Read Online Fairchild's Lady (Culper Ring Series) by Roseanna M. White - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Roseanna M. White
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Lynette.”
“ Quoi? ” He pulled back and forced her face up again. When she opened her eyes, she saw a storm raging through his eyes. “He would have tossed you over for her ? Then he was too stupid to live anyway.”
“Remi!”
“He was a maggot, nothing more. Forget him.”
She already had in every way that mattered. But Remi, his behavior, his tyranny—that she could never forget. And must, at any cost, escape. “Does life mean so little to you?”
He arched a single brow. “Life? I think it a fragile thing. So easily snuffed out when a person does not value it enough to guard it. One stray shot from a rifle. One twist of a neck.”
She swallowed hard when his fingers closed around hers.
But he chuckled. “Your neck is far too lovely to ruin, mon ange , unless you force my hand. Your skin far too perfect to mar.” He turned her face and examined her cheek, probing at where he had struck her. She winced and whimpered and tried to pull away, but he held her tight. Made a tsking noise. “Look what you have done, Julienne. It will bruise.”
What she had done?
Before she could wrap her tongue around a retort, the door opened, and Mère swept in. Her mother’s gaze widened, and she rushed forward, knocking Remi’s hands away so she could examine Julienne’s cheek with her gentle touch.
Strange how her maman’s presence could make her want nothing more than to let her knees go weak and the tears come.
“ Ma fille , what has happened?”
Remi stepped away, his face once again the work of carefully chiseled stone that he wore for the public. “I caught your daughter in the arms of the comte d’Ushant, madame.”
“Julienne, non .” Their gazes locked, and though Julienne saw the very real outrage in her mother’s eyes, she saw too the light of understanding. “How could you be so—Did he do this to you?”
Julienne covered Mère’s hand with her own, hoping to soothe away the tremor she’d heard. “No, Maman.” She looked past her mother to Remi.
He narrowed his eyes. “It must have been the result of the scuffle when my men pulled them apart. Naturally, I will punish whoever dared to mark her ivory skin.”
Perhaps the words were spoken evenly, without any hesitation, but Mère was no fool. She pressed her lips together, worry swirling in her eyes only when her back was to the duc. They cleared just before she pivoted to face him. “I should hope so. Foolish though her action may have been, one moment of folly is hardly cause for such rough treatment. She is a good girl, my Julienne. I am sure it was a moment of weakness, nothing more. Certainly it will never happen again.”
“Of that I intend to be sure.” Remi strode to the cabinet against the wall and unstopped a decanter, sloshing liquor into a glass. “Julienne will not leave this apartment until we are wed.”
Non . He could not hold her here, a prisoner. Julienne stumbled backward into the chair. He could not—She must convince her mother to leave France. They must rendezvous with Isaac.
Mère stormed after the duc. “ Pardonnez-moi , monsieur—but my daughter most certainly will not be residing in your rooms until you are wed!”
Dark amusement lit his eyes as he sipped at the drink. “There will be no harm, as I will not be in them. And you are welcome to staywith her, madame. But I promise you, her lovely feet shall not cross the threshold until my return. I will have every entrance guarded. No one will come in, and she will not go out.”
Her mother fisted her hands against her hips. “Absurd. We have much planning to do for the wedding—”
“Yes, you have, and all of it can be accomplished from here.” His gaze found Julienne again. Hard, unforgiving. Determined to have what he wanted. “Commission your gown, mon amour . Redecorate the rooms if you so wish.”
Mère huffed. “And how are we to commission her gown if no one is allowed in?”
A spark of amused respect flashed through his eyes. “Very
“ Quoi? ” He pulled back and forced her face up again. When she opened her eyes, she saw a storm raging through his eyes. “He would have tossed you over for her ? Then he was too stupid to live anyway.”
“Remi!”
“He was a maggot, nothing more. Forget him.”
She already had in every way that mattered. But Remi, his behavior, his tyranny—that she could never forget. And must, at any cost, escape. “Does life mean so little to you?”
He arched a single brow. “Life? I think it a fragile thing. So easily snuffed out when a person does not value it enough to guard it. One stray shot from a rifle. One twist of a neck.”
She swallowed hard when his fingers closed around hers.
But he chuckled. “Your neck is far too lovely to ruin, mon ange , unless you force my hand. Your skin far too perfect to mar.” He turned her face and examined her cheek, probing at where he had struck her. She winced and whimpered and tried to pull away, but he held her tight. Made a tsking noise. “Look what you have done, Julienne. It will bruise.”
What she had done?
Before she could wrap her tongue around a retort, the door opened, and Mère swept in. Her mother’s gaze widened, and she rushed forward, knocking Remi’s hands away so she could examine Julienne’s cheek with her gentle touch.
Strange how her maman’s presence could make her want nothing more than to let her knees go weak and the tears come.
“ Ma fille , what has happened?”
Remi stepped away, his face once again the work of carefully chiseled stone that he wore for the public. “I caught your daughter in the arms of the comte d’Ushant, madame.”
“Julienne, non .” Their gazes locked, and though Julienne saw the very real outrage in her mother’s eyes, she saw too the light of understanding. “How could you be so—Did he do this to you?”
Julienne covered Mère’s hand with her own, hoping to soothe away the tremor she’d heard. “No, Maman.” She looked past her mother to Remi.
He narrowed his eyes. “It must have been the result of the scuffle when my men pulled them apart. Naturally, I will punish whoever dared to mark her ivory skin.”
Perhaps the words were spoken evenly, without any hesitation, but Mère was no fool. She pressed her lips together, worry swirling in her eyes only when her back was to the duc. They cleared just before she pivoted to face him. “I should hope so. Foolish though her action may have been, one moment of folly is hardly cause for such rough treatment. She is a good girl, my Julienne. I am sure it was a moment of weakness, nothing more. Certainly it will never happen again.”
“Of that I intend to be sure.” Remi strode to the cabinet against the wall and unstopped a decanter, sloshing liquor into a glass. “Julienne will not leave this apartment until we are wed.”
Non . He could not hold her here, a prisoner. Julienne stumbled backward into the chair. He could not—She must convince her mother to leave France. They must rendezvous with Isaac.
Mère stormed after the duc. “ Pardonnez-moi , monsieur—but my daughter most certainly will not be residing in your rooms until you are wed!”
Dark amusement lit his eyes as he sipped at the drink. “There will be no harm, as I will not be in them. And you are welcome to staywith her, madame. But I promise you, her lovely feet shall not cross the threshold until my return. I will have every entrance guarded. No one will come in, and she will not go out.”
Her mother fisted her hands against her hips. “Absurd. We have much planning to do for the wedding—”
“Yes, you have, and all of it can be accomplished from here.” His gaze found Julienne again. Hard, unforgiving. Determined to have what he wanted. “Commission your gown, mon amour . Redecorate the rooms if you so wish.”
Mère huffed. “And how are we to commission her gown if no one is allowed in?”
A spark of amused respect flashed through his eyes. “Very
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