
Can I assume by your
refusal to speak up in my defense that you’re also no virgin?” He
smiled smugly at her flaming features. “Ah, so I’m the one to pay
for you raising your skirts for another, am I? Why is the husband
always the bloody last to know?”

Arianne stayed silent, refusing to
engage his anger. He strode forward, his gaze sliding over her
paling features with contempt. She nearly shrank away from the
anger she sensed in him.

“
Had I know you were so free
with your favors that night; I might have paid more attention to
you, my sweet.” His eyes slid lower to her bosom, leering in
obvious admiration. “A great deal more attention.”

Arianne endured his mocking laughter
then, knowing she deserved every bit of it for what she did. She
looked down, unable to bear his scorn any longer. He reached out
and grabbed her chin in a vice grip, forcing her to look up at
him.

“
Oh no, don’t you look away
from me now, my sweet little wife,” her husband whispered harshly.
“Your performance as the despoiled virgin is over. Well done. I
commend you for maintaining such a martyred stance throughout this
farce. I seemed to have forced myself on you in a drunken fit, did
I? And you allowed me my way and endured me, did you? We both know
you’re no damned innocent! I’d put money on that if I wasn’t so
light in the pockets after dealing with your damned
brother!”

“
Stop it! Please, my lord.”
Arianne skittered away from him, putting the bureau between them,
trembling from his anger.

“
Stop what? Stop speaking
the truth?” He regarded her with a black scowl. “We both know the
real game here, girl! I am no fool! Your brother has bled me for a
damned fortune! And you stand by and do nothing!”

“
Please keep your voice
down, my lord,” Arianne implored, reddening at his insulting words.
“The reverend may still be here.”

Ravensford chuckled at that. “Worried
you might shock him? It might surprise that good man to know how
low you would go to get a husband to cover your shame.”

“
I refuse to discuss this
with you while you’re in a bad temper,” Arianne snapped, angry now
at his continued baiting of her. “You’re unable to see reason right
now. When you calm down—”

“
You have no bloody idea how
I feel or care! Don’t tell me to calm down,” he shot back harshly,
his handsome face flushed with rage. “You will regret forcing me to
this, that I can promise you.”

“
I am so very sorry this has
happened, my lord.” She stared at his angry features, her fear
growing with his rage. “You have no idea how much I regret
it.”

“
I will give you ample
reflection for your actions. We will see how I compare with the one
who ruined you. It may prove entertaining.” Arianne stared at him,
the blood draining from her features. “I might as well have what I
was blamed for taking before I leave you to rot at my estate, Lady
Ravensford. Ready yourself to leave within the hour! If I stay here
much longer, I will choke the life out of both you and your damned
brother!”

With that, the man spun upon
his heel and stalked from the salon. She heard the front door open
and slam behind him. Arianne collapsed against the bureau, her
heart hammering in her breast.
He knew they
deceived him!

Just his contemptuous words alone
assured her he had no doubt of why he was forced to marry her, for
that, and her brother’s desperate need for funds.

The thought of Lord Ravensford coming
to her bed made her shudder in revulsion, anticipating he would
enjoy hurting her. Pain filled her to know she must allow it.
Thinking of Julian, she closed her eyes, clinging to his handsome
young visage. The thought of another man’s hands upon her so
intimately made her tense and recoil with dismay and disgust.
Thinking of Julian’s tender lovemaking, she began to weep for what
she must do.

~ ~ ~

Under the allotted hour, her trunks
were hefted down to Ravensford’s coach. He stood outside pacing in
wait, unwilling to step one foot back into the house. He sent
annoyed glances at the servants who carried out her belongings,
snapping at them to make all haste.

Eustace approached the foot of the
stairs in the foyer. He grinned as he saw her come down in a pale
green traveling costume. She longed to smack the smug smile from
his face. His enjoyment of it was beyond good taste. His handsome
face was wreathed in gloating.

Eustace was tall and lanky, and as
blond as she. Her brother embraced her warmly and stood back,
looking down at her with pride shining in his gaze. His dandified,
well-dressed presence at the foot of the stairs could only mean he
was on his way out.

Seeing her brother so pleased
infuriated her, knowing his destination was his favorite gambling
establishment. He wasted no time in rushing out to spend
Ravensford’s money.

“
Did I not tell you all
would work as we wished?” Eustace was puffed up in his own
arrogance. “You are now Lady Ravensford! A bloody marchioness!
Think of how proud our father and mother would be? You could appear
happy. What’s the sulk for, puss?”

