A Marriage of Necessity by Tarah Scott

Author:Tarah Scott [Scott, Tarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Scarsdale Publishing, Ltd
Published: 2017-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The following morning, Anne found her way into the conservatory. The building was set off from the house in a secluded corner of the gardens. The paned glass structure rested on a foundation of waist-high stones. She entered the building and knew she was home. A light rain began to patter on the glass. Anne looked up at the gray clouds that inched across the sky. Even on an overcast day like today, she could remain here for hours. She strolled through the aisles, marveling at the variety of flowers, ferns and dwarfed trees. She found roses, thistle, and even heather. Anne paused to brush her finger against the petals of a lavender sweet pea and caught sight of a chaise lounge, table and chairs in the far corner. This was even better than she’d expected.

She stepped around a fig tree, then an apricot and plum, and continued to the chaise. A modest hearth was located nearby. Too bad she hadn’t brought a book. Rain pattered a little harder on the glass. She looked up at the sky. The clouds had darkened. Next time she would bring a book. For now, she would start a fire and spend a little time with her thoughts.

With a sigh, Anne knelt at the hearth. She got a low fire burning, then sat on the chaise and stared up at the black clouds. What kind of family had she married into? The earl was clearly a bitter and power-hungry man. His wife. Anne shuddered. Lady Buchanen was far too familiar with her stepson. Were she and Kennedy having an affair? Kennedy seemed to want to avoid her, and Anne had detected no affinity on his part for her. Had she made advances toward him? Anne could well believe it.

Kennedy didn’t fit with them. Yesterday, when he told Louisa that he didn’t mind buying dresses for her, and that he would gladly take them to the ball, he’d spoken like a real brother. The way he had hugged Anne to him and grabbed Louisa when the carriage wheel broke had caught her off guard. He was a man of action, and he cared about them—in some way, at any rate.

She wasn’t certain what to make of the fact that he hadn’t come to her room last night. True, the night had been more eventful than expected. Still, shouldn’t a husband want to bed his wife? Despite his father’s demands that they have a child immediately, perhaps Kennedy didn’t want her. She recalled their wedding night. He had seemed… enthusiastic, until, that is, she’d learned he thought she was loose. Would the man never get it through his head that she cared about her honor? Whatever the case, she had to demand her wifely rights. It simply wasn’t right that a marriage wasn’t consummated. Her mother would be aghast if she learned they were not yet truly married.

She started from her thoughts at a sudden gust of air that swept through the conservatory. She straightened and realized the door had been opened.

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