She paused again, eyeing him. “That is none of your concern. Furthermore, I am Matthew Wellesbourne’s wife now and answer only to him. Good day, my lord.”
She turned away from him once more only to run headlong into Matthew. She almost smashed her nose against his breastplate. He grasped her arms gently to steady her but when she looked up, his focus was purely on la Londe. It was the look of a predator sighting prey.
“Has he been harassing you, love?” Matthew asked steadily.
She shook her head, suddenly afraid. “Nay,” she said. “Come along, Matt. I would speak with you.”
“Your wife and I are old friends, Wellesbourne,” la Londe knew very well that he was treading on thin ice. “Did she tell you that? I am a friend of her uncle’s.”
“She told me that she has met you,” Matthew replied. “Friendship has nothing to do with it.”
Dennis grinned, a malevolent gesture that sent chills of horror down Alixandrea’s spine. She did not like anything about the man and tugged gently on Matthew.
“Come along, darling,” she begged softly. “Let us go.”
“In a moment,” Matthew patted her hand. He wasn’t finished with la Londe yet. “Did you have something more you wished to say to her? Or is your boldness only present when she is alone?”
Dennis seemed to enjoy the challenge to his courage. “There is much that I could say to her, with or without you at her side. In fact, she may as well become accustomed to me, for I may very well be a fixture in her future.”
Matthew’s gaze, his expression, remained steady. “I cannot possibly imagine what you mean,” he said. “And if all you have are delusions to spout, then I have no time for you.”
La Londe clucked softly. “Did you not know that her uncle had a list of husbands for her? You are at the head of the list and the current victor. But there are many others awaiting the opportunity should something happen to you.” He took a step towards them and his voice sudden dipped, low and threatening. “Were you to pass on, the lady would return to her uncle as his ward, and all of the Wellesbourne property with her. Did you not know that was a part of your marriage contract? Your father does. He agreed to it because Ryesdale is such a valuable ally. He trusts him. Therefore, it would make your wife a very wealthy widow. And very valuable. Do you believe her uncle would allow her to remain unmarried?”
Matthew refused to react. He had known the terms of his marital contract; he’d been advised of the entire thing but theterms hadn’t truly occurred to him until now. When the contract had been written, Ryesdale was indeed a valuable ally. But it had clearly been established recently that he was not. Matthew was greatly disturbed to know that la Londe was aware of the private details of things that did not concern him.
“Surely you have a point to all of this,” he said, making a very good show of being indifferent.
Dennis shrugged lightly, crossing his arms. He was rather surprised, and disappointed, that Wellesbourne had not reacted. “The point is that if you pass, I am next on the list. ’Twill be me with the Wellesbourne richesandyour wife. And, I must say, you will pass her into eager arms.”
Beneath her hands, Alixandrea felt Matthew tense. She was terrified that he was going to charge la Londe and there was no way she could stop him. She squeezed, tugging him away from Dennis.
“I have a great need to speak with you, husband,” she pulled harder. “Please come with me. This cannot wait.”
Matthew wanted nothing more than to pull Dennis apart with his bare hands. He really did. But he wasn’t so blinded by hatred that he did not hear Alixandrea’s soft pleas. He allowed her to remove him from the confrontation that la Londe was trying so hard to create, knowing it was for the best but wishing it wasn’t.
“Au revoir, la belle fille,” la Londe called after her. “Until we meet again.”
“Please, walk with me,” Alixandrea got a good grip on her husband and they moved further and further away. “Let us walk and calm ourselves.”
“I am perfectly calm,” Matthew said. “But I would like to know what you are doing here.”
She shifted her hands so that one was on his elbow while the other wound tightly around his gloved fingers. “I came to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About…,” She slowed her pace, suddenly ashamed. It seemed so foolish now. “I… I came to tell you that you have been magnificent. I loved watching you.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Is that all?”
“And… and I do not want you to compete against Gaston.”
“Ah,” he came to a stop and looked at her. “So that’s it. I knew you did not come here just to compliment me.”
Her lip stuck out in a pout. “That is not true.”
“Aye, it is.”
She relented, falling forward against him and throwing her arms around his waist. “Aye, it is. I am terrified for you to go against him.”
