This was it. There was no going back.Think of Lady Eleanor. She would never back down in such a situation.
“I wondered if you have given my offer further thought, my lord. The arrangement could be highly beneficial to us both.”
The words burned her throat as she spoke them, but she was determined to forge ahead.
Lord James looked around and shooed off the stable hands in earshot. “I have, and I confess I am intrigued. One might even say I am interested. But there is one very short and irritating impediment.”
She kept her face as blank as she could as he insulted Martin. Though she was furious with her temporary husband, it didn’t sit well to hear Lord James insult him behind his back. Something in her face must have betrayed her because he narrowed his eyes, watching her expression a little too closely.
“I see that you dislike him as much as I do.”
Fortunately, it appeared he read her wince as agreement rather than outrage on Martin’s behalf.
“You have my sympathies, my lady. It must have been a trial to endure his company on the journey here.”
“He is irrelevant. I’m here to discuss our potential future together.” The words nearly choked her as she spoke them.Think of Adelaide. She needs you to be strong.
“And yet you won’t give me the proof I requested of your purity.”
She fought a shudder. While she might need Lord James to achieve her aims, the very fact that he would demand such a thing proved the depravity of his soul.
“No. Absolutely not.” She took a step back to stay out of his reach in case he made a move.
Instead of reaching for her, he laughed. “Such a prude. If I agree to marry you, you had better not put up such a fight.”
“Once we are married, I will submit to your attentions, and not a moment before.” The thought of sharing his bed made her nauseous, but she knew her wifely duties. He would own her body once they were wed.
“You know, I could bend you over that trough and have you right now. No one here would dare interrupt us.” He took a step toward her with a lascivious grin.
God’s teeth, the man was a monster! How was she going to get out of here unscathed? “You can’t, before the marriage is annulled or the priests will refuse the annulment. And any child that might result would be Lord Martin’s by right.”
That made him pause. Her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest as she waited to see what he would do next.
“Unfortunately, you are correct. Very well, then. I’ll wait.” He held up his hands and stepped back. “But I am not a patient man. How quickly can you get rid of your husband?”
“I can tell him today, and we can start the proceedings. The speed of the annulment will depend on the Church.” The sooner this ugly business was finished, the better. Though a rebellious part of her hoped the Church refused outright.
Lord James waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t bother about them. They’ll do my bidding.”
While she had no doubt that his influence with the Church was substantial, she didn’t believe they would be as compliant as he claimed. The Church had been clashing more and more with local lords who attempted to issue high-handed orders. The pope meant to establish his authority firmly even in such outlying regions as England. Still, she knew better than to argue. “As you say, my lord.”
“Then we have an agreement. As soon as you are free of Lord Martin, I will wed you, and in return, you will make me Henry’s exchequer.”
“Yes.” A lump formed in her throat as she spoke. Her heart rebelled, but it was a useless organ, and she was determined to ignore it.
“Excellent. Then you had best go find your husband and deliver the news. I look forward to his impending humiliation. Good day to you, Lady Isabella.”
She nodded curtly, turned on her heel, and nearly ran, tears welling and starting to drip down her cheeks as soon as she was out of sight. Desperately, she searched for someplace she could be alone and give in to the tumult of emotions that overwhelmed her after sealing her fate. Her eyes fell upon the dovecote at the far end of the bailey. Surely no one would be in there.
She entered the small, round, stone building with a pointed roof and found herself alone at last, but for the company of warbling birds. Several peered out of their neatly stacked pigeonholes, which checkered the walls all the way to the ceiling, to examine the intruder.
“I mean you no harm. I just need a quiet place to cry,” she said softly, tears flowing unchecked.
Shudders overtook her, and she sobbed aloud. Her future stretched out before her as an unending feast of misery. For the first time in her life, she felt that she truly understood her mother. The woman had sacrificed herself to a miserable marriage with a man she didn’t respect for the sake of power and position. As Isabella stood weeping in the dovecote, she could understand all too well how that might warp a woman’s soul and make her deeply bitter.
But Isabella had done what was necessary. Despite her tears and deep misgivings, the conversation had been a success. She’d just achieved what she’d been striving for ever since her mother broke the news that she was to marry. Her sister was safe, and her own future position was assured. With Lord James by her side, she would be as safe from her mother and Lady Eleanor as anyone could be. All she had to do was leave a man who had won her heart for a man she detested.
How could she have let herself fall so fast and so hard for Lord Martin? She knew all along he was under Lady Eleanor’s thumb. And yet his insidious good humor, cheeky wit, undeniable courage, and dogged courtship had made her let her guard down. She could have been happy with Lord Martin if only it wasn’t for his determination to send away Adelaide. Certainly, he would have made a more tolerable husband than Lord James.
