AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is that why no one came to your wedding? Because they don’t like you?”
This time he did turn toward her. “I told you, the Baedden clan had their own ceremony. I am not a member of the Baedden clan.”
“What about the people fromyourclan? Your family? Your parents? Your uncle was the only one to show up?”
She thought she saw the cool facade waver for an instant, but it was back on when he said, “They have more important things to do.”
Apparently, he wasn’t going to tell her the truth about his parents’ exile, and she wasn’t supposed to know about that anyway, so she dropped the subject.
He didn’t want to talk about his job, and he didn’t want to talk about his family. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated by that. He’d called her his wife, and yet didn’t want her to know anything personal about him. It rubbed her the wrong way.
“You went for a walk today?” he asked, mixing the pot with a wooden spoon.
“Yes,” she answered. Since he already knew, there was no point lying about it, better that he find out now that she wasn’t going to do everything he said.
When she’d gotten home, she’d changed back into one of the fancy dresses from her closet and hidden the plain one inside another dress, along with the money.
“I told you not to,” he said.
“And I did what I wanted anyways,” she said. “It’s called free will.”
“You’re my wife.”
She stared back at him looking him in the eyes and not backing down. After a few seconds she saw the anger leave his eyes to be replaced with…something else…humor?
“Would you likeusto go for a walk tonight?” he asked.
“Sure.”
While the vegetable concoction cooked, he took four small white eggs out of the refrigerator. He opened them on top of a pan steaming with oil. She’d never seen anything like it before. The odor was amazing, but the oil made her skin feel dirty.
When the food was done, they sat down to eat in the dining room. The room looked strange completely bare except for the table and chairs pushed into a corner.
“Why is your house so empty?”
“I moved in the day before yesterday.”
“You did?” That wasn’t the answer she’d expected. She’d assumed he just didn’t trust her.
Altair nodded. “They only gave me a house when they found out I was matched. No matter what they think about me, they have to accommodate you.”
That was some fancy twisty thinking. They don’t respect women enough to ask them their opinion before kidnapping and marrying them, but they have to make sure they have a fancy house when they get here. She shook her head.
“Where did you live before?”
“My office.”
Maybe that was where he still kept his personal stuff.
After dinner, they went for that walk he promised. They only walked around the neighborhood. She’d gotten further on her own. Still, she paid attention to everything around her.
She watched the people carefully too. They seemed friendly…with each other. Every time two Baeddan clan members passed each other, they smiled and waved like they had to her when she wore the plain dress. But when they passed Altair, they glared at him meanly. They avoided eye contact and sometimes made rude comments as they passed by. Altair just kept his nose in the air, like he was better than them, which in her opinion wasn’t helping his case.
“People really don’t like you,” she said as they turned a corner, making a full circle, and headed back toward the house.
She expected him to make a condescending comment, but he stayed quiet.
* * *
