Read Online Forbidden by Rachel van Dyken, Kristin Vayden, Kelly Martin, Nadine Millard - Free Book Online Page A

the house whose arrival is
expected in a couple of weeks. Did you really think that I would
not know about your wife when you sent one of her gowns for me to
wear?"
    Mariah could hear that she was shouting in a
most unladylike manner but right then she didn't care if she
sounded like a fishwife.
    "Did you really think that if I was hiding a
wife from you I would send you a dress belonging to her?" he
shouted, equally loudly. He stopped in his approach and glared at
her from halfway across the room instead, his fists balled at his
sides.
    His question took the wind out of Mariah's
sails a little. It did seem rather strange that he should lie about
a wife in order to seduce her only to let her borrow a gown
belonging to the lady.
    But then, she rationalised, she knew nothing
of rakish men. Perhaps this was part of the sick little game he
enjoyed.
    "I don't know," she said truthfully. "Perhaps
that is part of appeal for you. Perhaps you enjoy seeing
unsuspecting young ladies wearing your wife's gowns. Perhaps you
thought to make love to me while I was wearing it."
    Mariah had never before spoken so boldly of
such things, but she had no time to feel embarrassed. Not when she
was so furious with him. Her own fists were curled with the force
of her emotion but she wrapped her arms around herself, holding
tight to her fury, wrapping it around herself so that she did not
feel the hurt that was trying to make itself known.
    "You have quite the imagination, Mariah."
    "And you have quite a nerve," she
shouted.
    "Bloody hell and damnation I AM NOT
MARRIED."
    His yell fairly shook the ground so loud was
it and Mariah had to stop herself from covering her ears.
    "You are a bloody nuisance. You have given me
nothing but trouble since the second you pulled up to this house. I
am not married. I have never been married and if all
women are like you, I have no intentions of ever being
married," he shouted.
    Mariah felt quite hurt at that last bit.
    "That was very rude," she berated him and
watched as his jaw dropped open so wide she was surprised it didn't
hit of the floor.
    "Are you serious?" he asked
incredulously.
    "Yes, I am," she answered firmly. "There
really is no need to be so insulting."
    Now, Mariah had been witness to plenty of
afflictions in her time helping Papa. But never had she seen
someone's face turn quite so red in so short amount of time as Mr.
Haverton's did at that moment.
    "Of all the ridiculous, exasperating,
maddening chits I have ever met. You — I, you — argh!"
    Mariah watched in bemused fascination as the
large man before her, who much surely be over six feet in height,
threw what could only be described as a total temper tantrum right
in front of her.
    He threw his hands in the air, even stamped
his feet at one point and shouted mostly incoherent words to the
ceiling.
    Mariah wondered briefly if she should slap
him then figured that would probably make the situation worse. So
she waited calmly, hands clasped together until he was
finished.
    After a moment or two of frankly ridiculous
behaviour Mr. Haverton stomped over to the sideboard, which held a
selection of drinks, and proceeded to pour a measure of brandy
bigger than any Mariah had ever seen.
    He threw back the entire contents then
slammed the glass onto the table.
    She waited a few seconds but when he didn't
speak or move, she guessed that the tantrum was over.
    "Are you quite finished?" she asked
politely.
    He ignored her.
    Like a child.
    "So" she ventured again after more mutinous
silence, "you're not married?"
    Mariah was quite sure she heard a curse
before he turned around to face her.
    "No. I told you before and I am telling you
now. I'm not married. Do you really think I would have kissed you
the way I did if I had a wife? Do you think I am that type of
man?"
    Mariah felt instantly guilty then instantly
defensive.
    "Well how should I know what type of man you
are?" she wailed, wringing her hands nervously. "You barely speak
to me and when you do you