Chapter 5

William glanced up from his first cup of tea of the day as Lady Aubren made her entrance, arching one of his eyebrows at her appearance. She swept into the room, quite majestically, in a pale blue morning gown made of muslin. Though she had never observed the full mourning custom required of widows, she had shown proper respect of the dead by wearing somber colors. However, William was thankful to see her take of those signs of her connection to her brother. He was also thankful to note that the neckline of this morning's gown was much more demur than yesterday's. He supposed she considered her seduction complete. The simple lines of the bodice accentuated the slimness of her waist. Not for long, William thought, eyeing her stomach. As if she knew what he was thinking, Lady Aubren blushed, quickly looking away from him.

She was all grace as the footman helped her into her chair. He had noticed the quietness of her movements from their first encounter — cat-like and silent. William had not much experience with ladies of noble birth, but he would bet a year's wage that Lady Aubren was the very epitome of ladylike refinement.

He saw her glancing at the door and answered her unvoiced question. "My father won't be joining us this morning," he told her. "He has already taken breakfast."

"Oh." She sounded somewhat relieved, though William was sure she did not mean to be so transparent.

When she settled down comfortably, William dismissed the footmen. "Please leave us in peace. Lady Aubren and I have something private to discuss."

As the last footman closed the door, William handed her a plate of toast. "These might be more to your taste," he said. "I heard that dry bread helps with morning sickness."

Lucia stared at him, her eyes round with surprise. "Why yes," she said. "Thank you very much."

She took a piece to her plate and tore off a small piece, chewing it carefully. She poured herself a cup of tea and washed the dry bread down her throat, waiting carefully for a moment or two to see if her stomach was better-tempered this morning. Fortunately, it was.

William cleared his throat. "How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"Oh, much better, my Lord," Lucia replied, looking up from her plate and smiling at him for his consideration.

His own mouth quirked wryly. "I think perhaps you should call me by my first name, at least when we're alone, now that we're going to be married very soon."

Her fork clattered onto the plate. She stared at him for a long time. When she started to speak, her voice came out as a raspy whisper. Clearing her throat nervously, she said, "You mean ... you've decided?"

Meeting her eyes, he sighed, "I must be crazy, but yes, I'll marry you."

She glanced away, fiddling with the napkin on her lap. "I ... I don't know what to say," she admitted.

William barked out a humorless laughter. "You had plenty of things to say yesterday," he pointed out.

She confused him, with her fierce attack one day, then her meek demeanor the next. He just didn't understand her, and yet he was about to tie himself to her for the rest of his life. Before his brother's death, William always envisioned his future wife to be a pretty and demure woman, during those few moments of insanity when he actually contemplated on marriage. Lady Aubren, no, Lucia, was undeniably the most beautiful woman he had ever known. Her vehemence yesterday was not what he had expected from a noblewoman, much less his prospective bride. If he were being honest though, William had to admit to himself that he was irrevocably drawn to both her beauty and strength.

"I'm sorry if I seemed a bit forthright yesterday," Lucia was saying. She was twisting her napkin again and again, winding the fabric as tight as her nerves. "It's just that..." Her breath caught. She started, "You may think of me as a sinner all you like, but this child has done nothing wrong. It does not deserve to be punished for an event that it has no say in. I just wanted you to think about that, especially considering part of your brother still lives in this child."

She lifted her chin in defiance, though William could see tears sparkling in her eyes. "Don't think me unfeeling towards your pain, Lucia," he said. "Because of your arguments yesterday, I've decided that the only honorable thing for me to do is to marry you."

He reached out, covering her hand with his. "My father and I will be working out the marriage contract this morning. We should be well on our way to Lyonsyl by tomorrow." He squeezed in reassurance. "We can get married as soon as next week."

Lucia nodded. She said softly, "Henry and I were supposed to marry two weeks ago. Most of the wedding arrangements are still in place." She laughed bitterly. "All I need is a husband."

"There will be questions about this child's legitimacy," William warned.

"I know." Lucia's shoulders sagged in defeat. "But I guess that can't be helped."

"We'll weather it together," William said in an assurance that he didn't quite feel. He squeezed her hand before releasing it.

They shifted their attention back to their breakfast, though both had lost their appetites. William observed Lucia over the rim of his teacup, watching her push her food around the plate. Unwillingly, he felt a twinge of desire. She was beautiful. He knew not how they were to live together simply pretending to be husband and wife when he was so physically attracted to her. If they had met under different circumstances, William suspected that he would have fallen in love with her. But as the situation stood, he could not.

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, aware of the first twitch of arousal in his loins.

"What shall we do about us?" he asked, a hint of huskiness in his voice.

She did not pretend to be confused by his question. She had been dreading it. "What would you like us to be?" she asked.

She felt him comb his eyes over her body, from the curls of her hair to her mouth, then to her breasts. Helplessly, she closed her eyes.

"Contrary to the rampant gossip, I do not take women by force," William said, more harshly than he intended. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I won't force my marital rights, Lucia. Whether you share my bed will be your decision."

She smiled a little. "Thank you for understanding, William. You are kinder than I ever expected."

Throwing his napkin down, he pushed away from the table. Walking behind her, he leaned over her shoulder, whispering, "In time, I'll make you come to me of your own accord. I can promise you that, Lucia."

She couldn't suppress the chill going down her spine.

His father was waiting for him in the study, poring over sheets of parchment paper on his desk. It could only be the odious marriage contract. Sighing, William rapped on the door twice to get his father's attention.

