A smile touched her mouth. “I can help—”
“You will do naught. I will have your promise!”
“Promise?” her betrothed demanded with a dangerous edge as he stepped into the stable.
Colyne whirled to face the duke, pushing Marie behind him as he grasped the hilt of his sword.
“ ’Twould be unwise to draw your weapon,” the duke drawled. “If I were to kill you, ’twould be in self-defense.”
At least he’d nae come upon them earlier when he’d kissed Marie. “ ’Tis unwise to eavesdrop.”
“More so for a man to engage in a clandestine meeting with my intended,” Gaston said with brittle coldness. “As you saved Marie’s life, I shall grant you leave of this illicit assignation. But should I find you alone again with my betrothed, I will kill you.”
Colyne grunted. If he were challenged, the bastard would die.
The duke extended his hand. “Marie, come here.”
She stiffened behind Colyne.
Hating what he must do, he drew her forward. “We will speak later.”
“You will not!” The duke’s nostrils flared. “Except for public meetings, she is not to meet with you. I forbid it.”
Marie’s body shook with fury. “You will not dictate who I see.”
“This is not a topic I shall discuss in public,” Gaston stated with cold warning.
“Go,” Colyne said.
“For you,” she said under her breath as she passed him. With her head high, she walked to her betrothed.
Colyne damned the moment she placed her hand in the duke’s, damned that decorum forced him to watch the woman he loved walk away with a man she despised. Neither could he risk losing his freedom. He had a fortnight to discover the truth. If Gaston had been involved in the plot to abduct Marie, he’d find out.
Chapter 21
The fading aromas of roasted boar, peacocks, and swans sifted through the air as the servants removed the remainders of the celebratory dinner. Laughter rippled through the great hall from the throng of well-wishers gathered within as Marie sipped the last of her spiced wine and returned the goblet to the table, dreading the festivities leading up to her wedding.
Beneath half-lowered lashes, she glanced to where Colyne sat finishing his meal.
Deep blue eyes locked on hers. Desire blazed from their mesmerizing depths as his fingers tightened around his cup.
Shaken, she looked down and found her own hand had curled into a fist. How could she go through with this mockery of a marriage? But what other choice remained? Two days past, in private, she’d again sought out her father and demanded that he break the betrothal.
Once again, he’d denied her. Panicking at the thought of losing Colyne, she’d threatened to flee to Scotland. And with his eyes leveled on hers with cold intent, he’d made it clear that if she foolishly tried, not only would she be caught and returned but Lord Strathcliff would be hanged. His face dark with fury, he explained that after learning the Scot had taken her innocence, regardless of her going to him willingly, only the noble’s having saved her life had swayed him to allow him to live. Then he’d stormed out.
“You are finished, my dear?” Gaston asked from her side.
Marie started and met his gaze, unsettled by his nearness and wanting to be alone. “I am tired.” The truth. The last few days, she’d felt lethargic, and at times her stomach had been a bit upset, no doubt due to her recent illness. Anxious to be away from his company, she nodded. “I shall be retiring now.”
This night, once everyone was abed, she would sneak to Colyne’s chamber. For three days, with fear of her father’s promised repercussions, she’d not spoken to him beyond a brief and distant daily greeting. Since Gaston had interrupted their meeting in the stable, the duke had escorted her from dawn ’til dusk.
If only she’d waited to choose a suitor. To be fair, had she not met Colyne, with Gaston’s striking looks and polite manner, theirs would most likely have been a peaceful relationship.
The discord between her and Gaston arose from her show of favor to Colyne when she’d halted his execution. She’d embarrassed the duke. His coming upon her and Colyne in the stable had served to increase her betrothed’s ire. To further complicate matters, her suspicions of his involvement with her kidnapping added to her angst.
With the passing days, Colyne had not learned anything that would tie Gaston to her abduction. Not that her covertly spying on the duke had delivered anything of consequence either.
Marie stood.
