Free Love Me True by Heather Boyd Page A

thinking. From this angle, he couldn’t see her face well enough to judge whether she was desperately unhappy. He sat close to her side and slid his hand over her clenched fingers. “From what I understand my aunt suspected first. And I knew Tristan had his eye on a woman here. I just couldn’t figure out whom though. He managed to keep Win a secret, even from me.”
    “You liked her.” Clarry’s words rang with accusation. “You were often in her company.”
    Startled by her reaction, he squeezed her hand. “I’m human, and she is very lovely. But she’s Tristan’s wife now, my new sister, and she’s very much in love with him. They suit each other.”
    Clarry nodded then pressed her hand to her temple.
    “Are you all right?” He changed his grip and laced their fingers together as naturally as if they were long time lovers.
    Clarry shook her head. “I am such a fool not to have suspected how deep their attachment went. I thought if I could just get him alone he would see me differently. See the real me. But I messed that up and now we’re saddled with each other.”
    Justin dropped her hand and stood. “Perhaps you’ll grow used to marriage and me in time. I will see you at dinner.”
    “Wait. I didn’t mean it to come out that way. I’m just saying that you wouldn’t be in this situation if I’d had all the facts. You’d never have chosen to court me in the first place, let alone offer marriage, if I hadn’t ruined myself.”
    Justin stood still. Should he tell her the truth before the wedding or hold his heart close to his chest to protect himself. Yet if he didn’t express his feelings soon he feared he’d burst out with his love at an inopportune time, such as while making love. And that he couldn’t bear because he wouldn’t hear the same sentiments returned. “I would have courted you properly for the whole world to see if you had smiled at me with half the strength with which you do my brother. I envied him, and it’s hardly a secret that you preferred him and his title.”
    A lengthy silence followed her short gasp and with no attempt at denial Justin returned to his bedchamber without glancing at Clarry’s face.

    ~ * ~

    Clarry sat very still and willed her heart to slow. Had she just imagined that Justin might once have had honorable intentions toward her? That couldn’t be right. She must have misheard him. He preferred tall women, elegant creatures who’d already had a husband. At least that’s what she’d heard whispered about town often enough. Even Lady Ramsbury fit his type of lover. Whereas Clarry, at five feet two and more flesh on her bones than she cared for, couldn’t be more different. Yet he sounded a jealous man.
    Curious, Clarry crept toward the doorway adjoining her room to Justin’s sitting room. All was quiet. Still. So she quickly crossed the room and peeked into his bedchamber. Empty. Dash it all. Now she might never know. As she turned to cross the room she spied his writing desk. The surface was buried under scraps of parchment, strewn every which way about. She straightened a few before one caught her eye.

    Her eyes glow hot as embers
    Her touch burns my soul
    Yet for a taste of her cherry red lips
    A man would walk through hell

    Thankfully the last line had been crossed out. How terribly mundane. Clarry read another and as she reached the last line she realized something important. Justin’s handwriting seemed familiar. The loops and swirls pricked her memory. They reminded her of —
    Her book!
    But that couldn’t be possible. Her poet had music in his soul and a greater love in his heart than Lord Justin ever could. The writing must only be similar in style. But still the feel of it was too familiar to ignore. Perhaps he knew the writer well. Yes, that was it. He must have fashioned his own poetry after someone else. It happened all the time. To prove her point she snatched up a sheet, returned to her chamber, and picked up the small pillow on the