"Ah, there you are, William," Lord Ravenshire said briskly. "I trust you have informed Lady Aubren of your mind?"

William eyed the crystal decanter off to the side, wishing he could take a shot of that whisky. He just might need it to get through this meeting. He sank down into one of the plush chairs that his father seemed to prefer, wiggling a little to get comfortable. "Yes, I have told Lucia. I also warned her that we may be leaving for Lyonsyl in a couple days if the marriage contract has been finalized on our side."

"That was wise of you."

William quirked an eyebrow. Apparently, he was still getting used to receiving compliments from his father. Quietly, he said, "I wish to marry her at the earliest date possible, Father."

Ravenshire narrowed his eyes into calculating slits, furrowing his brows. "Why did you change your mind so quickly about this marriage?"

William shrugged. "I guess the enormity of Henry's debt just dawned on me yesterday. Lucia was very ... persuasive in showing me my responsibilities to the people of Ravenshire."

"She will be useful to you, not only because of her experience overseeing her father's estate when the Council is in session, but also her upbringing as a noblewoman," his father said. "I agree, we should settle this marriage as soon as possible."

He handed William a stack of paper. "This is a copy of the marriage contract. It has been drafted by a lawyer, but we need to comb through it to finalize the details first. We'll read it through together."

They went down the list, checking off each stipulation. William found most of the conditions to be reasonable, such as the exact premise of each individual's responsibilities. Lord Ravenshire paused at the section about the wife's behavior though William did not object.

Peering as his son over his reading glasses, he asked, "You do not find it objectionable to allow your wife complete freedom of movement?"

William shook his head. "Why should I object to that?" he asked. "I can go wherever I please. It should follow that she can do so as well."

"She may ruin your reputation by frolicking across the country by herself," his father stated. He laid down the sheet. "Many marriage contracts between the nobles require the wives to ask permission before scampering off somewhere, William."

Gritting his teeth, William groused, "I trust Lucia's good sense. If she is as good a bride as you claim, she will not embarrass our family."

His father shrugged. "So be it."

At the section on the monetary arrangements, William said, "I think we should only ask for as much dowry as we need to cover half of Henry's debts. We'll take half out as loans, to be paid back with interest."

"We shall do no such thing," his father growled. "Have you any idea how much money is at stake if we opted for half in loan? Including interest? It will be hard enough for us to manage financially, even with the entire debt paid off. You are risking our entire family holding."

Leaning forward in his chair, William said, "It is too much to ask for. Lucia has the beauty and charm to marry any man, more powerful and with more money than our family. We should take care not to push her away by our unreasonable demands."

"By allying with us, her father will gain our cooperation in the Court and also free use of our ports. Lyonsyl's prosperity is based upon the quality wool they produce, but without our harbors, they cannot ship it. I think it's a fair exchange on both sides."

"Ravenshire is not a poor holding," William argued. "If we shift our resources for a couple years, we can afford to pay off the loan without causing animosity between our relationship with Lord Aubren."

"If he knows what's good for his daughter, he will cooperate with us, and gladly," his father fumed.

"I don't want her money," William hissed. "If you will not change the marriage contract, I will not marry her." He stabbed the air with a finger for emphasis.

"By the Gods, you will do as I say, boy," his father shouted in his face, slamming his palms onto the desk.

"No, that had always been Henry's job," William said. He pushed away from the desk. "There's nothing you can threaten me with, not even cutting me out of your will. I haven't cared for anything of yours, and I don't care now. Good bye, Father."

He was halfway to the door when he heard his father called to him.

"Wait," the elderly Ravenshire croaked.

William turned. "Change the contract, Father. I don't want any more money from her than necessary."

Lord Ravenshire suddenly looked very old. "You will be the death of me, boy."

William bared his teeth in a mirthless smile.

"Oh, Maria, can you imagine? I'm going to marry, perhaps as soon as next week," Lucia said, catching her skirts in her hands while performing a pirouette.

She flounced onto the bed where her gowns were stacked, ready to be packed into the trunk for their departure the very next morning. William had stopped by just a few moments ago to assure her that the marriage contract had been finalized by their lawyer. If she were feeling well, they could leave as early as tomorrow.

Maria shook out a cloak, snapping the fabric expertly into neat folds. "Not soon enough, I should imagine, with you carrying a child and all," she said, her mouth pressed in disapproving lines.

Lucia's relief bursted like a bubble. She felt a chill in her stomach as she stared at her old nurse. Her head felt faint. She knew.

Laying the cloak into the trunk, Maria sighed with exasperation as she looked at her charge. She sat next to her, chaffing Lucia's cold hands with her own. "Lucia, I've been a nurse for a long time. I know when a woman is with child," she said gently.

"Does anyone else know?" Lucia whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"No, I wouldn't announce such a thing to the world," Maria sniffed indignantly. "You've kept your secret for a reason."

Lucia swallowed. She laid her head against Maria's shoulder, seeking comfort in her warmth. "Oh, I didn't know what to do, Maria. I woke up that night, and he was there. I fought, the Gods knew I fought, but he was so strong. And then ... and then..." Her body shook.

Maria stroked her hair, making soothing noises. She held Lucia, rocked her until she stopped crying. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "We could have told your father, Lucia."

"How could I?" she mumbled. "He will be so ashamed of me." She wiped her tears away. Maria fetched her a handkerchief from the trunk, then sat back down, still rubbing Lucia's back for comfort.