Ryan's Bride by Maggie James Page A

declined food but had several glasses of wine. Angele wondered fearfully if he might be having second thoughts about marrying her. That birthed worries of what she would do if he decided to abandon her in Le Havre. She had no money. He would probably strip her of her jewels so she’d have nothing to sell to keep from starving. But she told herself she was being silly. He was just angry. He was probably also tired from the trip to Blois. Besides, he had spent a lot of money on her and wasn’t likely to throw it away by changing his mind.
    At one of the rest stops, he stayed in the coach. Angele walked around in the perfumed air to stretch a bit, and Corbett went with her. She took the opportunity to try to find out just how upset Ryan was. “He’s hardly spoken to me all day,” she confided to Ryan’s cousin. “He must have been furious when you told him how I slipped away from you yesterday.”
    “I didn’t tell him that you did,” Corbett said smoothly.
    Her eyes widened. “You didn’t? Then what—”
    “I told him you’d said you wanted to have your last day in Paris all to yourself and that I understood. So it’s me he’s angry with for letting you go. Not you.”
    “But why did you take the blame? It was all my doing.”
    “Because I didn’t want him upset with you right before your wedding. Besides, he’s been angry with me before, and I don’t let it bother me. He’ll be all right once we’re on the ship and on our way. Don’t worry about it.”
    “But I do,” she protested. “It’s not fair, because it wasn’t your fault.”
    He shrugged and smiled. “I don’t mind. Besides, maybe it will help make up for the awful way I acted that day when I found you in his room. I’m really very, very sorry about everything I said and did, Angele.
    “And,” he continued with an admiring glance, “that night I saw you in the hotel lobby all dressed up, I realized then and there why Ryan wanted to marry you. He could see you are a truly beautiful woman.”
    Angele blushed and murmured a thank-you, then, because she really did want to forget the bad encounter between them, she urged, “Let’s just pretend it never happened and never mention it again.”
    He gave a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you feel that way. I want us all to be one big happy family.”
    “That’s nice of you. And I hope your wife will feel the same way. You did say everyone thought Ryan was going to marry her cousin.”
    She didn’t notice how his face tightened, or how his eyes suddenly gleamed with his resentment. And it was only with a concerted effort that he was able to keep his tone light and warm as he lied, “Clarice won’t care. She’s always stayed out of Ryan’s business.” He quickly changed the subject. “You really had me worried yesterday, though. I was afraid something would happen to you.”
    They were walking along a path bordered by primroses. Angele stumbled on a rock she didn’t see, and he caught her arm. “Like now,” he laughed. “What if you’d been hurt? I’d never have forgiven myself when I was supposed to be looking out for you. And that’s why Ryan is so angry with me—I didn’t do what I was supposed to.”
    “He only thinks that,” she corrected. “And I’m going to let him know different. I’ll tell him what really happened.”
    He tensed. “I wish you wouldn’t. He’ll think I said something to you about it. Really, I’d prefer you didn’t.”
    She was hesitant to agree, but Corbett sounded quite adamant. In fact, she noticed that he almost seemed scared. Well, he knew Ryan better than she did, so maybe it was best to let it alone.
    He paused and put his hand on her shoulder. “But I would appreciate your doing me one favor, if you will.”
    Angele never promised anything blindly. “You’ll have to tell me what you want first.”
    “Why didn’t you want me to go with you yesterday?”
    “Because I wanted to be alone.”
    “Where exactly did you go?”
    She