Page 57 of The Favourite

His brows snapped together. “You’re surely not squandering a question on that,” he said, pulling a face. “Some ring I picked up off a tavern floor years ago.”

“A tavern floor?” She was startled.

“It is gold, however,” he added, “and as they say, ‘finder’s keepers.’ Before you take offence, recall I did gift you my jeweled belt to make up for it.”

Jane narrowed her eyes, for something about his words did not ring true to her ear. She did not think he would give her such a ring on their wedding day. “A serious answer, if you please,” she insisted. “And yes, this is my first question.”

Her words were met for a moment with heavy silence. “I can see you are determined to be tiresome tonight, wife,” he commented dryly, not troubling to hide his displeasure. “Very well, if you are determined to ask only dull questions, so be it.” He flung back the covers on his side of the bed and climbed in beside her.

Jane gazed up at the beams on the ceiling. Suddenly, she felt entirely certain of herself. “It is a family piece, isn’t it?” she asked with quiet conviction.

“Yes,” he replied shortly, and Jane realized he was not going to volunteer anything further.

“Second question.” She snuck a look at him. “Why was it on a tavern floor?”

He closed his eyes. “Jane,” he groaned. “This really isn’t what I had in mind with this game.”

“I want to know.”

“You really don’t.”

She rolled onto her side toward him. “You won’t tell me?”

He breathed out noisily. “It was on a tavern floor because the man I stabbed to retrieve it dropped it there. Satisfied?”

Jane swallowed. Well, she had asked. “Third and final question. Is the crest engraved on it that of the de Balons?”

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.

“It was your brother’s, wasn’t it?”

“You’re all out of questions, wife, but I would think any fool knows that heirlooms pass down through several people’s hands.”

“That’s a yes, then,” Jane said calmly.

“I retire from the field,” he said throwing back the covers again and climbing back out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” She sat up in surprise.

“Somewhere I won’t face a constant barrage of tiresome questions,” he answered, slipping his shirt back over his head.

“Well, you won’t face any more here, for it is your turn now,” she pointed out, though why she was so offended at the idea of his leaving, she could not possibly say.

He pulled a face. “If I stay, you won’t like my questions. My mood has soured.”

Jane pressed her lips together and lay back down. “I see,” she said in mounting ire. She ought to leave it at that. To roll over and turn her back to him and let the promptings of his own conscience show him the error of his ways.

The only problem was … she was not precisely sure that Alisander had a fully working conscience. Or if he did possess one, it possibly did not work in the same manner that other peoples’ did. The words flew from her lips before she could check them. “I see that it is only you who may ask uncomfortable questions while I am not permitted the same freedom.”

He huffed and pulled up his breeches. “I was not going to pry tonight,” he responded in clipped tones. “I merely wanted to flirt with you. A practice you are lamentably unfamiliar with.”

Jane stared up at the ceiling. Oh. “I did warn you of that. My lack of experience, I mean. It was never going to work, treating me as you would one of your mistresses.”

“And I told you that we would dispense with that strategy altogether! My gods, I never even started! Do you really think I usually sit around playing three questions with a woman before I bed her? We had better ways to employ our time, I assure you!”

Jane stiffened. Now he was being deliberately offensive. “Well, why don’t you go a find yourself a strumpet now if you find their company so agreeable in comparison to mine? You can go and find one with my blessing!” she responded hotly. “I also have better things to do in bed than bandy words with you, my lord! Namely sleep!” A stunned silence greeted her words.

Jane rolled away, so her back faced him, and squeezed her eyes shut. Her face was blazing hot, and she felt utterly appalled with herself. How could she have said anything so awful? Now her outburst was spent, she felt herself to be on the brink of tears. What in heavens was wrong with her lately? She felt all over the place.