Seducing Shakespeare by Tabitha Ross

Author:Tabitha Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786531346
Publisher: Random House

Chapter 11

MARIETTA WORE DARK clothes to the fountain that night. She hadn’t needed to avoid Nico, since he was out at the public house and would probably stay late. He’d likely come home and go straight to bed without noticing her absence. She loved her younger brother, but she did worry about him. His recklessness reminded her that it was best if she follow through with Marlowe’s scheme quickly, before he could get himself into a fight.

There was nobody else around when Shakespeare’s hired carriage arrived from across the Thames. Will stepped down to help her up. Once inside the carriage, close together and covered with a blanket, Marietta felt alive with excitement. Although she felt conflicted over the secrecy and the deception of her actions, and she couldn’t tell if she loved or hated the man beside her, she had to admit she had never done anything so thrilling. Marietta DiSonna, seducing a famous artist in order to steal from him. She knew it was wrong, but there was a part of her that loved the excitement of the game.

The carriage pulled up in front of a fine Tudor house. Even in the dark, Marietta could see how impressive it was.

She turned toward Will in awe. “This is your home?” she said. She couldn’t help herself. So much for trying to be a graceful, secretive seductress.

He laughed. “Do you like it?” he asked, shyly. “I asked to have fresh flowers cut, to please you.”

“Oh, yes, I like it very much,” she said as he helped her down from the carriage and took his arm before they walked through the front door. Three stories loomed above Marietta. It was a far cry from the small cottage she called home.

Inside, candles in wall sconces cast shadows down the hall. He led her into a sitting room and gestured for her to have a seat in a stuffed armchair while he lit the lamps. She unwrapped her shawl as she looked around at handsome portraits of people she didn’t know and paintings of countryside landscapes.

“How was the night’s performance?” she asked, finally, feeling at a loss for words.

“We did fairly well. Though Quince tripped and fell onstage. It was terrible for him and wonderful for the company. Would you care for some wine?”

“Certainly,” Marietta said, though she never drank wine. But she thought a seductress would be likely to say certainly in answer to that question.

He went to a bar cart in the corner of the room and poured from a bottle into two goblets.

“It’s from Italy,” he said as he crossed the room to join her.

When he handed it to her, she noticed that the goblet was silver and engraved. She tasted the wine. It was a rich red, oaky and masculine.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“Mmm,” she said, although she found it heady.

He started to chuckle. She was confused; then she realized he was laughing at her expense.

“What could possibly be so amusing to you?” she said, feeling indignant.

“My apologies,” he said, trying to stop.

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