Free The Taming by Jude Deveraux

her with sympathetic eyes. She kept her chin up and refused to let them see she was hurt. She told herself it was good that her husband was interested in his property. A man who was so concerned about his estates wasn’t likely to gamble them away.
    After a couple of hours, when most people had finished eating, Rogan and his men came into the Hall. Liana smiled, for now, surely, he’d come to her and apologize and explain what had kept him. Instead, he stopped beside Gilbert’s chair, reached between Gilbert and Helen, and picked up a two-pound piece of roasted beef and began to gnaw on it.
    â€œThree wagons are full of feather mattresses and dress goods. I want them filled with gold,” Rogan said, his mouth full.
    Gilbert had had nothing to do with the packing of the wagons and so could not answer Rogan’s complaint. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
    Helen had no such problem. “The mattresses are for my daughter’s comfort. I don’t imagine that place of yours has even the barest comforts.”
    Rogan turned cold, hard eyes on her and Helen almost backed down. “When I want a woman’s opinion, I will ask for it.” He looked back at Gilbert. “I am having an accounting made now. You will regret it if you have cheated me.” He stepped away from the table, the meat eaten, and wiped his greasy hands on the beautiful velvet tunic Liana had had made for him. “You can keep your feathers.”
    Helen was on her feet instantly as she confronted Rogan. He was much taller than she and overpoweringly large, but she held herself rigid before him. Her anger gave her courage. “Your own wife, the wife you have chosen to ignore, supervised the loading of those wagons and she has not cheated you. As for the household goods, either they go with her or she remains here in her father’s house. Choose now, Peregrine, or I’ll have the marriage annulled. No daughter of mine goes from my house naked.”
    The entire room was silent. Only a dog snuffling in a corner could be heard and it, too, soon quietened. Guests, acrobats, singers, musicians, jesters all paused in what they were doing and looked at the tall, handsome man and the elegant woman confronting each other.
    For a moment Rogan did not seem to know what to say. “The marriage has been performed.”
    â€œAnd not consummated,” Helen flashed back at him. “It will be easy to have it annulled.”
    The anger in Rogan’s eyes increased. “You do not threaten me, woman. The girl’s goods are mine and I will take what I want.” He took a step backward and grabbed Liana’s arm, pulling her out of her chair. “If the girl’s virginity is a problem, I’ll take it now.”
    This statement made the half-drunk crowd laugh, and their laughter increased as Rogan pulled Liana up the stairs and out of sight.
    â€œMy room…” Liana said nervously, not exactly sure of what was going on. She was aware only that at last she was going to be alone with this magnificent man.
    Rogan flung open a door to a guest room that was being used by the Earl of Arundel and his wife. The countess’s maid was folding clothes. “Out,” Rogan commanded the girl, and she scurried to obey him.
    â€œBut my room is—” Liana began. This was not the way things were supposed to happen. She was to be undressed by her maids and to be put nude between pure clean sheets and he was to come to her and kiss her and caress her.
    â€œThis room is good enough,” he said, and pushed her back onto the bed, then grabbed her skirt hem and flung it over her head.
    Liana fought her way out from under several heavy layers of cloth, then gasped as Rogan’s considerable weight covered her. The next moment she cried out in pain as he entered her. She was unprepared for such pain and she pushed away from him, but he didn’t seem to notice as he began to make