Page 32 of A Raven Repents

“It’s a few things, really. The most obvious one is a gaming hell.”

“The kind of place my father would go?”

“Perhaps, but he’s never been in, as far as I know. He seems to prefer smaller venues. Besides, we don’t lend to men who can’t afford it.”

“And what is it besides a gaming hell?”

“It’s a refuge for women.”

Not surprisingly, Christina’s brow furrowed. It was unexpected to have a place that catered to the vices of men also act as a safe place for women in need.

“The Lady Ravens. We bring in women who have nowhere else to go. We give them safety and security. We provide opportunities to learn skills and help to place them into positions giving them agency over their own lives. In return, they dance in our club. Hence my consequences for taking money out of the safe. That money is there for them.”

She stared at him, but she still said nothing.

“Have I shocked you?”

“Surprised me.” Her gaze scoured his face, assessing him as if she was seeing him for the first time. “Are the women treated well?”

The question stung, but it was warranted. “Yes. Very well. Much better than I’ve treated you, I’m ashamed to say.”

“You don’t need to feel guilty, Giles. I was the one who made the first move that started this whole thing into motion. You were understandably angry with me, but you didn’t abuse me, or insist on your rights as my husband. You provided me with a comfortable place to live, a new wardrobe, a maid, and even enough money to redecorate your house.”

He chuckled. She was teasing him again. At least she didn’t seem to be afraid of him. For that he was grateful. “Did you really have to do my bedroom, though?”

“Yes. It was the drabbest room of all.”

“And what if I like drab?”

She shrugged. “You weren’t there to tell me that.”

“That’s fair.”

“Besides, I don’t think you do. Blue suits that accentuate your blue eyes?”

“You’ve noticed?” She may have noticed his eyes, but it was her lips he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from. They’d summoned him from the first moment he’d seen her. Pink, luscious, and irresistibly inviting.

“Of course I did. A woman could lose herself in those eyes. But you already know that.”

“Are you accusing me of vanity?”

“If the shoe fits.”

Apparently, he’d married a woman who was not afraid to call out his flaws. Probably exactly what he needed. But at least she appreciated the color of his eyes.

“I wasn’t too drunk to remember sending that money, by the way. It was my money, but I didn’t, in fact, send it. That was my partner, Ash.”

“Why would your partner send money to me?”

Giles sighed. “He was stepping in to protect you, from me. Making sure that you have agency. That’s what we’re supposed to do, after all. And he knew that I had failed.”

“But I’ve never even met him.”

“That doesn’t matter. In becoming my wife, you became part of my family, and every one of my partners will protect you. Even from me, if it comes to that.”

Her confusion was evident, but he hoped the knowledge that there were better men than him watching over her might bring her some sort of comfort.

The journey to Bournemouth wasn’t nearly as disastrous as he’d feared it would be. To his surprise, he was growing to like his wife. As they traveled, her fear of him eased, and her true personality slowly came through. She was smart, funny, and forthright. Each time she teased him or laughed with him, his hope grew. Perhaps they could find a way through this mess.