Read Online The Lamplighter's Love by Delphine Dryden - Free Book Online Page B

in society.”
    “No.”
    “But don’t you see, you can’t just—”
    “No,” he insisted. “I don’t need that. Or
perhaps I do, but I don’t need it in a wife. And I don’t give a
rat’s arse if you’re from quality. Heaven knows I’m not. But we can
hire people to teach us all that. As much as we need to know,
anyway. I’m not altogether certain I want to spend much time in
society.”
    “No, it sounds dreadful,” Mary concurred.
“The dresses are pretty though.”
    “And you shall have those, I’ve told you.
You’ll spend so much time being fitted you’ll never want to see
another pin. I won’t have anybody mistaking my countess for a
charwoman.”
    She smiled, not at the idea of dresses but
at the deliberately solemn face Nicholas was making. And then
sadness penetrated her consciousness, filling her with dread once
again. “Nicholas, there’s more. Amberherst. He’s a little mad, I
think. He says he’ll force me to stay, to take the position, and if
I try to do anything else he’ll . . .”
    Nicholas was looking at her with such trust,
such loving concern, that Mary found herself choking up as she
forced the words from her mouth. “He’ll destroy both our
reputations. Spread the rumor that for the past two years I haven’t
been your student, I’ve been your . . . that thing you said, that
you had money for in your contract. He’ll imply that the guild
arranged it that way, arranged for one of their own members to . .
. and,” she rushed on as he opened his mouth to interrupt, “he’s
paid the innkeeper at the Pig to back him up. We made it easier for
him. I made it easier for him. Oh Nicholas, I’m so
sorry!”
    She flung herself toward him, easing her
sorrow against his firm shoulder, if only for a precious few
moments of solace before the cold, hard truth must be faced.
    Nicholas wrapped his arms around her,
stroking the back of her neck, murmuring reassurances.
    “He said all that to you?” Nicholas
asked when her sobs had begun to wane.
    Mary nodded against his shoulder. “Once
after the Elder masters met with us, and then again this morning.
He twisted my arm too. Literally. I had to . . . well, do him a
damage in order to get away.”
    She felt his arms tighten around her until
she could scarcely breathe.
    “I’ll kill him,” he whispered into her
hair.
    It was sweet to hear, she had to admit, but
sadly impractical. “That would probably be unwise.”
    “True. Tempting, however. What sort of
damage did you do him, anyway?”
    She blushed furiously. “I struck him hard
with my fist. In the, er, area where men are particularly
vulnerable.”
    Nicholas pulled away to stare at her in
disbelief before bursting into laughter. “You punched him in the
bollocks? Amberherst?”
    She nodded, still blushing but unable to
hold back a little smile. “Well, in that general region, yes. It
was very effective.”
    “I’d imagine it was,” he agreed, wiping a
tear from one eye.
    “He roared like a bear,” Mary added. “I
shouldn’t wonder if half the ladies on the hall heard him
bellowing.”
    “Wait. The ladies? He did this where?”
    “In the hallway outside my room. He was
waiting when I came out to go to breakfast. It was early though, I
imagine some of the masters were still sleeping.”
    He looked thoughtful, lifting a hand to his
chin and stroking for a moment in silence. “I think it’s time for
you to start your shift, Master Mary,” he said at last, leading her
to the Chair and beginning to strap her hands into place.
    “Nicholas, what are you planning? Please
don’t kill Amberherst. It wouldn’t be worth it.”
    “Darling, never you fear.” He gave her a
quick kiss, and then a more meaningful one, obviously regretting
the moment he had to drag himself away. As he lowered the screens
into place, he smiled as though he had a delightful secret.
    “What are you going to do?” she demanded,
even as she started to scan the mirrored streams of information
before