Free The Dumont Bride by Terri Brisbin

filled her and it was impossible to stop the words.
    “Aye, countess,” he answered, his voice filled with sarcasm. “What was yours is now mine. And I want no question to be raised about my right to all that was granted to me.”
    Realizing her mistake, she stepped back and knelt before him. If she had to humble herself to him to gain a reprieve, so be it. She had done so before to protect what was hers; it would not be so very painful to do so once more. She needed time before he found out the truth of her dishonor. No, not dishonored…she would never consider herself as that. Nothing she had done, nothing she had tried to do, would ever deserve the outcome she had reaped. She had not given away her honor; she still carried it deep within her.
    Taking a deep breath, she whispered, “My lord, I meant no challenge to your rights as my lawful husband. Truly. As my husband, all I have is yours. I am yours.”
    She heard his breathing and wondered at his response. She waited for him to say something before continuing, but he said nothing.
    “I have recently lost my father and have faced many trials in trying to keep my estates and my people from ruin. Please, my lord, give me a bit of time to accustom myself to our marriage.”
    She felt his hands grasp her shoulders and pull her to her feet before him. Raising her eyes to him, she waited for his refusal. Even she understood the need to claim her, but her fear of what he would do when he discovered her lack of virginity had driven her to this.
    “I will go to my room, Emalie. You have your reprieve.”
    “But, my lord, what of…?” Confused over his quick agreement, she thought to ask him about Eleanor’s order that there be no repudiation of their vows.
    “Do not worry about your reputation—I will mark the sheets so that none question that the deed has been done.”
    Christian walked from her to the side of the bed, rolling back his sleeve as he moved. After he pulled the bedcovers back, he drew a knife from his belt and made a small, precise slit in his forearm. He held his arm out over the bed and allowed small drops of blood to fall onto the white sheets, marring their cleanliness forever. She gaped as he assessed the amount necessary and then pressed his other hand over the wound to stop the bleeding.
    “Now no tongues will wag on the morrow.”
    She stood there, speechless, unsure of what to say and unable to force a word out of her mouth.
    “In a way, this is a blessing of sorts.”
    “It is, my lord?” For her certainly, but for him? There would be time to explain to him, in some way, what had happened to her. She did not think she would ever reveal the name of the man who had taken what Christian should have had, but she owed him some accounting of her actions.
    “As you said, this marriage was a surprise to me.Although I came here to carry out some order of the queen’s, I did not expect to gain a wife, more titles and more lands. This reprieve of yours will give us some time to learn about the other and to accommodate ourselves to this marriage.”
    His words agreed with hers, but there was something underneath the words themselves. She sensed something questionable, something dangerous…just something else there. Mayhap this was a blessing after all. If he could see her as a capable chatelaine, a calm and sober woman and a dutiful wife, mayhap he could forgive her lapse of…behavior? Time might be exactly what she needed.
    “I agree, my lord,” she answered. “Many men and women of our class do not have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with their spouses before marriage. This could indeed be a blessing.”
    Emalie watched once more as the fire lit his face and many emotions played across it. She wasn’t certain that there would ever be enough time to really know this man. A strong feeling of betrayal emanated from him and she worried about the effect her own news would have on him. Would he be able to accept her sin or would he make her