Knave of Hearts Read Online Free PDF

happiness.
    The two of them, to Stephen’s way of thinking, challenged the norm of noble marriages. Loving couples were a rarity. More normally marriages were arranged to bind alliances or secure wealth. Long ago, Stephen had concluded that his own marriage would be for convenience sake, as his parents’ marriage had been.
    His parents’ marriage hadn’t been joyful. Indeed, they’d barely tolerated each other. The problem lay, or so Stephen had concluded, within expectations. His parents had married extremely young, had met on the day of their wedding, neither knowing what to expect of the other.
    His marriage to Carolyn might not be based on love, but each knew what to expect. There would be no misunderstandings, and therefore no disappointments. He’d give Carolyn the security of a marriage, sire her children, then make himself scarce, just as she wanted.
    Best that way, at least for him. It simply wasn’t within him to do as his brothers did—spend the bulk of his time in one place with one woman, doing the same things day after day, season after season.
    The bedchamber suddenly seemed smaller, containing less air.
    Stephen put the ornate chest on top of the trunk. “Let us go down and see if William has awakened, shall we?”
    With her girls at her side and the altar cloth over her arm, Marian entered Branwick Keep. During a quick perusal of the great hall she determined Stephen was elsewhere.Relieved, she hoped if she hurried her chore she might escape the keep without seeing him.
    Marian approached Branwick’s steward. “Good day, Ivo. Is his lordship awake?”
    “Aye, my lady, he is, and your visit is well-timed. He is in want of cheering.”
    The consternation on Ivo’s face said William’s mood needed lifting beyond the normal frustrations of his illness.
    “What troubles him?”
    “Carolyn behaved in less than gracious manner earlier. His lordship is not pleased she went riding with Edwin instead of showing proper deference to our guest.”
    The guest must be Stephen. Marian bit back questions over what had transpired upon his arrival. ’Twasn’t her place to question Carolyn’s actions. Nor did she wish to become involved, in any manner, in Carolyn and Stephen’s situation. Though the thought occurred to Marian that Carolyn’s inattention didn’t bode well for Stephen’s suit. Not a displeasing thought.
    “And the guest?”
    “Stephen of Wilmont.” Ivo glanced at the stairs. “He wishes an audience with his lordship. When your visit is done, I will fetch him.”
    Grateful for the inadvertent information and reprieve, Marian hurried toward the bed where her uncle spent the bulk of his days, garbed only in white linen shertes, propped up by bolsters. She paused at the foot of the bed.
    “Uncle William?”
    “Ah, Marian. Come.”
    She pushed aside the curtain at William’s right side, the side less affected by his apoplexy. His blue eyessparkled with intelligence and curiosity beneath eyebrows as bushy white as his hair.
    “What brings you?” he asked, as was his habit, making Marian feel a bit guilty for not visiting more often. He knew her reasons and accepted them.
    “The altar cloth, of course. Did you not wish to have it in your possession today?”
    Marian didn’t wait for an answer, just snapped the cloth open and let it drift down over the woolen blanket that covered his legs. He ran the fragile fingers of his good hand over the cloth.
    “’Twill do,” he said.
    “’Twill do?” Marian rejoined. “Uncle, if you hope to bribe your way into heaven, your gifts to the archbishop had best be of better quality than a mere ’twill do .”
    “’Tis beautiful, Mama,” Audra proclaimed.
    Lyssa elbowed her sister hard enough to jostle the eggs in the basket Audra held. “Tsk. Uncle knows that, Audra. He jests with Mama.”
    William raised a bushy eyebrow at Lyssa. “Do I now?” he asked gruffly, to which Lyssa answered a confident, “Aye.”
    He leaned over slightly and