Bride for a Night by Rosemary Rogers Read Free Book Online Page A

to indulge him. If the earl refused to pay his brother’s debts, then Master Harry would simply apply to his mother.”
    Talia frowned, rather taken back by the servant’s revealing words. Even if she was now a member of the family, it was not often a servant was willing to openly gossip about her employers.
    Not when the merest breach of confidence could see her tossed onto the streets.
    Then Talia was struck by a sudden realization.
    Mrs. Manning was clearly devoted to Gabriel. And while she might sincerely disapprove of his treatment of Talia, it was obvious she felt compelled to excuse his cruel manner.
    Perhaps she was even ridiculous enough to hope that a truce between Gabriel and his new bride could eventually be called.
    Talia swallowed a sigh.
    A futile hope, but Talia did not have the heart to inform the kindly woman that her beloved Gabriel was a coldhearted bastard who believed his wife no better thana rank title-hunter who had used her father to bully him into marriage.
    “That must have been frustrating for Lord Ashcombe,” she instead agreed.
    “Needless to say.” The older woman frowned. “In fact, six months ago he at last…”
    “Yes?”
    “He insisted that her ladyship not interfere in his attempt to force Master Harry to live within his allowance.”
    “Ah.” Talia’s lips twisted. “That explains why he accepted my father’s offer.”
    There was a brief hesitation. “Yes.”
    “And why Lord Ashcombe is so angry. He thought to teach his brother a lesson only to once again be the one to suffer the consequences.” Talia pressed a hand to her aching heart. “It is no wonder he hates me.”
    Mrs. Manning shook her head. “He is angry for the moment, but once he has accepted that you are to be his countess, I am certain that all will be well.”
    Talia swallowed a hysterical urge to laugh. She was quite certain nothing would be well again.
    “I wish I possessed your confidence,” she said dryly.
    Perhaps sensing Talia’s disbelief, the housekeeper stepped forward, her expression troubled.
    “His lordship can be a hard man in many ways,” she admitted. “When he took the title at such a tender age there were any number of unscrupulous individuals who thought to take advantage of his inexperience, including several gentlemen who had claimed to be his friend. He had no choice but to learn how to protect himself and his family from those who would exploit his naïveté. But he has a good heart and he is fiercely loyal to those he considers his responsibility.”
    Talia shied from the temptation to pity the boy whohad lost his innocence at such a young age. The Earl of Ashcombe was determined to crush what little was left of her spirit. The moment she thought of him as anything but the enemy she would be lost.
    “Responsibility?” She latched onto the revealing word. “What of those he loves?”
    The housekeeper grimaced. “I fear he has become convinced that such an emotion is a weakness.” She deliberately paused, meeting Talia’s gaze. “A wise woman would remind him of the joy to be found in sharing his heart with another.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    G ABRIEL HAD NO formal plans for his wedding day. Nothing beyond ensuring that his new bride understood she was an unwelcome intruder in his home.
    Something he had achieved with admirable results if her stricken expression at his abrupt departure had been anything to go by.
    But once away from his townhouse, he discovered himself turning his restless horse toward the outskirts of London, refusing to admit he was disturbed by the lingering image of Talia’s pale face and wounded eyes.
    What did it matter if she had looked like a forlorn waif as he had walked away from her? Or that she was spending her wedding day alone in an unfamiliar house? She was the one who had been willing to trade her soul for a title. She could damned well learn just how empty her victory was doomed to be.
    Determined to dismiss Talia and the travesty of a wedding from