Page 84 of The Dangerous Love of a Rogue
Was there any greater insult than to be snubbed by servants?
A measure of guilt stirred in Drew’s gut. It was not normally an emotion he felt. It made it harder to know what to say to her when he shut the door.
When she did not turn, he went to her, stood behind her, and held either side of her waist.
Not a single muscle yielded to his touch. Instead, her arms crossed over her chest.
‘I love you,’ he said to her hair. ‘As I said, we will move from here as quickly as possible. I will look for an estate as soon as I have the chance.’
He stroked her hair aside and kissed the curve of her neck where it turned to her shoulder.
Her muscle flinched, and then she spun to face him, her eyes saying,do not touch me.
His simmering anger boiled. ‘You were happy for my hands to be all over you the night before last, Mary! You said you loved me! I love you!’ He glared at her. He’d never been good at holding back his anger. He wanted her love. That was all he asked for. ‘But if I am nothing to you, then I want nothing from you…’ He turned away, refusing to shout any more, or be judged badly any more. He picked up his hat and gloves. ‘I am going out.’ He walked from the room and slammed the door behind him.
29
When the clock on the mantel chimed eight times, Mary rose from the armchair she had occupied for hours. Andrew obviously had no intention of returning to dine with her. She may as well retire.
Her stomach growled in complaint. She had not eaten. She could have asked the doorman to send out for something, but she was too nauseous to eat, her stomach rolled like a butter churn.
In the bedchamber, she searched through her trunks for a nightgown, then undressed, struggling to reach behind her back to release her buttons and the laces of her corset.
There was nowhere to store her clothes beyond the trunks, the one chest of drawers was full of his clothes. So, she put the clothes she removed in a trunk. Her clothes would have to stay in them.
You said you loved me. I love you,he had yelled before he left her. Was it true? How was she to know?
When she climbed into his bed the sheets were cold, and a little damp. She was unsure on which side to sleep.
This was nothing like the marriage she’d imagined, everything felt wrong, it was a nightmare.
When she heard the apartment door open, she threw back the covers to get up and greet him, but then she heard other voices in the sitting room – his friends, the men who had danced with her.
She lay back down and pulled the covers up over her shoulder.
They were laughing.
Her heart hammered hard as she heard Lord Brooke say, ‘So where is your hard-won bride? Hiding? I have only come back with you for the pleasure of seeing our trophy. After all, we all played a part in your victory. Her dowry will be the making of you, Drew.’
‘Wait a moment, I will fetch her,’ Drew answered. Footsteps walked towards the bedchamber. ‘She must be here…’ His voice did not sound too certain.
It would have served him right if she had left.
She shut her eyes as the door handle turned, pretending to be asleep. Through her closed eyelids, she saw candlelight enter the room and held her breath.
* * *
Drew stopped still. His heart had skipped a beat when he’d entered the sitting room and Mary was not there. As he walked towards the bedchamber cold fear hammered through his veins.
He feared she had left… But there she was, captured in the shaft of golden candlelight, her dark hair splayed across the pillow he usually slept on. The sight of her made him feel like weeping, and the smell of her in his room kicked him in the chest.
He lifted the brace of candles, casting more light into the room.
Her closed eyelids were puffy. She had been crying again, then, because of him, had not eaten, there were no remnants of her dinner in the sitting room. She had ordered nothing in.
He could have at least ordered it before he left, and not have stayed away so long, but once he was with his friends it was hard to get away.
I should not have gone out.
