Page 11 of The Nightshade's Bride
Who was she?
Jealousy tore at me as the minutes ticked onward.
Why would a strange woman be here? What should I do? Looking both ways, I crept down to the door and pressed my ear to it.
I could hear nothing whatsoever, no matter how hard I strained.
Indecisively, I hovered there, unsure what to do.
Should I confront my husband? Should I try to go back to bed?
Before I had a chance to decide, the door opened, and I barely had time to dive into the shadows, before I saw Gideon, accompanied by the beautiful blonde woman.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her soft voice echoing throughout the entryway.
“Remember,” Gideon said, and his voice was even colder than usual. “Don’t be a fool. Be careful. Be cautious. Tell no one about this.”
I peeped out from behind the vase. That sounded very suspicious, and there was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What would necessitate such secrecy?
The door shut behind her, sending a wave of cool night air inside.
Now once my husband turned out the light I could creep back into my room and hope he didn’t want to visit me twice in one night.
But the heavy, hard tread of his boots did not go in the direction of the stairs.
It came toward me.
And then, as I tried to scramble backwards, his boot landed right on my nightgown with a rending tear.
“Deliverance.”
Instead of being embarrassed, I decided to confront him. After all, was I not his wife? Why was he keeping secrets from me? Why was he entertaining strange women in his office at night?
“Who is she?” I squeaked.
His fingers were very hard, pressing down on the soft skin of my back as he drew me up by the collar of my nightgown.
“None of your concern, is it?”
“Put me down this instant!” I demanded, desperately trying to pull the fabric over my wriggling naked legs.
Gideon twisted me around so we were face to face, his hair so dark he seemed to melt into the shadows.
“Igive the orders at Grayspires. Not you. In this house, you will learn to keep your nose out of my business or you will be punished.”
Then he carried me very firmly up the stairs as my toes strained desperately for the ground.
When I struggled, his big hand came down on my naked behind, one shamefully painfulthwackthat reverberated through my body, and then another, and now my face was as red as my cheeks must be at being treated like anuisance.
“Don’t bother covering up,” Gideon said, and how could his voice sound so expressionless when my own emotions were scurrying out of control? “I will seewhatI want,whenI want.”
And I didn’t know what kind of man was in my bed, one hand tight in my hair, thrusting his prick inside me as his rough beard rasped all over my soft skin. . .
CHAPTER 7
Deliverance
The morning after, there were no further signs of the mysterious woman, and Ada and Gideon talked together as usual at the breakfast table.
