Varden's Lady by Maren Smith

Author:Maren Smith [Smith, Maren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Newsite Web Services Publishing
Published: 2012-07-07T06:14:41+00:00

Chapter Ten

He had returned from his meeting with the Kincaid only a few minutes ago, and already Varden was leaving again. Wrapped in his bed sheet, Mallory leaned her forehead against her chamber's only poured glass window and tried not to feel disappointed. She needed to be more understanding. The world hardly revolved around her, after all. Varden couldn't be with her twenty-four hours a day; he was a busy man. He had responsibilities. Duties. It was selfish of her to want him to take her back to bed and finish what they'd started.

In the courtyard below, Varden was one of eight men saddling their mounts near the stables. He had already donned his battered leather armor and was checking his saddle cinch when Kenton handed him a package. He said something, and Varden turned and looked up. He pointed at her, tugged at his shirt collar, and mouthed the word “clothes” again. He seemed a little more insistent this time.

Mallory smiled and waved back at him.

Beside him, Kenton said something and Varden's back and shoulders went immediately broomstick straight. The valet quickly moved out of reach before Varden could lay hands on him.

Mallory sighed. She didn't even know where he was going.

"Grete?"

Behind her, a silent shadow standing in the doorway, Grete said, “Training Field, most likely. Where else would he be headed this time of day?"

"Is it very far away?"

"Do you really consider me a friend?” Grete countered.

Mallory cast a quick glance back over her shoulder before turning her eyes back to Varden. “Kinda sad, isn't it?"

"Had you not spoken for me, I would now be on my way back to London."

"Oh, I'm sorry.” Mallory turned, a slight frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Did you want to go?"

"Six months ago, I would have leapt at the chance and been grateful for it."

"But not now?"

"No, things are different now.” With her hands folded over her waist, Grete came to stand beside her at the window. Together, they watched Varden climb up into his saddle.

After a while, Grete said, “It doesn't matter. The Dowager will send me off anyway. I haven't finished her gown."

"I thought you finished that days ago."

"She called my seams sloppy and ordered them ripped out. I still haven't repaired all the damage."

"She can do it herself, then."

"She is the dowager. She doesn't do anything herself."

"Sounds like a bossy old biddy."

"She's not as bad as some."

There was a slight pause, and Mallory wondered if Grete had been about to say her. She ignored the inference and instead said, “Two men waiting at the Pearly Gates of Heaven strike up a conversation. ‘How'd you die?’ the first man asked. ‘I froze to death,’ says the second. ‘That's awful,’ said the first. ‘How does it feel to freeze to death?’ ‘Uncomfortable at first,’ says the second. ‘But eventually, it's a very calm way to go when you drift off to sleep. How about you, how did you die?’ ‘I had a heart attack,’ said the first man. ‘You see, I knew my wife was cheating on me, so one day I showed up at home unexpectedly.

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