Free The Bone Garden: A Novel by Tess Gerritsen Page B

his table. On closer inspection, the woman seated beside him looked thoroughly unappealing, the bodice of her dress soiled with spilled drink and food. Her mouth gaped open, revealing rotting teeth. “You need to come to the hospital, Eben,” said Rose.
    Aurnia’s husband shrugged. “Can’t you see I’m busy grieving?”
    “Go to her now, while you can. While she still lives.”
    “Who’s she talking about, darlin’?” the woman said, tugging on Eben’s sleeve, and Rose caught a nauseating whiff of those rotting teeth.
    Eben grunted. “My wife.”
    “You didn’t tell me you had a wife.”
    “So I’m tellin’ you now.” He took a sip of rum.
    “How can you be so heartless?” said Rose. “It’s been seven days since you’ve been to see her. You haven’t even come to see your own daughter!”
    “Already signed over my rights to her. Let the ladies at the infant asylum have her.”
    She stared at him, appalled. “You can’t be serious.”
    “How’m I supposed to care for the brat? She’s the only reason I married your sister. Baby on the way, I did my duty. But she was no cherry, that one.” He gave a shrug. “They’ll find a good home for her.”
    “She belongs with her family. I’ll raise her myself, if I have to.”
    “You?” He laughed. “You’re just months off the boat, and all you know is a needle and thread.”
    “I know enough to look after my own flesh and blood.” Rose grabbed his arm. “Get up. You
will
come with me.”
    He shook her off. “Leave me alone.”
    “Get up, you bastard.” With both hands, she hauled on his arm, and he stumbled to his feet. “She has but a few hours left. Even if you have to lie to her, even if she can’t hear you, you
will
tell her you love her!”
    He shoved her away and stood swaying, drunk and unsteady. The tavern had fallen silent, save for the crackle of flames in the fireplace. Eben glanced around at all the eyes watching him in disapproval. They’d all heard the conversation, and clearly there was no sympathy for him here.
    He drew himself up straight and managed a civil tone. “No need to rail at me like a harpy. I’ll come.” He gave his jacket a tug, neatened his collar. “I was only finishing up my drink.”
    With head held high, he walked out of the Mermaid, stumbling over the threshold as he stepped out the door. She followed him outside, into a mist so penetrating, the dampness seemed to seep straight into her bones. They’d walked only a dozen paces when Eben abruptly turned around to face her.
    His blow sent her reeling backward. She staggered against a building, her cheek throbbing, the pain so terrible that for a few seconds the world went black. She did not even see the second blow coming. It whipped her sideways and she fell to her knees, felt icy water soaking into her skirt.
    “That’s for talking back to me in public,” he snarled. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her across the cobblestones, into the mud of a narrow alley.
    Another blow slammed into her mouth and she tasted blood.
    “And that’s for the four months I’ve had to put up with you. Always taking her side, always lined up against me, the two of you. My prospects ruined, all because she got herself knocked up. You think she didn’t beg me for it? You think I had to seduce her? Oh, no, your
saintly
sister wanted it. She wasn’t afraid to show me what she had. But it was spoiled goods.”
    He wrenched her to her feet and shoved her up against a wall.
    “So don’t play the innocent with me. I know what kind of trash runs in your family. I know what you want. The same thing your sister wanted.”
    He rammed up against her, pinning her against the bricks. His mouth closed over hers, his breath sour with rum. The blows had left her so dazed she could not summon the strength to push him away. She felt the hardening against her pelvis, felt his hand groping at her breasts. He yanked up her skirt and clawed at her petticoat, her stockings,