Libertine's Wife Read Online Free PDF

her. Pain filled her to know she must allow it.
Thinking of Julian, she closed her eyes, clinging to his handsome
young visage. The thought of another man’s hands upon her so
intimately made her tense and recoil with dismay and disgust.
Thinking of Julian’s tender lovemaking, she began to weep for what
she must do.
    ~ ~ ~
    Under the allotted hour, her trunks
were hefted down to Ravensford’s coach. He stood outside pacing in
wait, unwilling to step one foot back into the house. He sent
annoyed glances at the servants who carried out her belongings,
snapping at them to make all haste.
    Eustace approached the foot of the
stairs in the foyer. He grinned as he saw her come down in a pale
green traveling costume. She longed to smack the smug smile from
his face. His enjoyment of it was beyond good taste. His handsome
face was wreathed in gloating.
    Eustace was tall and lanky, and as
blond as she. Her brother embraced her warmly and stood back,
looking down at her with pride shining in his gaze. His dandified,
well-dressed presence at the foot of the stairs could only mean he
was on his way out.
    Seeing her brother so pleased
infuriated her, knowing his destination was his favorite gambling
establishment. He wasted no time in rushing out to spend
Ravensford’s money.
    “ Did I not tell you all
would work as we wished?” Eustace was puffed up in his own
arrogance. “You are now Lady Ravensford! A bloody marchioness!
Think of how proud our father and mother would be? You could appear
happy. What’s the sulk for, puss?”
    Arianne gave an outraged gasp, staring
at him in dismay. “Happy? Is that what I should be? Our parents
would roll over in their graves to know what we’ve stooped to! You
have set me up to take the brunt of his lordship’s displeasure. He
knows what we’ve done to him, Eustace. He confronted me in the
salon. He knows he didn’t touch me that night.”
    Eustace glared down at her, his lips
flattening at her chiding tone. “They would have killed me,
Arianne. What was I to do? You would have married that pauper Vale.
I did you a favor! You’re a damned marchioness now because of my
quick thinking! You can’t even show me the slightest bit of
gratitude, can you? Just be nice to the man. We both know you can
do that, do we not?” He raised a golden eyebrow meaningfully. “Had
you not been so eager to disgrace yourself with our penniless
neighbor, I might have received an honest offer for you. The blame
here is not just mine, little sister.”
    “ You sell me to pay off your
debts and you call it a favor?” She was aware Lord Ravensford was
beyond the door in the courtyard. She measured her words. “You
think you’ve done me a good turn by entrapping Ravensford as you
have? You did all for yourself, and no other!”
    Eustace’s face reddened with anger.
“You will do your duty to Ravensford, little sister. You will
forget about your former lover. I will not be set upon by the man
if you should displease him.”
    “ He means to send me away,
Eustace!” Arianne exclaimed in near hysteria. “I’m to be banished
to one of his estates. Speak no more of my duty! It would appear my
sense of duty is what got me into this travesty to begin
with!”
    “ No, you bedding Vale did
that. I merely supplied you with the means to recover from
it.”
    Arianne stared up at him as if seeing
him for the first time. Eustace cared nothing of the fact that he’d
set Lord Ravensford up, or the fact she loved another. It was
merely a means to an end for him. Julian was right. He did it for
himself. “I hope you never find yourself at the mercy of those men
again, dear brother.” Her eyes flashed in obvious warning. “Don’t
darken my door with your hand out then. Your fingers will be shut
in it.”
    Arianne didn’t wait for his response.
The butler held the door aloft. She stepped out into the bright
mid-morning sunshine, her gaze going to her husband standing in the
courtyard. The marquis was bristling at the