Winter's Edge Read Online Free PDF

clamped down the sudden spurt of nervousness She was afraid of this man, and she couldn’t remember why.
    “I… I don’t know,” she said, determined not to back away.
    His black eyebrows shot up in disbelief, giving his cool, handsome face a harsh look.
    “No,” he said shortly.
    “You would have sent the decree off to me as fast as you could. I guess you’ll have to cool your heels around here until we can do something about ending this ridiculous farce of a marriage.” His eyes flicked over her body contemptuously.
    “Why have you got those clothes on?”
    “I… I was cold.” She controlled the chattering of her teeth with an extreme effort, knowing that her shivering was caused by nerves as much as the chill in the air. The man in front of her, her dearly beloved husband, terrified her. And that knowledge made her angry.
    “You always are,” he mocked, and there was no missing the double meaning.
    “Why didn’t you turn up the thermostat?”
    “I didn’t know where it was.”
    Those cold blue eyes looked askance at that.
    “You’ve lived in this house for seven years, dear Molly. You should have learned where it is by now.”
    “Seven years?”
    she echoed, shocked.
    “Have we been married that long?” It was out before she could stop it. She hadn’t looked old enough to have been married for so long, but then, with all those creams and potions on her dresser upstairs, maybe she was simply extraordinarily well preserved.
    His eyes narrowed in surprise for a moment.
    “That’s right, I forgot you were playing the amnesiac.
    No, we have not been married for seven years. I would have killed you long ago if we had. We’ve been married ten months, almost to the day.
    “
     
    “Then why did I live here?”
    “You know as well as I do,” he snapped, moving away from her as if he couldn’t bear to be that close.
    “My father adopted you when you were sixteen. He always had a habit of picking up stray relatives like you and Willy. He found his only child a major annoyance. I’d never do what he wanted, so he had to settle for other people he could control.”
     
    “We’re related?” She wasn’t sure that made the whole situation any more palatable.
    “We’re fifth cousins, something like that.” He dismissed it.
    “Look, I’m not really interested in playing games with you tonight, Molly. It’s Mrs. Morse’s day off and I’ve got to get dinner. Why don’t you go back into the living room until it’s ready? Keep Willy company-you’d like that, I’m sure.”
    That was just about the last thing she wanted to do. She took a deep breath, deciding an attempt at cordiality might not be a bad idea.
    “Wouldn’t you like some help with dinner?”
    she offered tentatively.
    He stared at her with amazement.
    “You hate to cook,” he responded flatly.
    “Now get out of here and leave me alone.”
    There was no way she could refute his statement. For all she knew she could be the worst cook in the world, so she simply left him without another word. There had to be a reason behind his rampant hostility, just as there had to be a reason why he frightened her. He didn’t look as if he were in the mood to answer her questions, and she wasn’t in the mood to ask. The Newfoundland followed her back into the cozy living room, deserting his taciturn master. To her relief, Willy had departed, and she seated herself on the floor by the fireplace with the huge dog beside her, her brain whirling. Nowhere had she found any sense of recognition, any feeling of familiarity. Not to mention any sense of welcome. She almost wished she hadn’t had those two moments of knowledge, when she’d found the bathroom and the light switch without conscious effort. It seemed to be no more than a vain hope that everyone was mistaken, that she didn’t belong with that angry man in the kitchen, with the leering Willy.
    She leaned back against the seat of the chair and sighed. At least she was happy in this room.