Read Online The Earl Claims His Wife by Cathy Maxwell - Free Book Online Page A

upstairs.
    The room he showed her was charming, and very clean. A four-poster bed covered in a white counterpane dominated most of the floor space beneath a window.
    Mr. Peters lit the fire in the hearth’s grate and left her to herself, saying, “If you and your lordship need anything, you have only to ask. I pray that the two of you are comfortable here.”
    Gillian was happy to see him bow out, desperately needing a moment to freshen up a bit. However, once she was relaxed, the implications of the innkeeper’s kind remarks sank in.
    She and Wright were expected to share a room—and that bed, which suddenly seemed very small.
    This would not do.
    Gillian went downstairs, a woman on a mission. She found Wright in the taproom that also served for dining. He had claimed a small table over by the hearth. A rather large family with several lively children and an elderly parent were sitting at a table in the middle of the room enjoying their dinner.
    “How is the room?” Wright asked, rising to his feet as she approached. “By the way, I ordered a glass of sherry for you. I remember it is what you like to sip before dinner.”
    “Thank you,” she murmured, as she took a fortifying drink to approach the subject uppermost in her mind. “We must have separate rooms.”
    Her husband studied her a moment. He wasn’t pleased.
    She readied herself for a quarrel. Her foremost argument would be their pact, but then he said, “Very well. Let me see what I can do.”
    At that moment, Mr. Peters and his wife approached the table, carrying trays loaded with food. “I also took the liberty of ordering for you,” Wright confessed and seemed to brace himself for her response.
    “It’s perfectly fine,” she said, another topic on her mind more important than his high-handedness.
    Besides, she was hungry.
    He waited until the majority of the dishes had been placed on the table before raising his voice and saying, “Peters, we have a problem. I am going to need two rooms.”

    Caught in the act of placing warm bread on the table, the innkeeper’s brows came together. “Two?”
    Wright held up two fingers as confirmation. “Can that be arranged?”
    “Yes, yes, my lord. Anything for you.” He glanced over at the tableful of family who had stopped eating their meal to hear if this had anything to do with them. It did. “I’ll tell that family they can’t have the room. We’ll move them out to the barn.”
    Shocked, Gillian asked, “Are you saying you only have two rooms in this inn?”
    “Two rooms fit for guests,” the innkeeper said. “There’s one other room for my daughter. It’s the tiniest of places. The wife and I sleep in the back parlor. If you will give me a moment?” He bowed and started toward the family.
    Wright made no move to call him back. Gillian looked from her husband to the innkeeper who had reached the family’s table. “You aren’t going to stop him?” she asked her husband.
    Reaching for bread, Wright said, “My lady wishes two rooms.”
    Gillian could have groaned aloud. He was doing this on purpose.
    The innkeeper was starting to make his request. The family had gone silent and frowns appeared on several faces. Gillian could not let him go on any longer. “Innkeeper, please, everything is fine.”
    “What do you say, my lady?” the innkeeper asked, turning his head as if he were slightly hard of hearing.
    “I said, one room is fine,” Gillian answered. “Please do not put those people out.”
    “Yes, my lady,” Mr. Peters said with a huge smile of relief. A relief echoed by the family at the other table.
    Gillian felt the worst sort of person for even giving them a concern until she glanced at Wright. He buttered his bread, a secret smile on his face.
    Every suspicious nerve in her body went on alert. Without a doubt he had an ulterior motive in mind. Wright had plans to seduce her.
    At that moment, his gaze met hers, and she knew she was right. He had the devil’s own gleam in