Libertine's Wife by Karolyn Cairns Read Free Book Online Page A

brother, he couldn’t get past
the lies she told of him. He’d never had to rape a woman in his
life. The accusations that he forced himself on her infuriated
him.
    Garret rolled his eyes to
think of how she began to cry after her ridiculous tale the morning
after. If his young wife had any idea how many women he had to
literally push out of his bed over the years, she might have
rethought her story. Rape! Bloody
absurd!

Chapter Four
    When they arrived at Ravensford Hall,
Arianne was awake. She was in awe as she shielded her gaze and
looked out the window. The house was incredibly large, with dozens
of windows and gleaming whitewashed pillars. The monstrous house in
the distance brought with it the reality of her situation. Her
heart was beating like a drum of impending doom the closer they got
to the estate.
    Ravensford sprawled against the seat
cushions, wearing blue-tinted spectacles to ward off the bright
sunlight, obscuring the direction of his gaze. In those few
minutes, he explained his background to her.
    The marquis told her he was an only
child. His parents were long dead. He told her all of this as the
coach turned down a winding lane and grew closer to the house. He
spoke as if she were a stranger and not his wife, pointing out the
history of the house in the few minutes before their
arrival.
    “ You will be pleased with
the staff here. They are exceptional and quite efficient,” he
informed in an impersonal tone as the coach rolled down the
endless, manicured drive. “The steward, Mr. Phillips, takes care of
the estate in my absence. Any requests for funds should go to
him.”
    “ You plan to leave tomorrow,
my lord?” Arianne queried in relief, though a sense of panic filled
her to be left alone here.
    “ Yes, at first light. Are
you so eager for me to leave, my sweet? And you did go to such
trouble to have me all to yourself.”
    His mocking laughter made her stiffen
in anger. Arianne refused to pick up where they left off, unwilling
to let him rile her. She ignored him then. She knew this was where
Ravensford intended to leave her. Any complaint she might have had
seemed ludicrous after what she’d done to him.
    The coach stopped in a circular,
cobbled drive. Liveried footmen and servants poured out. Arianne
was helped down. She endured the introductions to her new staff
with gritted teeth and false smiles, aware by their dumbfounded
expressions they were shocked to learn of their employer’s sudden
marriage. No, shocked was too mild a word, some just gaped with
dumbfounded amazement.
    Garret Spencer, the eighth Marquis of
Ravensford, was very tall. He was well over six feet. He was
frightening in both size and demeanor as he towered at her side.
Julian was lean and hard muscled, but this man was all brawn. She
felt small and frail despite her five foot six-inch height. His
hands were large and quite capable. She had no doubt he earned his
reputation as a brawler over the years.
    She had enough time in the coach to
study her new husband. He was really quite handsome, if not a bit
brooding. He dripped with worldly sophistication. Known as a
womanizer of the worst sort, she imagined Ravensford was quite
outraged to be trapped into marriage by a mere girl.
    After being set upon by London’s most
conniving ladies over the years; he’d managed to avoid marriage.
Her husband hadn’t a bit of slouch or softness about him. She
glimpsed a set of straight white teeth beyond his sneering lips,
wondering how he would look should he smile with real
amusement.
    He was neither soft nor yielding as he
grasped her elbow and hurried her inside the large house. Just
seeing that large heavy hand clamped upon her arm with the
glittering diamond signet ring made her shiver with
unease.
    Arianne’s eyes widened to see the
luxury within. Even in its glory days, the neighboring Vale House
didn’t aspire to such glaring opulence. The foyer was huge with
marbled tile that shone under her slippers.
    The old butler smiled