Master of Desire

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Book: Master of Desire Read Online Free PDF
Author: Kinley MacGregor
considered it further. “Nay, you are right. ’Tis a foolish idea. I shall spend a year with a madman, then return here to finish out my life in solitary company.”
    A single tear fled down her cheek.
    Joanne reached out and brushed the tear away. “Don’t cry, Em. Someday your rose will come for you on the back of his white charger. He’ll face Father’s wrath and triumph, then take you away from here just as Niles is doing with me.”
    â€œBut I want children,” she whispered. “If he waits much longer, I shall be too old to enjoy them, or else see them grown. It’s so unfair!”
    Joanne pulled her into a tight hug. “I know, little sister. I wish I could spend the year in your place. But the time will pass, and I promise when it does I shall beg Father to let you come stay with me for a time. We will find you a husband then. I promise you.”
    Emily hugged her sister tightly. “Just promise me it won’t be Theodore.”
    Joanne laughed softly.
    They sat in silence for several minutes, until Emily heard footsteps shuffling outside. “I will kill him, if it is the last thing I do! I shall gouge out his eyes and grind them to dust. No man shall have my Em!
    â€œBy God’s right arm, she is all I have left and I will not see her gone. Do you hear me?” he shouted angrily. “No one will take my youngest babe from me! Never!”
    Emily’s throat grew tight as her father made his way to the garderobe.
    Closing her eyes, Emily realized how futile it would be to hope her father would wait out the year. There was no way under heaven he would ever leave her in the clutches of his enemy with nothing more than that man’s oath to secure her welfare. He loved her too much and trusted Draven too little.
    They locked concerned gazes.
    â€œWhat are we to do?” Joanne asked fearfully.
    Emily bit her lip as she tried to think of something. “I will have to find some way to get Lord Draven to marry me before Father attacks him,” she said slowly.
    â€œYou can’t do that!”
    â€œI have to.”
    â€œBut Emily—”
    â€œBut nothing, Joanne. If Father attacks, he’ll lose everything. Including your dowry.”
    Joanne covered her mouth with her hand as the full horror dawned on her. “We’ll be outcasts,” she whispered. “Niles will cast me aside without my dower lands.”
    â€œAye, and we’ll have no one to shelter us. Already the king hates Father for what he did under King Stephen’s reign. I should think he’d like nothing better than to see us all out on our ears.”
    â€œOh, Lord, Emily. This is too frightening to contemplate. You can’t marry a madman.”
    â€œWhat choice have I?”
    Joanne shook her head. “There must be another way. Besides, why would Lord Draven want you?”
    Emily dropped her jaw, offended to her very core at her sister’s words.
    â€œI didn’t mean it that way,” Joanne said quickly as she folded Emily’s underkirtle. “But you know what father says of him. The man has never married, and to my knowledge no woman has ever caught his eye. It does bear mentioning that he may not be bent to feminine company, that he prefers other men. Indeed it could be that very reason that King Henry didn’t order him to marry you as opposed to just being his ward.”
    Emily shook her head. “Nay, I don’t think so. Not from the look he gave me this afternoon. Besides, Father said the king refused the marriage solution lest it cause more war between them. Henry tried that settlement last year between two other nobles and it was disastrous.”
    â€œWhich brings up my next point; you are the daughter of his enemy,” Joanne continued. “Not to mention that if Lord Draven touches you the king will have his head for it.”
    Emily considered it for a moment. “Do you believe the king would kill
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