Viscount of Vanity by Tammy Andresen (little red riding hood ebook free TXT) 📕

Austin shook his head. “You mentioned tending him. Did you cook his meals often?”

She gave a stiff nod. “Of course.”

“Cleaning?”

Her lips pressed together. “Yes.”

Anger rose inside him again. She was a lady, a beautiful one at that, who’d been playing the part of servant to a drunk. He wanted to pull her away from the stove but then…they wouldn’t eat either. While he’d furnished the cottage with food, he hadn’t brought in any staff. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

He said nothing as she worked but silently pulled down plates as she removed the egg mixture from the stove. It smelled heavenly and she gave him a generous serving.

He took both the plates and stepped into the small dining area, where he set them down at opposite ends of the table.

She followed with silverware and two cups of tea.

Austin wasn’t much of a drinker. He didn’t like the loss of control, but in this moment, he wished for something stronger.

Tea didn’t quite seem sturdy enough.

He pulled out her chair and then slid into his own.

Silently they began to eat.

He had so much to say and yet, he wasn’t certain where to start. And so, he allowed her to eat in peace.

He took a bite of the eggs she’d prepared and nearly groaned in pleasure. It had been hours since he’d eaten, and the meal was delicious. The eggs were creamy with exactly the right amount of salt from the pork.

He took another bite and then another. Before he knew it, his plate was empty. “Thank you,” he said. He felt far more prepared for the discussion to come with a full stomach. As his gaze lifted, he looked over at her to realize she’d barely touched her food. His eyes narrowed. “Gabriella.”

She looked down too. “After all that’s happened today, I find I’m not all that hungry.”

He leaned his elbows on the table. “Please eat. I’ll talk as you do.”

She shrugged and then raised a bite of food to her lips. Her hands were still a bit shaky and he frowned in concern. He waited until she took another bite to begin.

He drew in a deep breath. “I feel the need to be honest with you. I planned to marry at some point. My title demands it, but it was not an institution I considered with any sort of…zeal.”

She set down her fork and he gestured for her to eat more. With a small tic in her eyebrow, she did as he bid, picking up the fork and placing a delicate bite of egg on it.

He cleared his throat and then continued. “Still, I find you to be a suitable match for me. You’ll bear beautiful children, you’re refined, elegant, and more than capable of the duties that would befall a viscountess if you’ve managed an entire house on your own.”

She’d been about to take another bite, but the fork lowered again. “There will be children?”

“Of course,” he answered, gesturing with his hand for her to take another bite. “I’ll need an heir and a spare at the least.”

She took three more bites, seeming to relax. “That is excellent news. I would very much like to be a mother. Mine was wonderful and I—” She stopped. “I should warn you. I have a tendency to prattle on when excited.”

He smiled. That sort of self-knowledge was encouraging.

She took three more bites and, having eaten a substantial portion of her meal, he leaned forward. “Now, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to speak on a few of my limitations.”

Chapter Four

Limitations….

Her fork stilled though she did not set it down again. He’d only tell her to pick it up.

She should have known the conversation would not continue so…hopefully. Of course there was bad news coming. She’d just been sold like a sow at market. How could that end well? Her stomach tightened. She had known. Which is why she’d been so nervous.

Every time she got comfortable today, something else jumped up to knock her off kilter again.

Her husband was handsome, titled. There had to be a reason he’d chosen a bride at a ridiculous auction in a church in a village far from London.

The question was, could she live with whatever he was about to say?

He cleared his throat again. “I am not all that interested in the physical aspects of a relationship.”

She blinked. He’d held her in his arms against his body, escorted her inside on his arm. She’d felt warm and cherished in his arms. What did he mean? “Physical?”

She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Relations. Between a man and a wife.”

“Oh,” she breathed, unable to say another word. She thanked heaven for her darker skin even as heat flared in her cheeks. “That.”

He looked away from her then, tension evident in every line of his face. “It is irregular. Especially with a woman like you.”

Her? What about her was irregular? But she listened rather than speaking. Because, if she were honest, she could be in a far worse situation at this exact moment. Some of those men had looked hard and rough. Some would not give her the indulgence of a conversation and explanation. They’d come and take whatever they wanted from her.

But what did it mean to have a marriage where a man was not interested in…relations? A wave of disappointment washed through her, and she wasn’t quite sure why. Hours ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed of being married and having relations. And now, she’d have to give it up? She touched her forehead, confused.

“We’ll have to engage at some point if there are to be children, of course, but we’ll keep it as brief and minimally engaging as possible.”

“I see,” she answered, not really understanding anything he was saying. That wasn’t true. She understood the vague outlines of his meaning. He didn’t wish to share a bed with her. Or he wished to share it as little as possible.

But she had no idea how that would actually affect her marriage. Very much or