Bessie Read Free

into this carriage. Nor when she’d nervously reattached her face veil when it had slipped. He hadn’t even looked her way when she’d had her hand placed in his to be pronounced his lawfully wedded wife.
    The queen had left before the ceremony was finished. Bessie hadn’t questioned it. The woman had avenged Hildebrand’s betrayal. The man at Bessie’s side had noted when his monarch left, however. He had probably wondered why his soulful glances hadn’t swayed the queen. Bessie couldn’t give him an answer. If he’d looked at her with modicum of the expression, she’d have given him anything he wished.
    Hildebrand hadn’t said a word when he was escorted to his new traveling chaise and assisted in. He hadn’t spoken, nor had he looked to see if his new lady accompanied him, either. It would have taken a braver woman to speak to him at that time, too.
    He hadn’t acted interested in talking to his new wife. He didn’t appear to want to admit to her presence, at all. It didn’t take a fool to see he wasn’t taking well to his new lot in life.
    Neither was she, although the longer they traveled, the more she began to wonder.
    She traced a button near her ear, matching her movement to the carriage sway. It was amazing Hildebrand had been gifted with this new carriage. The blue satin lining the walls still had creases from where it had been rolled on bolts. There were new folds from where heavy silver buttons riveted the padded material to the walls.
    Bessie twisted her lips as she considered it.
    Lord Hildebrand might be poor, but the accouterments of his carriage would see him through many a lean year, if he had to make use of it. Of course, he could claim his new wife’s wealth...if she allowed him knowledge of it. But, perhaps he already knew. Perhaps he knew the woman known as The Widow possessed four castles, land that paid for itself, and more servants than her secretaries could count. That had been the bride price for wedding with the queen’s ward. The terms had been specified in no uncertain words. If there were no issue of each marriage, all the property converted to Bess.
    Her guardian had guaranteed Bessie wouldn’t need a spouse. She had no husband to please or obey. She had complete freedom, something unheard of. Oh, if only she’d had the sense to disobey the queen’s summons to court two months ago, none of this would have happened!
    At least, it wouldn’t have happened to her. Lord Hildebrand might have lost his head, though. As comely as he was, that would have been an even worse shame.
    Bessie sighed, and looked for any sign her new husband heard it.
    He didn’t move, but that could mean anything. He was still gazing out the window, jounced occasionally from his pose. Bessie wondered what he was watching. The hills had been a pleasant sight, as were the fields and the overgrown wall the Ancients had built. It hadn’t kept her interest for long. She rather thought Devon wasn’t looking at any of it, either.
    Perhaps she should ask him to draw the drape. That might force him to notice her. It would also make it difficult to see clearly. That did not worry her. He couldn’t pierce the loosely woven material she hid behind.
    She wished for the dimness because it would make it harder for her to watch him.
    Oh, my . Her new husband was a very handsome man. Sigh-worthy. She’d never looked this closely at him before. It had been forbidden. Sunlight cast his face into a perfectly sculpted silhouette and burnished his dark brown hair to a russet shade. It was difficult to swallow properly. Bessie looked him over surreptitiously, although there wasn’t any reason for concern. For all the attention he paid her, she could be openly staring.
    He’d been wed to her as Lord Devon Francis Hildebrand, Earl of Hilde, High Sheriff of Devershire and vassal to the queen. While Bessie wasn’t surprised to hear he’d been lorded, thanks to her gossiping with Lady Bryant, she was surprised at the amount