Coins and Daggers by Patrice Hannah Read Free Book Online Page A

with
hope.”
    Ulric marched past her and took a seat
across the room much nearer to the fireplace. The last thing he
wanted was to sit here and have a spar with his little sister. He
needed to get back to the Odessa Room and see about that girl
keeping her mouth shut and enforcing her cooperation. At least,
until Ryia was to return home.
    “Do not waste your time hoping for me, Ryia.
You have a family with whom to occupy your thoughts now.”
    This somehow brought a smile to his sister’s
face. A smile that he hadn’t seen since the day he had resigned to
accept the baron’s offer for her hand. It was a pleasing feeling
that he was quite content with embracing silently.
    “My Merek is a good man, Bryce,” she was
saying. “He’s fully retired from service now, if you must
know.”
    “I believe the baron is but seven and
twenty?”
    “Yes. Only a year your junior but a very
good man, you see.” Ryia carefully placed her mug down and smiled
again, this time a staying one that fully transformed her stunning
features with radiance. “He’s already acquired all the land he’s
ever needed and we live quite comfortably over there in
Harlbrook.”
    Ulric nodded. “I can see you’re quite
content with the life you have secured.”
    Rising from her seat, his sister took a few
paces around the room and pausing occasionally to behold some
portraits on the walls. Their mother had been a lover of fine
paintings.
    “ Not
just quite content, Bryce. Very much so.” She turned on the
tiny heels of her slippers and walked towards him. “And how are
you?”
    “Me?” Ulric frowned, not sure he liked where
the conversation was suddenly heading. “I am content myself.”
    Ryia
laughed. Actually , laughed and
reclined her head, eyes narrowing as she studied him. “Mother had
always envisioned you happily wed to a beautiful
maiden.”
    “Mother had always been an optimist.”
    “Father, too.”
    Now feeling
uncomfortable with such form of dialogue, Ulric jumped to his feet
and walked to the other side of the room. “Are we to discuss
something else but my very slim prospects of
marrying?”
    “Speaking of that, I did run into some
interesting maidens in town,” she continued regardless. “Agnete
Galtran; do you remember her? She’s the daughter of Vicar
Galtran.”
    Ulric gritted his teeth. “I do remember the
wench rather clearly,” he confessed. “She’s as boring as a rock and
knows little of anything other than her father’s dreaded sermons.
Let us both agree, Ryia, that if I am to ever take a bride, she
would not be the daughter of a vicar.”
    Ryia chuckled. “Is the daughter of a vicar
too...virtuous for you, brother?”
    “Am I to believe that you find irritating
me, amusing?”
    “Believe whatever you wish but one day I
shall enjoy seeing you trapped in the wonderful spasms of love and
devotion.”
    The deep rumbles of a chortle escaped its
way pass his lips. “The day that happens, I give you full
permission to run me through with a blade. And I am sure you would
find great joy in doing so.”
    “Whatever you may think, Bryce, I do not
dislike you.” Moving quickly, she reached out and touched him
tentatively on the shoulder. “You are my brother, my only sibling,
and I love you dearly. My wish is only to see you happy.”
    He glanced at her through the corner of his
eye and frowned. “I am content, Ryia, so will you cease with the
subject of this conversation? I do have other matters to attend
to.”
    His sister retreated just a step, the
shudder in her sigh pulling at the iron strings of his heart. Ryia
might be truly concerned about his welfare but in all honesty,
Ulric needed her not to be. He was a man entirely at ease with his
lifestyle and needed no interference, not from her and certainly
not from a pesky wife either. He enjoyed his freedom and space, and
was intent on keeping it that way for a very long time to come.
    “I suppose I shall be seeing you in the
dining hall later then?” Her