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Authors: Gabriels Bride
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but rest assured, I will pursue my pleasures elsewhere. There are other women who are perfectly willing to satisfy my needs.” He gave a biting laugh. “And God knows the last thing I want is an heir.” He met her gaze coolly. “So tell me, Yank. Do you travel with me back to England or will you remain here?”
It was with a vague sense of unreality that she heard herself whisper, “I will come with you.”
He nodded, then moved to the door and opened it. Inclining his head, he silently indicated she was to precede him through it.
Cassie moved through in a daze. Her mind was whirling so that she could scarcely assimilate all that had happened. It seemed so incredible…impossible! Only moments ago she had entered this room expecting to be punished…
Instead it seemed she was about to be married.
Downstairs, Christopher Marley was pacing the length of the taproom. Black Jack had settled his bulk onto a bench in the far corner; he stared as if hypnotized into a stout glass of ale. Hearing the echo of steps on the stairway, Nell sauntered in from the kitchens, a scornful smirk tugging at her lips, her manner decidedly lofty. Clearly she thought Cassie would soon be getting all she deserved.
And indeed, so she would.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned their way. Near the last step, Cassie found herself possessed of the desire to bolt wildly into the street and run for all she was worth. But the grip on her elbow tightened as if in warning. Cassie decided almost bitterly that he had no trouble guessing her intention.
Black Jack jumped up from the bench and hurried toward them. “Here, yer lordship, you needn’t trouble yourself any further.” He shot Cassie a dark glance. “I’ll take her off yer hands. Oh, and you can be certain she’ll never again steal from you or anyone else.”
“Oh, I’ve no doubt of that. As my wife, there’ll be no need to.”
Black Jack’s eyes bulged. His lips worked, but no sound came out.
Nell straightened with a strangled cry. “You cannot mean to marry the bitch!”
Gabriel paid no heed to either of them. “We shall be married within the hour,” he went on smoothly. “There’s a church near the docks. We’ll stop there on the way to my ship.”
Nell’s face was purple. “Why? Why her?” she burst out. “The bitch just thinks she’s better ’n me. But she won’t please you in bed. Why, she don’t know half what I know!”
Black Jack finally regained his powers of speech. “Yer lordship, you—you can’t marry her! She’s just a bar whore!”
A bar whore . Cassie cringed inside, and lowered her gaze to the floor. She could look at none of them.
So it was that she did not see Gabriel level on Black Jack a look of such blackness that the burly man fell back a step. “I will marry whom I please,” the earl stated coldly. “Neither you nor any other man can stop me. Now if you don’t mind, please have a carriage summoned. I’m anxious to be on my way.”
Black Jack scurried to obey. Nell glared at Cassie’s bowed head a few seconds longer, then flounced back into the kitchen, muttering under her breath.
Christopher had only now lost his expression of shock. He stepped up to Gabriel, tapped him on the shoulder, and jerked his head toward the entrance. “A word with you in private, if you please.”
Only then did Cassie’s head come up. She watched the two men leave with eyes both troubled and fearful. Outside on the boardwalk the two men faced each other.
It was Gabriel who spoke first, before Christopher even had a chance. “’Tis my hope you will stand as witness to this wedding,” he said calmly.
“Witness?” Both Christopher’s tone and his features were unusually harsh. “Have you lost your mind, man? This marriage will be a mockery, and we both know it!”
Gabriel’s smile held no mirth. “Tell me this, my friend. Would marriage to Lady Evelyn be any less of a mockery? At least this way my bride will be
It was with a vague sense of unreality that she heard herself whisper, “I will come with you.”
He nodded, then moved to the door and opened it. Inclining his head, he silently indicated she was to precede him through it.
Cassie moved through in a daze. Her mind was whirling so that she could scarcely assimilate all that had happened. It seemed so incredible…impossible! Only moments ago she had entered this room expecting to be punished…
Instead it seemed she was about to be married.
Downstairs, Christopher Marley was pacing the length of the taproom. Black Jack had settled his bulk onto a bench in the far corner; he stared as if hypnotized into a stout glass of ale. Hearing the echo of steps on the stairway, Nell sauntered in from the kitchens, a scornful smirk tugging at her lips, her manner decidedly lofty. Clearly she thought Cassie would soon be getting all she deserved.
And indeed, so she would.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, all eyes turned their way. Near the last step, Cassie found herself possessed of the desire to bolt wildly into the street and run for all she was worth. But the grip on her elbow tightened as if in warning. Cassie decided almost bitterly that he had no trouble guessing her intention.
Black Jack jumped up from the bench and hurried toward them. “Here, yer lordship, you needn’t trouble yourself any further.” He shot Cassie a dark glance. “I’ll take her off yer hands. Oh, and you can be certain she’ll never again steal from you or anyone else.”
“Oh, I’ve no doubt of that. As my wife, there’ll be no need to.”
Black Jack’s eyes bulged. His lips worked, but no sound came out.
Nell straightened with a strangled cry. “You cannot mean to marry the bitch!”
Gabriel paid no heed to either of them. “We shall be married within the hour,” he went on smoothly. “There’s a church near the docks. We’ll stop there on the way to my ship.”
Nell’s face was purple. “Why? Why her?” she burst out. “The bitch just thinks she’s better ’n me. But she won’t please you in bed. Why, she don’t know half what I know!”
Black Jack finally regained his powers of speech. “Yer lordship, you—you can’t marry her! She’s just a bar whore!”
A bar whore . Cassie cringed inside, and lowered her gaze to the floor. She could look at none of them.
So it was that she did not see Gabriel level on Black Jack a look of such blackness that the burly man fell back a step. “I will marry whom I please,” the earl stated coldly. “Neither you nor any other man can stop me. Now if you don’t mind, please have a carriage summoned. I’m anxious to be on my way.”
Black Jack scurried to obey. Nell glared at Cassie’s bowed head a few seconds longer, then flounced back into the kitchen, muttering under her breath.
Christopher had only now lost his expression of shock. He stepped up to Gabriel, tapped him on the shoulder, and jerked his head toward the entrance. “A word with you in private, if you please.”
Only then did Cassie’s head come up. She watched the two men leave with eyes both troubled and fearful. Outside on the boardwalk the two men faced each other.
It was Gabriel who spoke first, before Christopher even had a chance. “’Tis my hope you will stand as witness to this wedding,” he said calmly.
“Witness?” Both Christopher’s tone and his features were unusually harsh. “Have you lost your mind, man? This marriage will be a mockery, and we both know it!”
Gabriel’s smile held no mirth. “Tell me this, my friend. Would marriage to Lady Evelyn be any less of a mockery? At least this way my bride will be
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