Arianne gave an outraged gasp, staring
at him in dismay. “Happy? Is that what I should be? Our parents
would roll over in their graves to know what we’ve stooped to! You
have set me up to take the brunt of his lordship’s displeasure. He
knows what we’ve done to him, Eustace. He confronted me in the
salon. He knows he didn’t touch me that night.”

Eustace glared down at her, his lips
flattening at her chiding tone. “They would have killed me,
Arianne. What was I to do? You would have married that pauper Vale.
I did you a favor! You’re a damned marchioness now because of my
quick thinking! You can’t even show me the slightest bit of
gratitude, can you? Just be nice to the man. We both know you can
do that, do we not?” He raised a golden eyebrow meaningfully. “Had
you not been so eager to disgrace yourself with our penniless
neighbor, I might have received an honest offer for you. The blame
here is not just mine, little sister.”

“
You sell me to pay off your
debts and you call it a favor?” She was aware Lord Ravensford was
beyond the door in the courtyard. She measured her words. “You
think you’ve done me a good turn by entrapping Ravensford as you
have? You did all for yourself, and no other!”

Eustace’s face reddened with anger.
“You will do your duty to Ravensford, little sister. You will
forget about your former lover. I will not be set upon by the man
if you should displease him.”

“
He means to send me away,
Eustace!” Arianne exclaimed in near hysteria. “I’m to be banished
to one of his estates. Speak no more of my duty! It would appear my
sense of duty is what got me into this travesty to begin
with!”

“
No, you bedding Vale did
that. I merely supplied you with the means to recover from
it.”

Arianne stared up at him as if seeing
him for the first time. Eustace cared nothing of the fact that he’d
set Lord Ravensford up, or the fact she loved another. It was
merely a means to an end for him. Julian was right. He did it for
himself. “I hope you never find yourself at the mercy of those men
again, dear brother.” Her eyes flashed in obvious warning. “Don’t
darken my door with your hand out then. Your fingers will be shut
in it.”

Arianne didn’t wait for his response.
The butler held the door aloft. She stepped out into the bright
mid-morning sunshine, her gaze going to her husband standing in the
courtyard. The marquis was bristling at the delay. She wavered from
his condemning look. She was aware of those glowing emerald eyes as
she made her way to the coach.

Ravensford joined her and assisted her
inside. When he sat before her, he raised an eyebrow at her pale,
drawn features. “I can only assume your rash actions have made you
ill, my dear. You look positively green,” he remarked in a false,
solicitous tone. “A pity, for we have a five hour journey to my
home. We don’t stop to see to your comforts, my lady. If you mean
to hack up those nauseating refreshments, please do so out the
window.”

Arianne glared at the man, tempted to
do just that on his gleaming boots. “I am fine, my lord. You need
not see to my comforts,” she assured him as the coach pulled away.
She stole one last look at her childhood home in wistful regret,
wishing to jump out of the coach and run back.

“
Aren’t you the very picture
of a prim new bride?” the marquis noted sarcastically as he eyed
her across from him. “And the bride wore white, too? Saint’s
preserve us all! What a bloody hypocrisy that was?”

Arianne longed to ignore him. His
persistent needling of her proved her undoing. She gazed at him
with a purposeful look, trying another approach to gain his
understanding if she could. “Does belittling and name-calling make
you feel better of our situation, my lord? I don’t think it
benefits either of us.”

“
For now, it pleases me,” he
allowed, with a fleeting smile. His lingering green gaze burned
away any illusion he was remotely a gentleman. His eyes began to
strip every layer of the travelling costume from her back, making
her tremble on the seat across from him. “We will see if I find
better methods to chastise you tonight that are far more
pleasurable for us both.”

“
You have the right to be
upset, my lord—”

“
Enough!” he snapped,
cutting off what she would have said. “Thank you for allowing me my
own feelings, my dear.” He regarded her with a disgusted look. “I
also have all the rights as your husband now. Try to remember that
should you anger me.”

Arianne shook with fear, blue eyes
growing wide at his words. “Would abusing me solve anything, my
lord?”

“
No, but it depends upon the
manner of abuse you have in mind.” His green eyes filled with
amusement. “Even pain can be enjoyable. I’d show you, if I had any
plans to stay in your delightful company. Alas, I’d just as soon as
forget I ever set eyes upon you.”

“
I had no choice in this!
Does that matter to you at all?” She was visibly shaken by his
scandalous words.

“
There is always a choice in
everything we do, my lady. Had you more sense under that fluffy
blonde mop there; you’d see that.”

Arianne gasped, a blush staining her
cheeks. “I’m hardly ignorant, my lord!”