today she appeared more angry than pleased to be his wife.
“Yes, my lord. The food is excellent. May I suggest you try the strawberries? They are very sweet.”
“Thank you. I have already had some.”
“Then perhaps you would be good enough to join me in the drawing room. I assume from your clothing that you will be riding to another destination this afternoon, and I very much wish to talk to you before you leave.”
Kenrick raised his eyebrows. He was not accustomed to being addressed in such imperious tones, and he was not sure he liked it. Still, since he wanted a private audience with his wife before he left anyway, there was no reason to object to her request.
He turned to the footman who still stood near the sideboard. “Would you please show Lady Kenrick and me to a room where we will have privacy?”
* * *
Elizabeth could feel her anger waning as her headache eased and her hunger was assuaged, but she fought to keep it alive and strong. Anger was the one emotion that would help her achieve her objectives in the forthcoming interview with her husband. Her future depended on convincing him that she was not only normal mentally but that she had normal monetary needs—clothing, transportation, perhaps even pin money. Only if she succeeded could she hope for any measure of independence in the years to come.
He had offered his arm to escort her from the dining room, and she laid her fingers on it gingerly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight tremble she couldn’t control. She wished she could banish from her mind the persistent memory of the warmth of his hand lying against her chilled skin in the garden the evening before.
“Remember, Elizabeth,” she told herself over and over, walking beside her husband through the corridor toward a small room near the back of the house. “Remember that if you do not succeed, you will be near-buried here in this remote forest for the rest of your life. Remember!”
Elizabeth waited only for the drawing room door to close behind the footman before turning to confront her husband. “My lord, by now you will have reached the conclusion that I am not simpleminded, I hope.”
Kenrick’s lips tightened. “I have.”
“In that case, you will understand when I inform you that I cannot be content shut away here in this secluded house. I want a carriage and horses at my disposal so I can visit my friends. I shall also need adequate pin money to provide for my clothing and for occasional entertainment. I am sorry if these are expenses you had not anticipated, but I, on the other hand, had not expected to be housed in such a remote location.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had carefully rehearsed her speech all through their meal, but she had never dreamed it would take so much courage to utter the words. Now she regretted doing so. They had seemed perfectly acceptable in her mind, but said aloud, they sounded grasping, demanding, even greedy. She should have explained her position before making her demands. She opened her eyes and took another deep breath. “What I mean, my lord—”
“I know what you mean,” Kenrick interrupted, fury burning in his eyes. “Yes, madam, I know exactly what you mean. You mean that you wanted a husband with money and a title, and like every woman since Eve, you were willing to lie, cheat, and deceive in order to get what you wanted. That charade last night was a carefully executed plan designed to leave me no option but to marry you, was it not? Did your father fear I would renege on our agreement? He should not have judged me by his own standards. Still and all, he achieved his goal. He got you married off. I regret that you are less than satisfied with the outcome.”
Elizabeth gasped and opened her mouth, hoping somehow to find the words to make him understand, but she was not to have that opportunity. He was already rushing ahead with his denouncement.
“But don’t despair, my lady. I shall meet your
“Yes, my lord. The food is excellent. May I suggest you try the strawberries? They are very sweet.”
“Thank you. I have already had some.”
“Then perhaps you would be good enough to join me in the drawing room. I assume from your clothing that you will be riding to another destination this afternoon, and I very much wish to talk to you before you leave.”
Kenrick raised his eyebrows. He was not accustomed to being addressed in such imperious tones, and he was not sure he liked it. Still, since he wanted a private audience with his wife before he left anyway, there was no reason to object to her request.
He turned to the footman who still stood near the sideboard. “Would you please show Lady Kenrick and me to a room where we will have privacy?”
* * *
Elizabeth could feel her anger waning as her headache eased and her hunger was assuaged, but she fought to keep it alive and strong. Anger was the one emotion that would help her achieve her objectives in the forthcoming interview with her husband. Her future depended on convincing him that she was not only normal mentally but that she had normal monetary needs—clothing, transportation, perhaps even pin money. Only if she succeeded could she hope for any measure of independence in the years to come.
He had offered his arm to escort her from the dining room, and she laid her fingers on it gingerly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight tremble she couldn’t control. She wished she could banish from her mind the persistent memory of the warmth of his hand lying against her chilled skin in the garden the evening before.
“Remember, Elizabeth,” she told herself over and over, walking beside her husband through the corridor toward a small room near the back of the house. “Remember that if you do not succeed, you will be near-buried here in this remote forest for the rest of your life. Remember!”
Elizabeth waited only for the drawing room door to close behind the footman before turning to confront her husband. “My lord, by now you will have reached the conclusion that I am not simpleminded, I hope.”
Kenrick’s lips tightened. “I have.”
“In that case, you will understand when I inform you that I cannot be content shut away here in this secluded house. I want a carriage and horses at my disposal so I can visit my friends. I shall also need adequate pin money to provide for my clothing and for occasional entertainment. I am sorry if these are expenses you had not anticipated, but I, on the other hand, had not expected to be housed in such a remote location.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had carefully rehearsed her speech all through their meal, but she had never dreamed it would take so much courage to utter the words. Now she regretted doing so. They had seemed perfectly acceptable in her mind, but said aloud, they sounded grasping, demanding, even greedy. She should have explained her position before making her demands. She opened her eyes and took another deep breath. “What I mean, my lord—”
“I know what you mean,” Kenrick interrupted, fury burning in his eyes. “Yes, madam, I know exactly what you mean. You mean that you wanted a husband with money and a title, and like every woman since Eve, you were willing to lie, cheat, and deceive in order to get what you wanted. That charade last night was a carefully executed plan designed to leave me no option but to marry you, was it not? Did your father fear I would renege on our agreement? He should not have judged me by his own standards. Still and all, he achieved his goal. He got you married off. I regret that you are less than satisfied with the outcome.”
Elizabeth gasped and opened her mouth, hoping somehow to find the words to make him understand, but she was not to have that opportunity. He was already rushing ahead with his denouncement.
“But don’t despair, my lady. I shall meet your
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