done now, there is naught I can do to change it. But know this. I will never forgive Rose for duping me, nor will I play the fool for her. She wanted to become my wife, and so she shall be, in every sense of the word.”
Seething with fury, Dominic mounted his destrier.
“My lord,” Starla called out, finally finding her voice. “Do not hurt my sister. She did naught but make it possible for me to pursue my dream. I will pray for her.”
“Mayhap you should pray for me,” Dominic replied. “I have to live with that harridan.”
Touching his spurs to his destrier’s sides, he thundered off.
“What do you suppose Rose did to anger him?” Starla asked as Dominic rode off in a cloud of dust.
Nelda heaved a rueful sigh. “Knowing our Rose, she could have said or done anything.” She paused thoughtfully. “Why could she not have held her tongue a little longer? Despite the odds against their happiness, I feel that the match between Lord Dragon and Rose is a good one. I wonder which of them will recognize it first.”
“I wonder who will kill the other first,” Starla said dryly.
Dominic rode as if chased by the devil. He was angry. Damn angry. He had wanted Starla and through trickery had wed Rose, but truth to tell, seeing Starla again made him glad he had not married her. He thought he had wanted a submissive, unobtrusive wife but felt fortunate that he had not wed the pious twin. That did not mean, however, that he was any the less angry with Rose for making a fool of him.
“You will ride your horse to death if you do not slow down,” Raj said as he caught up with Dominic.
Cursing his stupidity as well as his gullibility, Dominic pulled back on the reins. “I do not enjoy being tricked. She will pay, Raj. Aye, Rose will pay for her duplicity.”
The way I see it,” Raj mused, “you got the best of the bargain. Piety belongs in the church, not the marriage bed.”
“You are a wise man, Raj, but in this you are wrong. Rose must be shown the error of her ways. She knew what she was doing when she duped me into wedding her. She will accept me in her bed or suffer the consequences.”
Raj chuckled. “You sound like a man eager to bed his wife, master.”
” Tis my right. God’s nightgown, man! Rose is my wife; she owes me her maidenhead.”
Think you she will surrender it without a fight?”
Dominic’s expression turned feral.“She has no choice. Mayhap I will take her maidenhead, then send her to the convent with her mother and sister and fetch Lady Veronica to Dragonwyck. Now, there is a lady who knows how to please a man.”
“If you say so, master,” Raj said. “Were I you, I would not act precipitously. Pluck your Rose but have a care for her thorns. Mayhap, master,” he said, sending Dominic an amused smile, “you will enjoy being pricked.”
Dominic could not suppress the smile that lifted the comer of his mouth. “Mayhap you are right.Raj.”
Rose was a nervous wreck that night. She had expected Dominic to appear for the evening meal, and when he did not, she was both worried and relieved at the same time. She was worried because she had no idea where Dragon had gone, and relieved because she did not have to sit beside him at the table and wonder if he would force her into his bed.
What would he do if she locked her door against him again tonight? she wondered. Would he break it down and take her roughly? She wouldn’t put it past him to hurt her. Men could be beasts when thwarted.
Fortunately, Dragon did not appear and the meal progressed peacefully. Afterward, Rose and her ladies sat before the hearth in the solar, embroidering a new altar cloth for the chapel.
“Listen to the wind,” Lady Emily said, looking up from her work. ” Tis howling something fierce. It would not surprise me to wake up to snow tomorrow morning.”
Lady Blythe yawned and stretched. “I am for bed, ladies.”
After Lady Blythe left, Lady Emily folded up the cloth and set it aside. “Can I
Seething with fury, Dominic mounted his destrier.
“My lord,” Starla called out, finally finding her voice. “Do not hurt my sister. She did naught but make it possible for me to pursue my dream. I will pray for her.”
“Mayhap you should pray for me,” Dominic replied. “I have to live with that harridan.”
Touching his spurs to his destrier’s sides, he thundered off.
“What do you suppose Rose did to anger him?” Starla asked as Dominic rode off in a cloud of dust.
Nelda heaved a rueful sigh. “Knowing our Rose, she could have said or done anything.” She paused thoughtfully. “Why could she not have held her tongue a little longer? Despite the odds against their happiness, I feel that the match between Lord Dragon and Rose is a good one. I wonder which of them will recognize it first.”
“I wonder who will kill the other first,” Starla said dryly.
Dominic rode as if chased by the devil. He was angry. Damn angry. He had wanted Starla and through trickery had wed Rose, but truth to tell, seeing Starla again made him glad he had not married her. He thought he had wanted a submissive, unobtrusive wife but felt fortunate that he had not wed the pious twin. That did not mean, however, that he was any the less angry with Rose for making a fool of him.
“You will ride your horse to death if you do not slow down,” Raj said as he caught up with Dominic.
Cursing his stupidity as well as his gullibility, Dominic pulled back on the reins. “I do not enjoy being tricked. She will pay, Raj. Aye, Rose will pay for her duplicity.”
The way I see it,” Raj mused, “you got the best of the bargain. Piety belongs in the church, not the marriage bed.”
“You are a wise man, Raj, but in this you are wrong. Rose must be shown the error of her ways. She knew what she was doing when she duped me into wedding her. She will accept me in her bed or suffer the consequences.”
Raj chuckled. “You sound like a man eager to bed his wife, master.”
” Tis my right. God’s nightgown, man! Rose is my wife; she owes me her maidenhead.”
Think you she will surrender it without a fight?”
Dominic’s expression turned feral.“She has no choice. Mayhap I will take her maidenhead, then send her to the convent with her mother and sister and fetch Lady Veronica to Dragonwyck. Now, there is a lady who knows how to please a man.”
“If you say so, master,” Raj said. “Were I you, I would not act precipitously. Pluck your Rose but have a care for her thorns. Mayhap, master,” he said, sending Dominic an amused smile, “you will enjoy being pricked.”
Dominic could not suppress the smile that lifted the comer of his mouth. “Mayhap you are right.Raj.”
Rose was a nervous wreck that night. She had expected Dominic to appear for the evening meal, and when he did not, she was both worried and relieved at the same time. She was worried because she had no idea where Dragon had gone, and relieved because she did not have to sit beside him at the table and wonder if he would force her into his bed.
What would he do if she locked her door against him again tonight? she wondered. Would he break it down and take her roughly? She wouldn’t put it past him to hurt her. Men could be beasts when thwarted.
Fortunately, Dragon did not appear and the meal progressed peacefully. Afterward, Rose and her ladies sat before the hearth in the solar, embroidering a new altar cloth for the chapel.
“Listen to the wind,” Lady Emily said, looking up from her work. ” Tis howling something fierce. It would not surprise me to wake up to snow tomorrow morning.”
Lady Blythe yawned and stretched. “I am for bed, ladies.”
After Lady Blythe left, Lady Emily folded up the cloth and set it aside. “Can I
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