The Beauty Bride (The Jewels of Kinfairlie) by Delacroix Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

her!” Alexander cried. “I will not permit it.”
    Rhys
smiled a chilly smile and let his gaze drift over the younger man. “You cannot
stop me. And you cannot afford to exceed my bid.”
    The
young laird flushed crimson and stepped back with a murmured apology to his
sister, which Rhys thought long overdue.
    Rhys
then turned to the huffing Reginald Neville. “Have you no more coin?”
    Reginald’s
face turned red and he threw his gloves onto the floor. “You cannot have that
much coin!”
    Rhys
arched a brow. “Because you do not?”
    Anger
flashed in the boy’s eyes. “Show your coin before we continue. I insist upon
it!” Reginald flung out his hands and turned to the assembly. “Can we trust a
man of such poor repute to honor his debts?”
    A
murmur passed through the company and Rhys shrugged. He sauntered to the high
table, removing a chamois sack from within his leather jerkin. The lady caught
her breath when he paused beside her and Rhys studied her for a heartbeat. Her
eyes were wide, a glorious simmering blue, and though he sensed her uncertainty
of him, she held her ground.
    It
was not all bad that she was as aware of him as this. He liked the glitter of
intelligence in her eyes, as well as the fact that she had tried to halt this
folly. He was accustomed to women who spoke their minds and a bride who did as
much would suit him well.
    He
smiled slightly at her, hoping to reassure her, and she swallowed visibly. His
gaze lingered upon the ruddy fullness of her lips and he thought of tasting
her, knowing then how he would seal their agreement.
    But
first, the agreement had to be confirmed.
    “You
need not fear, sir,” Rhys said coolly. “I will owe no debt for the lady’s
hand.” There were more than enough gold coins in his sack, but Rhys was not
anxious to flaunt his wealth. He cautiously removed only the amount necessary,
and stacked the coins upon the board with care. Tynan bent and bit each one of
them to test their quality, then nodded approval.
    “Then,
have her!” Reginald spat in the rushes with poor grace and stormed from the
room. His gallantry, in Rhys’ opinion, was somewhat lacking.
    There
was utter silence in the chamber as Rhys reached out and laid claim to Madeline’s
hand, such silence that he heard her catch her breath. His hand was much larger
than hers and her fingers trembled within his grasp.
    But
she did not pull her hand from his and she held his gaze steadily. Again, he
admired that she was stalwart in standing by the terms of agreement. He bent
and brushed his lips across her knuckles, feeling her shiver slightly.
    Alexander
placed a hand upon Rhys’ arm. “I do not care for convention and broken
agreements. You cannot wed my sister - you are charged with treason!”
    Rhys
spoke softly, not relinquishing the lady’s hand. “Do not tell me that the Laird
of Kinfairlie is not a man of his word?”
    Alexander
flushed scarlet. His gaze fell upon the stack of coins and Rhys knew that he
had desperate need of those funds.
    He
leaned closer to the boy, the lady’s hand yet firmly clasped in his own, and
dared the new heir of Kinfairlie. He would show the lady, at least, what manner
of man her brother was. “I will grant you a chance to rescind your offer,
though it is more than you deserve. Reject my coin, but solely upon the
condition that the lady shall not be sold to any man.”
    It
was clear that the younger man struggled with this decision. He appealed to his
sister with a glance. “Madeline, you must know that I would not do this without
cause.”
    And
he reached for the coin.
    “Cur!”
she cried, her scorn matching Rhys’ own. Rhys turned to her, his breath
catching at the fury that lit her expression. “Take it then, Alexander! Take
it, for whatever debts you have, and reject whatsoever loyalty Papa might have
thought you owed to your siblings.”
    Alexander’s
hand shook slightly as he claimed the coins. “Madeline, you do not understand.
I must think of