his mouth and then closed it. His gaze roamed the room, and she could almost feel his need to jump up and pace. Instead, he drummed his long fingers against the arm of his chair. He looked tired and, with the humor in his eyes gone, older.
She hated to see him down. It made her heart ache. “Would you care for a brandy? Or something from the kitchen? I’m sure Cook has some kidney pie left over from dinner.”
He shook his head.
She watched him a moment, perplexed. She’d loved this man for years, but in many ways, she didn’t know him. She didn’t know what to do for him when he was weary and sad. She looked down, her brows knit, and snipped off the end of her thread. From her basket, she selected a silk the exact shade of ripe raspberries.
Lord Vale stopped drumming. “Your design looks like a lion.”
“That’s because it is a lion,” she murmured as she placed the first stitch in the lion’s lolling tongue.
“Isn’t that unusual?”
She glanced at him beneath lowered brows.
A small amount of amusement crept into his face. “Not that it’s not a fine piece of embroidery. Very, ah, pretty.”
“Thank you.”
He drummed some more.
She outlined the lion’s tongue and began to fill it in with smooth satin stitches. It was nice to sit here together even if they both didn’t know quite what to do. She silently sighed. Perhaps that wisdom would come with time.
Lord Vale stopped drumming. “Almost forgot. Got you something whilst I was out.” He fished in his coat pocket.
Melisande laid aside her embroidery hoop to accept aks p to ac small box.
“A token apology for shouting at you this morning,” Lord Vale said. “I was a cad and a blackguard and the worst of husbands.”
A corner of her mouth tilted up. “You weren’t quite that bad.”
He shook his head. “It’s not the thing, to yell like a madman at one’s lady wife, and I won’t do it as a rule, I assure you. At least not after I’ve had my morning tea, in any case.”
She opened the box to find small garnet-drop earrings. “How lovely.”
“You like them?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Across from her, he nodded and leapt to his feet. “Excellent. I’ll bid you a good night, then.”
She felt the brush of his lips against her hair, and then he was at the door. He touched the doorknob and then half turned toward her. “I say, no need to wait up for me tonight.”
She arched an eyebrow.
He grimaced. “That is, I shan’t be coming to your rooms. Too soon after our wedding night, what? I just thought you should know so you wouldn’t be worried. Sleep well, my heart.”
She inclined her head, biting her lip to keep back the tears, but he was already out the door.
Melisande blinked rapidly, then looked back to the little box with the garnet earrings. They were quite lovely, but she never wore earrings. Her ears weren’t pierced. She touched one of the garnets with a fingertip and wondered if he’d ever looked—really looked—at her at all.
She closed the box gently and put it in her embroidery bag. Then she gathered her things and left the room, Mouse trailing behind.
Chapter Five
The second beggar stood, and all his rags fell away, revealing a horrible thing, half beast, half man, and entirely covered with black and rotting scales.
“Damn me, will you?” rasped the demon, for such it obviously was. “I will see you damned in my stead!”
Jack began to shrink, his legs and arms growing shorter, until he stood only the height of a child. At the same time, his nose grew and hooked down until it nearly met his chin, which had elongated and curved up.
The demon roared with laughter and vanished in a sulfurous cloud of smoke. And then Jack stood all alone in the road, the sleeves of his soldier’s uniform trailing in the dust. . . .
—from LAUGHING JACK
“Ah, lovely,” Jasper said over dinner three days later. “Beef and gravy with Yorkshire pudding, the v"9%„ery epitome of an
She hated to see him down. It made her heart ache. “Would you care for a brandy? Or something from the kitchen? I’m sure Cook has some kidney pie left over from dinner.”
He shook his head.
She watched him a moment, perplexed. She’d loved this man for years, but in many ways, she didn’t know him. She didn’t know what to do for him when he was weary and sad. She looked down, her brows knit, and snipped off the end of her thread. From her basket, she selected a silk the exact shade of ripe raspberries.
Lord Vale stopped drumming. “Your design looks like a lion.”
“That’s because it is a lion,” she murmured as she placed the first stitch in the lion’s lolling tongue.
“Isn’t that unusual?”
She glanced at him beneath lowered brows.
A small amount of amusement crept into his face. “Not that it’s not a fine piece of embroidery. Very, ah, pretty.”
“Thank you.”
He drummed some more.
She outlined the lion’s tongue and began to fill it in with smooth satin stitches. It was nice to sit here together even if they both didn’t know quite what to do. She silently sighed. Perhaps that wisdom would come with time.
Lord Vale stopped drumming. “Almost forgot. Got you something whilst I was out.” He fished in his coat pocket.
Melisande laid aside her embroidery hoop to accept aks p to ac small box.
“A token apology for shouting at you this morning,” Lord Vale said. “I was a cad and a blackguard and the worst of husbands.”
A corner of her mouth tilted up. “You weren’t quite that bad.”
He shook his head. “It’s not the thing, to yell like a madman at one’s lady wife, and I won’t do it as a rule, I assure you. At least not after I’ve had my morning tea, in any case.”
She opened the box to find small garnet-drop earrings. “How lovely.”
“You like them?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Across from her, he nodded and leapt to his feet. “Excellent. I’ll bid you a good night, then.”
She felt the brush of his lips against her hair, and then he was at the door. He touched the doorknob and then half turned toward her. “I say, no need to wait up for me tonight.”
She arched an eyebrow.
He grimaced. “That is, I shan’t be coming to your rooms. Too soon after our wedding night, what? I just thought you should know so you wouldn’t be worried. Sleep well, my heart.”
She inclined her head, biting her lip to keep back the tears, but he was already out the door.
Melisande blinked rapidly, then looked back to the little box with the garnet earrings. They were quite lovely, but she never wore earrings. Her ears weren’t pierced. She touched one of the garnets with a fingertip and wondered if he’d ever looked—really looked—at her at all.
She closed the box gently and put it in her embroidery bag. Then she gathered her things and left the room, Mouse trailing behind.
Chapter Five
The second beggar stood, and all his rags fell away, revealing a horrible thing, half beast, half man, and entirely covered with black and rotting scales.
“Damn me, will you?” rasped the demon, for such it obviously was. “I will see you damned in my stead!”
Jack began to shrink, his legs and arms growing shorter, until he stood only the height of a child. At the same time, his nose grew and hooked down until it nearly met his chin, which had elongated and curved up.
The demon roared with laughter and vanished in a sulfurous cloud of smoke. And then Jack stood all alone in the road, the sleeves of his soldier’s uniform trailing in the dust. . . .
—from LAUGHING JACK
“Ah, lovely,” Jasper said over dinner three days later. “Beef and gravy with Yorkshire pudding, the v"9%„ery epitome of an
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