Maverick Heart Read Free

love for him.
    She knew it was foolishly unreasonable to have expected Miles to divine the terrible trouble she was in—that she was being coerced into a marriage she found abhorrent. If he had shown the least little bit of trust in her love, she knew she would have transferred her burden onto his shoulders that day at Linden’s Folly and let him cope with Chester’s threats in his own way. But in a moment of pique at his abrupt dismissal of her, she had turned and left him.
    And sealed her own fate, and his, and that of their son.
    She was certain Miles hated her now far more than he could ever despise his nemesis, Chester Talbot. It was very little comfort to know that because Miles believed she had betrayed him, Chester would be thwarted in his plan of lifelong revenge.
    Verity focused once more on the handsome Talbot features before her but saw only evil. She spoke the first thoughts that came into her mind.
    “I hate you. I find you an utterly revolting human being.”
    Chester slapped her hard with his open palm.
    She resisted the urge to reach for her stinging cheek. She stared defiantly at her husband, blinking away the tears of pain that formed in her eyes.
    I will not cry. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry
.
    “I cannot control what you think, my dear,” he said in an acid voice. “But, by God, you will hold that shrew’s tongue of yours when you are in my presence.
    “Now I’m afraid I must bid you good-bye. I trust you will keep that brat of yours out of my way in the future.”
    Verity watched with relief and revulsion as the devil walked out her bedroom door, closing it with a
snick
behind him. She heard him speak briefly to Leah and listened to the muffled sounds of Leah’s frantic reply. She waited, and when Leah did not come in, she knew her husband had forbidden her old nurse to attend her.
    Miles, my love, I am so alone. How will I live the
long years chained by law to this animal? How will I live the rest of my life without your love?
    It was a bitter bargain she had made to save Miles. And an even worse one she must endure to keep her son from being named a bastard. It was easy to hate Chester for his role in all of this. But she refused to let hate consume her.
    Verity felt the babe nuzzling at her breast and looked down at the miracle in her arms. Here was a blessing among all her woes. Here was someone she could love wholeheartedly. She drew a forefinger across the babe’s cheek. He turned instinctively toward her finger, rooting until she moved aside her gown and he found what he sought. She was surprised at how vigorously he took suck.
    “You shall be strong, Randal Talbot, and clever and good. I shall not let the Earl of Rushland make of you a mean-spirited and bitter man. On my love for your father, I swear it.”
    She stared at the closed door. Chester’s threats had worked. For her child’s sake, she would stay. And because her child’s future depended upon it, she would do nothing to reveal the secret of her son’s birth to anyone.
    Not even his father.

1

W YOMING T ERRITORY 1875
    “Rand and I are going to ride ahead, Lady Talbot.”
    Verity, Lady Talbot, Countess of Rushland, shifted to a more comfortable position in her sidesaddle, wishing she could race across the vast Wyoming plains herself instead of plodding along beside a wagon pulled by oxen. Experience had stolen her freedom to do impulsive things. “Is it really wise to ride off without knowing what’s ahead of you, Winnifred? You might get lost.”
    “How could we possibly get lost? You can see for miles and miles in every direction.”
    “Freddy is right, Mother,” Rand said. “Besides, I promise to take good care of her.”
    “And I’ll take good care of Rand,” Freddy added with an impish grin.
    Rand laughed. “Oh, I do hope so, minx. In everyway. And very soon. Our wedding isn’t far off now.”
    Freddy, bless her heart, blushed a fiery red. She always did when Rand teased her