Nicola Cornick Collection by Nicola Cornick

Author:Nicola Cornick [Cornick, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4089-8142-9
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2011-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SUSANNA HAD BEEN GLAD when Fitz had brought her home, kissed her hand with the greatest propriety and had left her on the doorstep without any attempt whatsoever to inveigle himself into her bed. It felt, she thought, as though now he secured her and her fictitious fortune he was no longer particularly interested in her; either that or he found courting her too much effort and was still enjoying his liaison with the lovely Cyprian Miss Kingston. There was something in Fitz’s attitude toward her now, something of self-satisfaction and possessiveness, which suggested that as Susanna was to be his wife she should accept his authority and wait her turn in his bed. It was a reflection of Fitz’s utter arrogance, Susanna thought. She would richly enjoy jilting him.

She was fairly sure now that she would be able to see this masquerade through to its conclusion. Mr. Churchward had been most helpful once she had confided in him. He had agreed to advance a sum to stave off the demands of the moneylenders and he had also undertaken to try to discover the identity of her blackmailer. In return she had had to promise to tell Devlin the entire truth of her charade. On that Mr. Churchward had been most insistent. Honesty, he had said, his eyes gleaming behind his dusty lenses, could be her only policy toward her husband.

But, Susanna thought, she would not do it tonight. Tonight she was too drained even to think of it. She had seen Chessie at the ball, so pale and sad, and her heart had cracked a little to see how bravely Dev’s sister had tried to face down the gossips. She had wanted to go to Chessie and help her because the girl’s plight reminded her of herself, a young woman who had once been very much in love and very unhappy. She had ruined Chessie’s future and she could not live with herself for it. She had seen Devlin, too, seen his contempt and his anger, and had felt shriveled inside.

Margery helped her out of the flame-red gown and went to draw her bath whilst Susanna wandered around the room feeling oddly restless. She tried not to look at the vast and empty expanse of the bed for every time she did she thought of Devlin and of those hours when he had made love to her so exquisitely that he had somehow imprinted himself on her soul as well as her body. With a sigh she went through to the dressing room and slid into the bath, lying there for a long time, trying to slough off her feelings of guilt and unhappiness along with her tiredness. When she finally came out Margery objected that she would be as pink and wrinkled as a baby but Susanna did not care. She picked up a copy of Maria Edgeworth’s novel Leonora and tried to concentrate on reading instead and finally lost herself amongst the pages. An hour later

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