hangs by a thread, madam,” Dominic bit out “If I cannot come inside, send out Lady Nelda and her daughter so that I may speak with them. I mean them no harm. Lady Nelda is mother to my wife.”
The abbess studied Dominic with shrewd brown eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, she nodded, turned and walked away.
“Think you the black crow will send out Lady Nelda and her daughter?” Raj asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine, Raj, but I vow I will not take no for an answer. I refuse to return to Dragonwyck without the truth. I want to know if I was tricked into wedding the wrong daughter… and why.”
“It appears that your wish will be granted, master,” Raj said. “Lady Nelda and Lady Starla are approaching the gate.”
“About time,” Dominic grumbled. Arms crossed over his chest and a ferocious scowl on his face, Dominic watched them draw near.
Lady Nelda knew why Lord Dragon had come, but she had not expected him so soon. What had Rose done to make him suspicious? she wondered. She could not suppress a chuckle despite the graveness of the situation. Rose was a resourceful lass. Nelda trusted her daughter to find a way to allay Dragon’s anger when he learned that he had been duped.
The Dragon looks angry, Mama,” Starla whispered, sidling closer to her mother. “I would never forgive myself if he hurt Rose on my account.”
“Remain silent, Starla,” Lady Nelda warned. “Let us see how much Lord Dragon knows before we jump to conclusions.”
“My lord,” Nelda began, “the abbess said you wished to speak to me and Starla. May I inquire about Rose’s health first? I trust my daughter is well.”
“I have not harmed her, if that is what you think.”
“What brings you to the convent so soon after your wedding?”
“As if you did not know,” Dominic snorted. His gaze slid to Starla, who reacted to his glare by cringing behind her mother.“Tell me the name of the twin I wed,” he said in a deceptively calm voice. “If you lie, these walls are not high enough to save you from my wrath.”
Nelda tried not to flinch beneath Dragon’s threat. She had heard that the Dragon Lord was a hard man, and she did not trust him. She had no choice, however, but to answer his question truthfully, whether or not he chose to believe her.
“You wed my daughter Rose, my lord,” Nelda said.“I would never lie about something as important as that. Why do you ask?”
Dominic pointed to Starla. “
S
he is the one I thought I wed.”
Starla gave a little squeak and recoiled in fear.
“I wanted a submissive wife,” Dominic continued, “not a defiant termagant. I was duped.”
“How so, my lord?” Nelda asked sweetly. “You chose Rose of your own free will.”
“Trickery!” Dominic charged. ” Tis my belief that your daughters switched places. The bride I chose was
not
the one I wanted.”
Starla clung to her mother. “Mama, do not let him take me. I will die if I have to wed him. I am meant for God.”
“We all witnessed a wedding, my lord,” Nelda said evenly. “You married Rose; the nuptials were blessed by Father Nyle. Go home and try to make the best of your marriage. But if I hear you are mistreating Rose, I will ask my brother Murdoc to rally to her defense.”
“Murdoc,” Dominic repeated. “Ah, yes, the Scotsman. Fear not, lady, I will attempt to keep my hands from Rose’s throat if she will sheath her sharp claws. Nevertheless, you owe me the truth. Explain how I wed an acid-tongued shrew instead of a pious little mouse?”
“Look at Starla, my lord,” Nelda said. “Really look at her. She is her sister’s image but her opposite in every way. Ever since she was a small child her dream was to become a nun. A man of your vast experience and appetite would gain no joy from her. Is that what you want? A wife who will cower and weep and cringe away from your touch?”
Dominic shrugged. “Perhaps I prefer that to being slashed to pieces by a sharp tongue. ‘Tis
The abbess studied Dominic with shrewd brown eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, she nodded, turned and walked away.
“Think you the black crow will send out Lady Nelda and her daughter?” Raj asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine, Raj, but I vow I will not take no for an answer. I refuse to return to Dragonwyck without the truth. I want to know if I was tricked into wedding the wrong daughter… and why.”
“It appears that your wish will be granted, master,” Raj said. “Lady Nelda and Lady Starla are approaching the gate.”
“About time,” Dominic grumbled. Arms crossed over his chest and a ferocious scowl on his face, Dominic watched them draw near.
Lady Nelda knew why Lord Dragon had come, but she had not expected him so soon. What had Rose done to make him suspicious? she wondered. She could not suppress a chuckle despite the graveness of the situation. Rose was a resourceful lass. Nelda trusted her daughter to find a way to allay Dragon’s anger when he learned that he had been duped.
The Dragon looks angry, Mama,” Starla whispered, sidling closer to her mother. “I would never forgive myself if he hurt Rose on my account.”
“Remain silent, Starla,” Lady Nelda warned. “Let us see how much Lord Dragon knows before we jump to conclusions.”
“My lord,” Nelda began, “the abbess said you wished to speak to me and Starla. May I inquire about Rose’s health first? I trust my daughter is well.”
“I have not harmed her, if that is what you think.”
“What brings you to the convent so soon after your wedding?”
“As if you did not know,” Dominic snorted. His gaze slid to Starla, who reacted to his glare by cringing behind her mother.“Tell me the name of the twin I wed,” he said in a deceptively calm voice. “If you lie, these walls are not high enough to save you from my wrath.”
Nelda tried not to flinch beneath Dragon’s threat. She had heard that the Dragon Lord was a hard man, and she did not trust him. She had no choice, however, but to answer his question truthfully, whether or not he chose to believe her.
“You wed my daughter Rose, my lord,” Nelda said.“I would never lie about something as important as that. Why do you ask?”
Dominic pointed to Starla. “
S
he is the one I thought I wed.”
Starla gave a little squeak and recoiled in fear.
“I wanted a submissive wife,” Dominic continued, “not a defiant termagant. I was duped.”
“How so, my lord?” Nelda asked sweetly. “You chose Rose of your own free will.”
“Trickery!” Dominic charged. ” Tis my belief that your daughters switched places. The bride I chose was
not
the one I wanted.”
Starla clung to her mother. “Mama, do not let him take me. I will die if I have to wed him. I am meant for God.”
“We all witnessed a wedding, my lord,” Nelda said evenly. “You married Rose; the nuptials were blessed by Father Nyle. Go home and try to make the best of your marriage. But if I hear you are mistreating Rose, I will ask my brother Murdoc to rally to her defense.”
“Murdoc,” Dominic repeated. “Ah, yes, the Scotsman. Fear not, lady, I will attempt to keep my hands from Rose’s throat if she will sheath her sharp claws. Nevertheless, you owe me the truth. Explain how I wed an acid-tongued shrew instead of a pious little mouse?”
“Look at Starla, my lord,” Nelda said. “Really look at her. She is her sister’s image but her opposite in every way. Ever since she was a small child her dream was to become a nun. A man of your vast experience and appetite would gain no joy from her. Is that what you want? A wife who will cower and weep and cringe away from your touch?”
Dominic shrugged. “Perhaps I prefer that to being slashed to pieces by a sharp tongue. ‘Tis
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