Free Emerald Desire (Emerald Trilogy) by Lynette Vinet

were cut from the same silver fabric as the overgown.
    Avery's attire complemented hers. His suit was a flurry of golden ruffles at his neck and wrists. The bright color enlivened his pale features, and Dera found herself thinking that in his younger years, Avery must have been a handsome man.
    Except for Timothy and Lydia, no village people attended the wedding. Lady Cecelia Wiggington, Avery's widowed sister, was the only relation present on his side of the family. Cecelia sat in the first pew, directly opposite the Brennans. A fashionable black hat, decorated with matching plumes, was perched upon her gray hair. Her widow's weeds were embroidered with black pearls at the wrists and hemline. The dark color attractively enhanced the beauty of her porcelain skin. Like Avery, Cecelia was tall and keenly intelligent, but unlike him, she had the ability to see people as they really were and to discern their true motives.
    After the ceremony, Avery sat close to Dera in the carriage for the return trip to the estate. He smiled again at the young girl, sitting so primly. He didn't reach for her hand or press his mouth against hers as he longed to do. "Except for the rain, the day isn't too cold. Very damp, however, soon we'll be home and you can warm yourself."
    Dera nodded, unable to think of anything to say. She was fearful that if she spoke, she would break into tears. The countryside, misty and beautiful, held her attention. Avery retreated into silence, for which she was grateful.
    Timothy and Lydia rode with Lady Cecilia in a second carriage. Timothy was uncomfortable in his best clothes and yearned for the comfort of his own hearth. "Pity, 'tis such an ugly day," he commented to no one in particular and tugged at his stiff collar.
    Lydia agreed that it was a nasty day and nervously wiped away an imaginary spot from her new blue cloak.
    Lady Cecilia sat immobile, her long white hands folded in her lap. She felt no compunction to converse with her brother's overseer and pregnant wife, nor did she see any reason to apologize to them for her rudeness. They were Irish peasants, and to her, no better than common mongrels. But the girl was different.
    Cecilia was intimidated by her new sister-in-law, though as yet, they hadn't exchanged a word. Dera possessed a quiet dignity that even Elvina Fairfax had lacked. From the gleam in Avery's eyes, she sensed he was more than just smitten with a pretty face. No, there was more to it and this bothered her.
    What if Avery impregnated her? With a Fairfax heir, the Irish properties would revert to Dera and her child upon Avery's death. Of course, Cecilia was extremely wealthy, but she had always coveted Fairfax Manor. From the first moment she saw it years ago, she knew she had to own it. She wouldn't allow a peasant girl, no matter how beautiful, to stand in her way.
    Cecilia glanced at the Brennans sitting so uncomfortably across from her. Common sense warned her that they had profited from Dera's marriage and would no doubt profit from the birth of a Fairfax heir. Suddenly a sly smile appeared on her thin lips and she cursed herself for worrying. She knew Avery's secret.
    Cecilia leaned deeper into the cushioned seat and smiled contentedly into the Brennan's mongrel faces. "Such a lovely day," she said.
     
    Tenant farmers lined the road leading to the manor, but their faces were a blur to Dera. "Must everyone wait outside in this drizzle? After all, it's Christmas," she reminded Avery.
    "I requested that they do so, my dear, out of respect. The first thing you must learn is never to feel compassion for these people. If mercy is shown to them they will take advantage. Vigilance is important. Burnings are becoming the norm here, and I cannot let them think I am a weak man." Avery's voice shook with controlled emotion. Unlike so many of his English countrymen who owned property in Ireland, he congratulated himself that he took an interest in his estate and was not an absentee landlord.
    Dera