Read Online Some Enchanted Waltz by Lily Silver - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lily Silver
Ads: Link
and his heart plummeted. “Couldn’t we just live together for a while? You’ve told everyone we’re engaged. That should be enough.”
“No.” Adrian said quickly, panic making him rush to persuade her to stick with the plan he designed without her consent. “You cannot abide under my roof as an unmarried woman, even as my betrothed. ‘Tis most improper and unseemly to do so. People would cast aspersions on us and damn you as a whore. They would say you were my mistress.”
Tara’s adorable nose wrinkled and her features mirrored her distaste for his words. “Mistress?” She repeated the word as if it were foreign as her eyes studied him for a long moment. “I should be so lucky.” She quipped, grinning at him with sudden pleasure.
“Without a member of your family residing here with you as a chaperon, the longer you remain in my home, the more damning it is to your reputation. Unless we are wed soon, I’ll be forced by the laws of propriety to set you up at the inn in Glengarriff.”
He studied her as he spoke, watching for any sign that she might be preparing to abandon him. What had he done to upset her? Had she taken him in distaste so quickly? He’d been most careful in his manner toward her, mindful not to behave with too much familiarity despite their ‘engagement’. All week, he’d been deferential towards her, deeply aware she was a member of the Sidhe race and not to be trifled with.
“Having you so far away would trouble me greatly.” Adrian admitted truthfully. “I would worry over your safety as Glengarriff is nearly ten miles away.”
“I wouldn’t like that, not at all.” She whispered, shrugging the shawl up about her neck and looking quite crestfallen. “Your customs are primitive. In my world, a woman can take lovers and live as she pleases without social censure.”
“Do I displease you so?” He was not unattractive, this he well knew. Yet, perhaps he was not the type of mortal she fancied.
“No!” Tara’s quick response surprised him. “It’s just so sudden. You make a girl dizzy, sweeping her off her feet so quickly, my lord.” She smiled at him.
“Our vows will be in name only, if that is your wish.” He assured her. Adrian didn’t wish it so, yet, he wasn’t a fool. He realized that taking a fairy bride meant he would be forever at her mercy and her whims. When men took--or rather were taken by fairy women as lovers, they were forever changed, magically bound to their enchanted lover. He was willing to be bound to her forever, and yet, he realized the ultimate decision to pursue such a union would be up to her. “I will not expect us to become lovers.”
Rather than the relief he sought to give her, his words seemed to upset her.
“Seriously, dude? You want me to pose as your wife, yet you don’t want to have sex with me? Are you gay, Lord Dillon? Hey, if you are its fine--it is common in my world--but why the big pretense of taking a wife if you prefer men over women?”
Adrian sucked in his breath. His face grew hot with anger as he swore aloud. “Now see here--“ He began, outraged by her implication that he would prefer to lie with a man instead of a vivacious, sensual woman such as herself. “I only meant to say that if you are not comfortable being physically intimate I will understand and respect your wishes. I could do none other to a member of your race, it would be folly to expect you to--“
“Just hold on here!” Tara jerked her slim, bandaged hand from his grip. “What the hell is your problem? You keep referring to my ‘race’ as if I’m some sort of vile alien species. Are you a racist, Lord Dillon?”
Adrian was stunned by the question. He did not understand it. It seemed no matter what he said or tried to say to her, he ended up offending her. And well he knew that offending Tara might make her return to her own realm and leave him to an unbearable fate. “You are a member of the Fey, the Sidhe; an exalted race a
“No.” Adrian said quickly, panic making him rush to persuade her to stick with the plan he designed without her consent. “You cannot abide under my roof as an unmarried woman, even as my betrothed. ‘Tis most improper and unseemly to do so. People would cast aspersions on us and damn you as a whore. They would say you were my mistress.”
Tara’s adorable nose wrinkled and her features mirrored her distaste for his words. “Mistress?” She repeated the word as if it were foreign as her eyes studied him for a long moment. “I should be so lucky.” She quipped, grinning at him with sudden pleasure.
“Without a member of your family residing here with you as a chaperon, the longer you remain in my home, the more damning it is to your reputation. Unless we are wed soon, I’ll be forced by the laws of propriety to set you up at the inn in Glengarriff.”
He studied her as he spoke, watching for any sign that she might be preparing to abandon him. What had he done to upset her? Had she taken him in distaste so quickly? He’d been most careful in his manner toward her, mindful not to behave with too much familiarity despite their ‘engagement’. All week, he’d been deferential towards her, deeply aware she was a member of the Sidhe race and not to be trifled with.
“Having you so far away would trouble me greatly.” Adrian admitted truthfully. “I would worry over your safety as Glengarriff is nearly ten miles away.”
“I wouldn’t like that, not at all.” She whispered, shrugging the shawl up about her neck and looking quite crestfallen. “Your customs are primitive. In my world, a woman can take lovers and live as she pleases without social censure.”
“Do I displease you so?” He was not unattractive, this he well knew. Yet, perhaps he was not the type of mortal she fancied.
“No!” Tara’s quick response surprised him. “It’s just so sudden. You make a girl dizzy, sweeping her off her feet so quickly, my lord.” She smiled at him.
“Our vows will be in name only, if that is your wish.” He assured her. Adrian didn’t wish it so, yet, he wasn’t a fool. He realized that taking a fairy bride meant he would be forever at her mercy and her whims. When men took--or rather were taken by fairy women as lovers, they were forever changed, magically bound to their enchanted lover. He was willing to be bound to her forever, and yet, he realized the ultimate decision to pursue such a union would be up to her. “I will not expect us to become lovers.”
Rather than the relief he sought to give her, his words seemed to upset her.
“Seriously, dude? You want me to pose as your wife, yet you don’t want to have sex with me? Are you gay, Lord Dillon? Hey, if you are its fine--it is common in my world--but why the big pretense of taking a wife if you prefer men over women?”
Adrian sucked in his breath. His face grew hot with anger as he swore aloud. “Now see here--“ He began, outraged by her implication that he would prefer to lie with a man instead of a vivacious, sensual woman such as herself. “I only meant to say that if you are not comfortable being physically intimate I will understand and respect your wishes. I could do none other to a member of your race, it would be folly to expect you to--“
“Just hold on here!” Tara jerked her slim, bandaged hand from his grip. “What the hell is your problem? You keep referring to my ‘race’ as if I’m some sort of vile alien species. Are you a racist, Lord Dillon?”
Adrian was stunned by the question. He did not understand it. It seemed no matter what he said or tried to say to her, he ended up offending her. And well he knew that offending Tara might make her return to her own realm and leave him to an unbearable fate. “You are a member of the Fey, the Sidhe; an exalted race a
Similar Books
