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her.
    Recalling her sprawled in naked
splendor next to him that morning made him see she was hardly a
child at all, but a temptress. He received a fair view of what lush
beauty lay under the sheet next to him in those few moments before
she awoke and her brother arrived.
    Arianne was his wife now. She was his
to do with as he pleased. And please, he would. He watched her set
down her hair brush, seeing her hand was trembling. Her glorious
pale, corn silk hair swept the seat of the chair in lush waves. It
drew his eyes to the trim backside hardly hidden in the transparent
nightgown.
    Her obvious terror of him
and her youth made him nearly relent in this. He recalled the ugly
threats Eustace made to get him to agree to marry his
sister. No, she would get no reprieve
tonight , he thought as he watched her
swallow hard in nervousness.
    His eyes darkened as they skimmed over
her lovely face to drift down to where the bodice of her nightgown
hugged her full breasts. His loin-tightening reaction to her
shocked him. His body leapt in sudden eagerness, confounding him
with his own responses to her.
    “ You needn’t look so shocked
to see me, Lady Ravensford,” he chided in a mocking tone as he
stood in the middle of the room. “We are married. I have every
right to be in your bedchamber.” He tossed his frock coat upon the
divan and raised an eyebrow at her continued silence. “Do you wish
to talk some more, my dear? I would know if you still have a tongue
in your head. I may require use of it this night.”
    “ I speak often when I’m
engaged with respect, my lord,” she said coolly. “You might get a
response were you to quit sniping at me.”
    “ Sniping at you, am I? It is the least of what you deserve for what
you’ve done!” Garret said harshly. “You take little accountability
for your part in this.”
    “ I had no idea what Eustace
planned! He said he would be killed unless I went along with
him!”
    “ Your backbone in defending
yourself is admirable, madam!” Garret raged as he loomed ever
nearer. “Might you have wanted to employ that when you allowed your
brother to drug me into your bed? Then we would not be here sniping at one
another!”
    Arianne couldn’t defend herself there.
Garret was infuriated by her stony silence. His hands shook as he
undid his waist coat and threw it in a nearby chair. He took deep
breaths to calm himself, telling himself she did nothing hundreds
of other hopeful ladies hadn’t already tried. The fact she
succeeded where so many failed was not lost upon him.
    Garret avoided marriage like one did
disease. His own parents reminded him of what a waste that
sanctified union was. Their underlying hatred for one another made
a lasting impression upon him. Anger filled him to know his vow to
have nothing at all if that was his choice, came back to mock him
once more.
    No, he had been more than willing to
remain single his whole life; leave his title to his cousin,
William. Now he was married to this sullied virgin whose big blue
eyes reminded him he was trapped for the rest of his
life.
    The ton would all laugh behind his back
when they learned he’d been felled by a mere chit of a girl. Her
using the oldest scenario known in gaining an unwilling husband
would ensure he’d be mocked by all. The whole matter was a joke,
and he the butt of it. He felt the burn of it as his hands went to
his shirt buttons.
    His undressing bothered her, he noted
in immense satisfaction, seeing the color that suffused her ivory
features. He tossed his shirt on the divan. Her blue eyes widened
in dismay to see his naked chest revealed.
    At least she was beautiful, he consoled
himself as he flung his cravat to the floor. He reasoned he could
have been saddled with an ugly woman in the same manner. Her
perfect features were flushed, eyes filled with anxiety.
    He longed to reassure her, but didn’t.
He had not intentions of hurting her. No, when he was done with
her, she would have little confusion of who