The Bellerose Bargain by Robyn Carr Page A

suitable." She shrugged and picked up her cup of wine. "I suppose I have proved my ignorance in that."
    "The game is not played out," he repeated.
    In a section of the city not far from where Alicia waited out her bargain, another young woman paced a small rented room atop a clothier’s shop. Her agitation was more intense than Alicia’s had been, and her furnishings were finer. Although she was a maid alone, she did not flinch at every sound from below. She was preoccupied with her lack of food and drink and her anger was mounting.
    The sound of footsteps on the stair colored her face with hopeful anticipation. The unlocked door opened and a sigh of relief escaped her. The tall and handsome man thrust a basket toward her.
    A somewhat chubby hand grabbed the basket with eager lust, and without a word, the woman was digging through it, withdrawing bread, meat, cheese, and wine from the inside. She did not labor with the tablecloth and utensils but chewed off a generous bite of cheese and poured herself a full cup of wine from the half-empty bottle. Her gluttonous movements brought a grimace to the man’s face.
    "It’s not an easy task to keep you in food and drink," he sneered.
    Though her mouth was full and a bit of wine dribbled to her chin, she did not wait to answer him. "You don’t keep me all that well, milord. Hold your complaints or I won’t hold my tongue."
    "You know what to say to silence me, Charlotte. I wouldn’t have guessed you knew such designs."
    She laughed and her dark curls bounced with the action. "I’m intent on doing as well as I can for myself. That’s all. Lord above, no one else is going to give me anything."
    "You stand to gain a great deal this way. Considerably more than you would have in marrying Seavers. It’s plain truth to everyone in London that he wants to get his hand into your pot for his ships. You’d be a pauper with a title in six months."
    She swallowed more food than would be allowed a normal throat, and a look of disgust came over her face. She did not pause in her feast to answer him, but her expression clearly showed that she would not have been content with such an arrangement.
    "I think with a little time on our side we can find a way to reject the king’s proposal of marriage for you without offending him badly. For the moment, I fear, he won’t be too happy with you. When Seavers’s man can’t find you, they’ll all assume you’ve fled the betrothal. We’ll come up with a better story, and you can escape his wrath and perhaps turn his mind toward another suitor." He paused in his oratory and looked at her. He smirked and shook his head. "Madam? Did you hear me?"
    "I hear, Culver. Haven’t I already told you that I’d marry you if the king allows?"
    "Yes, madam, you did indeed. And I’m counting on you to keep yourself from being swayed by the courtiers. They play a lot of pretty words on attractive young virgins such as you are."
    Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him. "And you play a pretty word or two, Lord Perry. When you’re sure of me I have no doubt your love may suffer just a mite. Just a mite. So I’ll take my chance on you till you show me I’m foolish." She smiled, and in her teeth there happened to be slivers of meat that detracted from the smile. "I think it may work out, Lord Perry. Unless you’ve lied to me."
    "Why would I lie? By the time you’re at court a day you’ll hear from every wagging tongue that Seavers has been hard at work to finance ships. And I? I told you honestly that I need money to back my influence at court, but I’ve no intention of spending it all—only holding it for the influence it gets. And remember, Charlotte, you can cause me a great deal of trouble by spilling the truth about our alliance, but no less than you’d cause yourself. Charles doesn’t have to give you your estate."
    "I’m not going to spoil the lot, love," she said, her smile quick and still speckled.
    "Good. We’re of like mind."
    "Are