Lord Deverill's Heir, Catherine Coulter [the best motivational books .TXT] 📗

is why he despises him? How could Justin be jealous of any other man? He is handsome, well-spoken, a peer. It makes no sense to me.” It was her turn to sigh. “Perhaps you are right, but it seems improbable. Arabella doesn’t even know that Gervaise is alive. I would swear to that. I believe she even feels a dab of contempt for him. For his French blood? I don’t know, but that is possible. After all, she patterned herself after her father in so many ways, and he never kept his opinions about foreigners to himself.” She fell silent a moment, then said, “But you know, Paul, Justin hurt her very badly on their wedding night.”

“Well, she was a virgin. Some pain was unavoidable.”

“No, it was much more than that.” She told him about the shredded nightgown, the blood all over the bed. “When I spoke to Justin, I could tell that he was not only unhappy, he was angry. He was furious, but there was this iron control in him. Why? He wasn’t about to tell me. As for Arabella, she tried to act as though nothing was wrong. But you’ve seen for yourself that nothing is right.”

“I had no idea,” he said as he gave her his arm and began to guide her away from the fishpond. “I would have thought that our confident little Bella would have most charmingly seduced her bridegroom without a by-your-leave. As to Justin, I cannot believe that he would be so green as to frighten her. So it’s more than that. Damn, this is difficult, Ann.

You believe he forced her?”

“Yes, I do. She’s afraid of him. My daughter, afraid! But I’ve watched her. She doesn’t want him to know it, she doesn’t want anyone to know it, but she is. We must do something, Paul. I know, I will simply tell the comte to leave. If he’s gone, then Justin will get over his anger, surely.”

“No, it is not your decision, Ann. If Justin, for some strange reason, really believes that Arabella wants Gervaise rather than him, then it is his decision on what must be done. Since he hasn’t killed the young man and since he hasn’t ordered him to leave Evesham Abbey, well, then, he has something else in mind. Justin plays deeply. I believe he is known as a military man of clever stratagems. I would trust him. Besides, we have no choice at all.”

“You know, now that I think about it, it was strange of him to speak to me at such length about Magdalaine.”

“Good God, Gervaise wanted to know about Magdalaine? Why? What did he ask you?”

“He wished me to tell him all about her life in England. Of course, I know very little of her. She was dead long before I came into the picture. Gervaise, mind you, then proceeded to tell me about her family’s rather unusual dowry settlement with the earl. It seemed that not all of her dowry was given to the earl upon their marriage. I really do not know why he told me all that, for Magdalaine died so very quickly after her return from France, indeed less than two years after her marriage to the earl.” She paused for a moment and then looked up with a sudden smile.

“How very stupid of me, to be sure. Paul, you were attending her when she died, were you not? Gervaise should speak to you if he wishes to know more about his aunt.”

Dr. Branyon looked away from her. When he finally spoke, his voice was uncommonly grim. “Yes, I was with Magdalaine when she died. As to Magdalaine’s dowry, I know nothing of her family’s arrangement with the earl. But why, I wonder, did our little French cock tell you all that? He gave no reason, no explanation for it?”

“No, not really.”

As they wended their way through the geometric patterns of the parterre, he asked, “Did the comte wish to know anything else from you, Ann?”

“Nothing of importance, really, but he did nearly make me laugh aloud. He wondered about the Strafford jewels. He thought that as the countess, I must have a jewel box worth a king’s ransom. I told him it wasn’t at all the case.”

“Hmm,” was all that Dr. Branyon replied until they reached the front steps of Evesham Abbey. He took Lady Ann’s hand to his and squeezed it.

He looked deeply into those beautiful eyes of hers. “Listen to me. You’re now mine, Ann, all of you. I will love you until I pass to the hereafter, then if my soul is hovering about, it will continue to love you. Let’s not wait eight more months. Marry me, Ann. Soon. Very soon.” She was staring up at his mouth. “Soon,” he said again, and his voice wasn’t steady. “You know, people can tell when a woman is well-loved.

Already there is a wicked sparkle in your eyes and that smile of yours would take the skin off an orange it’s so brilliant.”

“Is tomorrow too late?”

He laughed, hugged her, uncaring if every servant in Evesham Abbey was watching. “Let’s wait only until we can solve this matter between Justin and Arabella. Then we won’t have to think of a single thing other than ourselves.”

“I will speak to Justin right now.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “No, let’s think about this a bit more.

Let me speak to Arabella.”

“All right, but do it quickly. Perhaps we will solve all their problems by Friday?”

“I’ll try my damndest. Ann?”

“Yes?” She was sliding her palms over his chest. He grabbed them and held them tightly in his own.

“Will you mind being married to a simple doctor?” He was deadly serious and she knew it. She said calmly, her spirit radiant in her words, “I’ve always believed your intelligence of the highest order. Never have I believed you at all simple. That was a foolish question.”

He threw his head back and laughed deeply.

Her voice was low now, so serious, he felt a catch