Read Online A Companion for Life by Cari Hislop - Free Book Online

inside out and sent his blood
whirling through his body. Several times he found his feet
unconsciously carrying him homeward, but he resolutely turned them
back towards his mistress.

    …

    Fifty minutes later Penryth lay in his
lover’s arms, his spent pleasure tainted by an uncomfortable dose
of guilt. Cracking open his eyes he found Melisande’s lips, swollen
from his hungry kisses, pursed in irritation. “What is that look
for?”

    “Who is she?”

    He rolled onto his back and glared at the
ceiling. He didn’t need a scene to expound his guilt. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about.”

    “Liar! You’ve never made love to me like
that. You’re in love with someone you can’t have aren’t you? You
can’t have her so you used me…Oh I hate you!”

    “I’m not in love…” She jumped onto her knees
and slapped his chest, drawing his glare to her mismatched breasts.
How could he have ever found them attractive? They were far too
small. “…you wished me to pleasure you and I did.”

    “You haven’t once looked me in the eyes…you
still can’t…look at me!”

    He couldn’t. He wanted to pretend Lily was
lying beside him. “I didn’t come for a row.”

    “No, you came to use me you horrid Welsh
turd. I offered an olive branch and this is how you repay me? Get
out and don’t ever touch me again, not even to kiss my hand in
public or I’ll slap your face.”

    “Good. Don’t send me notes begging for
pleasure because I’ll throw them in the fire.”

    “Who is she or are Welshmen so thick they
don’t know when they’re in love?”

    “I’m not in love!” Even as he said the words
the hot coal burst into flames threatening to burn a hole in his
chest. Love would make him dependent. It would make him vulnerable.
He wasn’t in love.”

    The naked woman’s eyes weren’t smiling as she
barked out a harsh acidic laugh. “You’ve fallen in love with some
virgin, but you can’t have her because you married that fat ugly
woman…”

    “My wife isn’t ugly!”

    His lover’s lips trembled as her eyes filled
with angry tears. “You’re in love with your wife?”

    Penryth felt a hot flush roll up his neck
over his face. “I’m not.”

    She leaned over him sneering through her
tears. “Can’t you make love to her or is she too fat? Is it like
mating a beached whale? It must be deeply distressing to be in love
with a woman you can’t make love to. You’ll have to lock her in her
room and starve her down to a manageable size.”

    Penryth’s guilt and rage boiled away his calm
façade. “I don’t know why I ever thought you beautiful; you’re so
ugly on the inside it’s rotting away your mask. Your poor husband
will wake up in a few years and find a poxed jaded hag…” She
slapped him hard across the mouth and then backhanded him before he
could think to turn away. Sobbing she leapt off the bed and ran
through the connecting door to her dressing room and slammed the
door. Swearing under his breath at his swelling lips he threw on
his clothes. How was he going to explain his fat lip and disordered
appearance? He couldn’t tell Lily he’d visited his mistress
directly after kissing her; she’d think him a heartless cad. He’d
have to stay away longer than he’d originally planned. He needed
time to concoct a suitable story, but the only thought swirling
through his head was that Melisande’s lips had tainted the sweetest
kisses he’d ever tasted. As he wiped his mouth on his coat sleeve
he wished he could wipe away the fact that he’d disgraced himself
and unwittingly humiliated his wife. Melisande would see to it that
half of England heard that he couldn’t mate his wife because she
was too fat. It was so stupid people would believe it. As if his
poor wife didn’t have enough wounds; quenching his lust had ensured
she’d get a public bruising. Feeling sick with shame he wandered
aimlessly towards the shops wishing there was something he could
buy to assuage