Page 76 of Wolf's Bane
“I’ll do my best,” he replied, unsure what type of books his mate read.
“There’s so much to plan and so many details to consider. A double wedding will cut down on expenses, I presume. I positively have a mountain of work to organize.” Her eyes sparkled, as if she could think of nothing better. “This is wonderful!”
Charlotte launched herself at Alek, throwing her arms around him in complete disregard to propriety and cleanliness.
“What’s this now?” a gruff voice said from behind them. Alek turned to find Godwin glaring at them. Correction: him. The glare was specifically for Alek’s benefit.
Charlotte pulled away, beaming with excitement. “Mr. Marechal, it’s the best news! Solenne and Aleksandar are engaged!”
Solenne
Boxon Hill
Marechal House - Solenne’s Bedroom
“Solenne!”Heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs, waking Solenne from her fitful half-sleep. The air felt charged, as if a storm were about to break. “Explain yourself!”
She sat upright, head spinning. Food wouldn’t be amiss, and perhaps a cool bath, though going downstairs to the bathing room seemed like an impossible journey. Hot and sticky from the fever, she had sought the cool tiles of the toilet floor. The small necessity was built into her room but only offered a wash basin, not a tub.
“Tell me it is not true!”
“Please, do not yell, Papa. I’m feeling rather poorly,” she said, rubbing her forehead. Her entire body ached, like a werewolf had mauled her. Well, it stood to reason.
“Air this room out. It smells.” She heard the rattle of the window being raised. Cool air flooded in on a strong breeze. “What are you doing in the toilet?” Godwin stood in the door, blocking the dim sunlight.
“Not vomiting, though my stomach is trying its hardest.” Solenne set her hand on the closed toilet lid and pulled herself to her feet. She needed another dose of willow bark.
“Don’t be vulgar.” Godwin offered his arm as she hobbled her way to the bed. She sighed with relief as she sat down. He seemed to have finally noticed the bandage on her ankle and her leg. “How bad is it?”
“Nothing rest won’t cure.”
He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and frowned. “You’ve a fever. Tell me what you need? That tea with the peppermint and ginger?”
She waved him off, her entire arm aching from the effort, as if she wore lead weights. “Where’s Alek?” If anyone was going to play nursemaid, she wanted it to be Alek.
“So it is true. You’ve agreed to marry that…that…”
“That what, Papa?” She wanted him to speak those ugly, vile names. “The man I loved since I don’t even know? The man who was my dearest childhood friend? The man who saved me from being mauled last night? The man who came to help us? That?”
“He’s a monster, Solenne. You can’t deny it. The evidence is obvious.”
In retrospect, perhaps, but she had not been looking for symptoms. Alek captured her attention in so many other ways.
“I won’t let you throw yourself away on this wastrel. You need to do your duty to this family.”
“My duty?”
“Yes, your duty. I’ve indulged you, so some of this is my fault.” Godwin paced the room. “I let you carry on this…this flirtation with Alek. I had hoped it was a passing fancy. You’ve always been so responsible. Luis is the fanciful one. I never expected my practical, sensible Solenne to entertain a man with such low prospects.”
The words out of her father’s mouth might as well have been in another language. He indulged her? Godwin had done nothing but make demand after demand on Solenne, always framing it as her duty to the family and letting her guilt make the difficult choices.
“I’ll send him away. Immediately. He told that Wodehouse girl, but I can say she misheard in the confusion of the fire. Everyone knows that Charlotte is a silly thing, and Alek has not endeared himself with the neighbors. No one will believe it.”
“Enough!” Her voice boomed in the air, and the wind stirred, whipping her hair in her face and rustling pages of the open book on the bed. “I gave up university for Luis’ education. I run this household because you won’t. I’ve been digging our finances out of this mess, and I even agreed to be the one to marry for money so that Luis could follow his heart,” she said, nearly shouting. “What have you sacrificed?”
His face went red with anger. “No child should speak to their father with such disrespect.”
“I’m not a child,” she replied, her voice cold and even.
