Read Online When Marrying a Scoundrel by Kathryn Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathryn Smith
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emotion.
That left only one decision—where to begin?
She met Vienne’s questioning gaze. “Twelve years ago I married Jack Friday in a pagan ceremony.” Vienne knew she’d been married, and that she’d been deserted, but Sadie had never said his name.
Russet brows jumped, but otherwise the smooth porcelain of the Frenchwoman’s features remained impassive. It took a lot more than a youthful impulse to startle her. “A pagan ceremony, how very free thinking of you, my friend.”
“Free thinking had nothing to do with it. I was fifteen, he was eighteen and his family had cut him off. We couldn’t afford a license.” Odd how those days brought a smile to Sadie’s lips. Jack had stolen some money from his grandfather to set them up in a flat, but the money didn’t last long. All they’d had was their few meager belongings and each other. God, that had been enough back then.
“I’ve never seen you smile like that,” her friend mused, a suspicious look in her eye. “Certainly such pleasure cannot be owed to the black-hearted bastard who left you as though you were a two-penny whore who owed him change?”
Vienne had such a way of putting things—not just at their bluntest and basest, but also in a manner that made Sadie feel wrong for remembering Jack with any fondness whatsoever.
“Not every moment of my marriage was unpleasant, Vienne,” Sadie informed her somewhat coolly. “And he didn’t leave me like a ‘two-penny whore’ as you so eloquently put it.”
“Of course not.” The Frenchwoman’s tone was placating and not the least bit sincere. Vienne believed the worst of men—all men. She said it kept her from spending much of her life in a state of disillusionment.
“So, Mr. Friday is your erstwhile spouse, eh? Why did you not mention this last night?”
Sadie shrugged—a beastly habit she’d picked up from Vienne—and took another sip of her delicious coffee. “I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“And now you do?”
“And now I do, because the great arse says he’s not going to let me have my shop!” Let her accuse Sadie of having too much fondness for Jack now! She trembled as rage and fear took hold of her with a vengeance. “Can he do that, Vienne?”
Her friend looked positively murderous. “What exactly did he threaten?”
“That he was going to tell Mr. Kane not to rent to me.”
Vienne smiled a little then, and Sadie took it as a good sign despite its predatory appearance. “Trystan Kane is many things, but he won’t turn his back on a sound investment just because his partner asks him to.”
“But I’m sure he’s told Mr. Kane horrible things about me.”
“Just as you’ve told me horrible things about your husband, but that’s not going to prevent me from doing business with him. It just means I won’t share my bed with him.”
Sadie’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t seem to remember how to make words come out. And Vienne, God love her, laughed in response. “Don’t look so shocked, my friend. You of all people should know how very attractive he is.”
“Well…yes. Of course.” But how could Vienne give herself to a man she called a “black-hearted bastard?” The idea of the two of them in bed together…She wondered how Vienne felt about eating that cup she held.
“You needn’t look at me as though you’d like to take out my eyes.” Her friend laughed again. “I’m not going to bed your husband, Sadie.”
She hadn’t looked at her in any such manner, had she? “He’s not my husband, not anymore. Legally, I don’t think he ever was.”
Vienne tilted her head to one side. “Then why do you fear him?”
Scowling, she brushed an imaginary speck of lint from her skirts. “I don’t fear him.”
A blessed moment of silence followed and then Vienne said, in a voice filled with wonderment, “I believe you still love him.”
Sadie had heard just about enough. “Would that make him once again shag-worthy in your
That left only one decision—where to begin?
She met Vienne’s questioning gaze. “Twelve years ago I married Jack Friday in a pagan ceremony.” Vienne knew she’d been married, and that she’d been deserted, but Sadie had never said his name.
Russet brows jumped, but otherwise the smooth porcelain of the Frenchwoman’s features remained impassive. It took a lot more than a youthful impulse to startle her. “A pagan ceremony, how very free thinking of you, my friend.”
“Free thinking had nothing to do with it. I was fifteen, he was eighteen and his family had cut him off. We couldn’t afford a license.” Odd how those days brought a smile to Sadie’s lips. Jack had stolen some money from his grandfather to set them up in a flat, but the money didn’t last long. All they’d had was their few meager belongings and each other. God, that had been enough back then.
“I’ve never seen you smile like that,” her friend mused, a suspicious look in her eye. “Certainly such pleasure cannot be owed to the black-hearted bastard who left you as though you were a two-penny whore who owed him change?”
Vienne had such a way of putting things—not just at their bluntest and basest, but also in a manner that made Sadie feel wrong for remembering Jack with any fondness whatsoever.
“Not every moment of my marriage was unpleasant, Vienne,” Sadie informed her somewhat coolly. “And he didn’t leave me like a ‘two-penny whore’ as you so eloquently put it.”
“Of course not.” The Frenchwoman’s tone was placating and not the least bit sincere. Vienne believed the worst of men—all men. She said it kept her from spending much of her life in a state of disillusionment.
“So, Mr. Friday is your erstwhile spouse, eh? Why did you not mention this last night?”
Sadie shrugged—a beastly habit she’d picked up from Vienne—and took another sip of her delicious coffee. “I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“And now you do?”
“And now I do, because the great arse says he’s not going to let me have my shop!” Let her accuse Sadie of having too much fondness for Jack now! She trembled as rage and fear took hold of her with a vengeance. “Can he do that, Vienne?”
Her friend looked positively murderous. “What exactly did he threaten?”
“That he was going to tell Mr. Kane not to rent to me.”
Vienne smiled a little then, and Sadie took it as a good sign despite its predatory appearance. “Trystan Kane is many things, but he won’t turn his back on a sound investment just because his partner asks him to.”
“But I’m sure he’s told Mr. Kane horrible things about me.”
“Just as you’ve told me horrible things about your husband, but that’s not going to prevent me from doing business with him. It just means I won’t share my bed with him.”
Sadie’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t seem to remember how to make words come out. And Vienne, God love her, laughed in response. “Don’t look so shocked, my friend. You of all people should know how very attractive he is.”
“Well…yes. Of course.” But how could Vienne give herself to a man she called a “black-hearted bastard?” The idea of the two of them in bed together…She wondered how Vienne felt about eating that cup she held.
“You needn’t look at me as though you’d like to take out my eyes.” Her friend laughed again. “I’m not going to bed your husband, Sadie.”
She hadn’t looked at her in any such manner, had she? “He’s not my husband, not anymore. Legally, I don’t think he ever was.”
Vienne tilted her head to one side. “Then why do you fear him?”
Scowling, she brushed an imaginary speck of lint from her skirts. “I don’t fear him.”
A blessed moment of silence followed and then Vienne said, in a voice filled with wonderment, “I believe you still love him.”
Sadie had heard just about enough. “Would that make him once again shag-worthy in your
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