A Belated Bride by Karen Hawkins

Author:Karen Hawkins [Hawkins, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9780380815258
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2001-01-09T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

The Red Rooster was unremarkable in that it offered moderately edible fare, contained two damp and drafty taprooms of questionable cleanliness, and possessed an equal number of large, smoking chimneys. What made the tavern such a popular locale was the guaranteed quality of drink it supplied to its patrons in a seemingly endless quantity. To the inhabitants of Whitby, it was the closest thing to heaven.

Lucien took a long sip of the tavern’s finest. When he’d first visited the Red Rooster, he’d attracted considerable notice. Now that he’d been to the tavern over a dozen times, no one spared him more than a glance. They assumed that the fine ale brought him back time and again. Normally, they will be right—this quality of spirits could hold the attention of a monk.

But today nothing kept his attention, due to an abundance of hot, sultry memories that continued to dance before his eyes. He took a huge swallow of his drink, hoping his overactive imagination would cool. God knew he couldn’t ache worse than he did now.

Every sinew of his body felt pulled, fraught with frustrated desire. Last night, it had taken every drop of will he possessed to walk away from Arabella and go to his cold room. He hadn’t slept a wink, but had tossed and turned, his mind and body ablaze.

Yet his unrelenting passion was nothing compared to the realization that Arabella was far more deeply involved in free trading than he’d realized. The evidence was overwhelming, and in his fury at realizing what had been under his nose the entire time, he had allowed his emotions to overcome his good sense.

Last night should never have happened. If Arabella decided to come to his bed, it wouldn’t be under a cloud of suspicion. He wanted her to tell him the truth. No, he decided, scowling fiercely. He wanted more; he wanted her to trust him.

Bloody hell. Since when has that become important? So important that he’d hesitated on the brink of making love to the woman he’d dreamed of for over ten years. With a groan, Lucien raked a hand through his hair. He was on edge, his mind and body barely in control. And there was no way free.

It had been a relief that Arabella had been little in evidence all day, having chosen the company of Aunt Emma in an effort, he suspected, to keep from being alone with him. He was grateful for the extra time to gather his defenses.

He stared morosely into his tankard and silently consigned his precipitous passion to the devil. What little ground he had won through assisting Arabella in the past two weeks was lost. Now she would be even more determined to get rid of him.

If she demanded it, Lucien would refuse to leave. His hand tightened about the tankard until the metal bent. How deep was she involved with her smuggling venture? Was she simply dispersing cognac and other spirits? Or had she been seduced by the promise

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