Free Lady Thief by Rizzo Rosko Page B

possible?
    Unexpectedly, he chuckled, and it unnerved
her.
    She fisted her hands on her hips and prayed
he would not notice how she had reacted to him. “Now what is
amusing you?”
    “‘Tis amusing to know that I truly am an old
fool, no matter how I try to deny it.”
    “What?”
    “Why else would you stage a kidnapping for
Blaise? You did not want an old man creating a chill in your bed,
and here I am, doing just that. No, you are young and wish to feel
the fires of passion, am I correct?”
    Marianne swallowed and tried to ignore the
pooling heat in her belly. How could he have been so right? Weakly,
she nodded her head, and William did the same, bringing his hand up
to his chin in thought.
    “Very well,” he approached her as he spoke,
and she tried to back up only to realize she was still against the
wall. “If you want passion I shall give you passion. I shall take
you to my bed and ravish you until you were unable to leave. I will
give you heated kisses and promises and children.” He stood before
her but refrained from touching her. “Is that what you would
like?”
    She scowled, pushing at him with such a force
that this time she succeeded in heaving him away. “No! I do not
want your false promises or your body if all you will think of is
mindless pleasure! I am not your plaything and never will I be!”
She brought her fist down on his shoulder, and he barely flinched
under the attack.
    ***
    He grinned a predatory grin. Success! This
was the fiery spirit he had met in the church, this was the woman
who convinced him with the help of a blade that marriage to her was
the correct choice.
    Very well. He would play along with her
wishes, for now, but soon the time would come when she would not
only be willing, but she would leap into his embrace at his
call.
    “I apologize for the assumption, my
dear.”
    She bristled at the name and his grin became
wider. “But regardless, I shall become more attentive to your
needs.”
    She eyed him suspiciously, and he got the
feeling she believed he was saying one thing but meaning another.
“Thank you, milord.”
    “Call me by my given name or naught at all,
Marianne.”
    “Thank you, William.” She said, and he was
surprised that there was no venom in her voice.
    ***
    “You may go now. Off to show me what you can
do with the servants whom I am incapable of controlling. I shall
see to finding you a female escort on the morrow.”
    Thinking of how lonely she had been over the
last week in William’s castle, Marianne nodded her head
gratefully.
    He stepped aside for her to leave and she
scurried out of the room. Like a frightened child, she
admonished herself.
    She wondered why she felt like such a fool
for turning down his offer to attend to her needs.
     

Chapter Six
     
    Early the next morn, Marianne shivered
awake in her chilly bedchamber, ate another cold breakfast, and
felt her anger rising.
    This was the end of this nonsense. She would
show William that she could deliver on her claim and that she could
do it in a timely manner.
    She found the serving girl William promised
her. Instead of a plump, middle aged woman like she expected, Olma
turned out to be a shy little thing, not yet twenty, who could
barely stand the sight of her own shadow.
    Marianne circled the girl who was to be her
companion, tapping her chin thoughtfully when Olma did not so much
as look up at her.
    What strange behavior in a serving girl. If
she were to break such poor habits in the rest of the servants she
would have to start with Olma.
    “Stand up straight and watch where you are
going. You do not wish to walk into a wall, do you?”
    “Nay, Milady.”
    Olma trembled under Marianne’s hard stare and
stern voice.
    Be gentle , she reminded herself. She
wanted Olma to do her work properly, not scare her half to
death.
    Marianne lifted the girl’s chin. “You may
smile. I am sure you have a pretty smile and it will help me to
feel better knowing that my companion is actually