Lady Be Bad by Elaine Raco Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

and laughing with and loving a man who wasn't
even here." Marlayna cast a sardonic glance at Sylvia. "I'm afraid
that doesn't say too much for the maturity of my mind."
    The blonde issued a noncommittal hum as the
brunette continued to speak. "It's funny how the mind does work. I
find myself playing a very vivid part in different scenarios with
Noah. Words, actions, promises — everything is so perfect."
    Sylvia looked at her quizzically. "It sounds
like you have more in mind than just getting questions
answered."
    "I do."
    "What?"
    "A baby."
    "Baby? A baby! So that's what you're really
after." She stood up and faced her. "You are crazy." Each word was
enunciated with force. Pacing back and forth, hands flailing,
Sylvia tried to assemble a coherent argument. "I know how tragic
that miscarriage was for you. But Marlayna, you can't replace the
loss of one baby with the birth of another."
    "I know."
    "I'm not sure you know a damn thing!"
Sylvia ran an agitated hand around the back of her neck, and her
palm came away damp and sticky. "So you're going on this weekend
with every intention of coming back pregnant. What happens if Noah
isn't interested? Are you going to rape him?" She didn't allow time
for an answer. "Hell, why would you even want to have sex with a
man who didn't love you, let alone carry his child?"
    "Because I love him," she spoke with
conviction.
    "You're in love with a memory, not a man.
He's got to have changed, you have." Sylvia's fingers wrapped
around Marlayna's wrists, pulling her to stand in front of the
cheval glass. "Take a good look." Her palm pushed up a lowered
chin. "Keep looking," she instructed, pressing Marlayna closer to
the mirror. "Is this the same twenty-one-year-old girl who dithered
over what to pack on her honeymoon?" She stepped carefully out of
the reflection. "I'm going to make us a pot of strong tea and some
sandwiches. Maybe if you look into yourself for a while, you'll
come up with a few answers of your own." Sylvie stalked out of the
bedroom.
    Marlayna's immediate answer was one of
defiance. She reclaimed the fragile white nightgown. She held it
tight against her body, one hand positioned the fragile lace bodice
in proper place over her cotton T-shirt and the other hand fanned
the floor-length skirt for inspection.
    The dreamy expression and sublime smile on
her face was duplicated on her mirrored image. "This is almost like
the one I wore on my wedding night." She lovingly fingered the
luxurious material. "I bought seven gowns, one for each night of
the honeymoon. There was bridal white, pink, lilac, blue, green,
fiery red and --" she took a step backward and picked up the teddy,
"the last was sultry black."
    Humming gently, Marlayna whirled and twirled
and swirled in front of the looking glass until she lost her
balance, stumbled backward and collapsed across the clothes-strewn
bed. "Ohh . . . ooh." Her eyelids fluttered shut, exchanging the
revolving room for soothing blackness. In doing so, she closed a
window on the present and opened one on the past.
    She found herself in surroundings quite
different from the duplex's arctic white master bedroom, and she
was not alone. "Heavens, those brochures certainly didn't
exaggerate about the honeymoon villas in the Poconos," her audibly
nervous voice exclaimed. "Everything is red and white. Gosh, Noah,
look at the round bed and ... the ... the bathtub is
heart-shaped!"
    "You're going a little red, yourself, Mimi."
His deep masculine voice turned her nickname into an endearment
    Marlayna stammered and babbled her way out
of the bathroom. "Why don't I just unpack us and --"
    "Why don't we just shake the dust off that
bed." Noah's hands settled on either side of the green suitcase she
was in the process of lifting and settled it back on the red
carpet. "Hey, what's the matter, love?" Wrapping his arms around
her waist, he nuzzled the side of her neck with his cheek. "I do
believe you're scared of your new husband."
    “You’re right I am.