The Prince’s Bride by Julianne MacLean Read Free Book Online Page A

launched her body sideways into Pierre, knocking him away from
     her sister. He stumbled and nearly fell, but managed to remain on his feet before
     wheeling around to return and smack Véronique across the side of the head.
    Pain reverberated in her ears. She responded by kicking him between the legs. He doubled
     over, knees pressed together, and crumpled to the ground.
    Staring down at him in shock—while her gut twisted fiercely and her muscles strained
     against her skin—she was about to kick him in the stomach when Gabby dragged her away.
    “If you come near her again,” Véronique shouted in a penetrating voice she barely
     recognized as her own, “I will kill you! Do you understand?”
    Writhing in agony on the ground, Pierre gave no response, which was fortunate; otherwise,
     she might have broken away from her sister and followed through on that threat, right
     there on the spot.
    As Gabby led her back to the house, a sudden dizziness swirled in Véronique’s brain.
     She stopped and grabbed hold of the cement post at the bottom of the stairs.
    Gabrielle stopped as well. Her cheeks were pale.
    “Are you all right?” Véronique asked. “You look like you are about to be ill. Did
     he hurt you?”
    Gabby laid a hand on her belly, turned away from Véronique, bent over the side of
     the cement balustrade, and retched into the rose garden below.
    Véronique hurried to her side. “Everything will be all right now,” she gently whispered.
     “He won’t ever touch you again. I found the key to Nicholas’s room, and thanks to
     Pierre—and what he did to you just now—any doubts I had about helping Nicholas escape
     are now completely forgotten. I will tell him what Pierre tried to do to you, and
     I am sure he will come to our aid in every possible way. I found his sword in Pierre’s
     room. We will return it to him, and we will sneak away tonight.”
    Gabrielle recovered from her sickness and turned toward Véronique in the warm sunshine.
     Her face was gray, and there was a shiny film of perspiration on her forehead and
     upper lip.
    “I am not sick over what he tried to do to me,” Gabby said. “It is something else—something
     which has caused me great anxiety over the past few weeks. I should have told you
     before, but I thought I might be mistaken. Now, I do not think I am.”
    Moving away slightly, Véronique began to guess the truth. “Is it what I think it is?”
    Gabby nodded somberly.
    “You are with child?” Véronique asked.
    Tears filled her sister’s eyes. “Yes, I am so sorry. I know this is the worst possible
     time to tell you such a thing, when we are about to be tossed out of our home. You
     have more than enough responsibility, trying to manage this situation. I assure you,
     I did not mean for it to happen.”
    Véronique frowned. “Does Robert know?”
    “Not yet,” she replied. “I haven’t told him, because I wasn’t completely sure, but
     now I am. My worst fear is that he will think I did this intentionally to trap him.”
    Véronique inclined her head a fraction. “You didn’t, though … did you?”
    “Of course not!” Gabby replied. “I love him with all my heart and soul, and I know
     he loves me, too. We have been waiting so long, hoping his father would change his
     mind about allowing us to marry. We just couldn’t wait any longer.”
    “Well, you should have!” Véronique sank down onto the steps and pressed her forehead into the heels
     of her hands. “Oh, Gabby. What have you done? He is not free to marry you. His father
     will not appreciate being backed into a corner. This will make no difference. In fact,
     it will only worsen your chances of winning his approval. I thought perhaps when we
     got our house back, Father would stop drinking, and Robert’s father might feel differently
     about your marriage, but now…”
    Véronique was only vaguely aware of her sister sitting down beside her, for her mind
     was swimming with images of