The Favourite by Alice Coldbreath

Author:Alice Coldbreath [Coldbreath, Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-05T18:30:00+00:00

19

Jane woke in the early hours of the morning to find Alisander gently disentangling himself from her. She lay still and feigned sleep as he crept from the bed and washed in what she felt sure must be stone-cold water. He made next to no sound as he slipped into his dressing room next door and then emerged just as soundlessly to slip from their bedchamber.

She wondered for a moment what he was about, but then rolled over and fell back to sleep. When next she woke, he was sliding back under the covers beside her, pulling her into his arms. “Are you awake?” he whispered softly.

“No,” Jane grumbled, and she could feel his lips smile against her brow. It must have been a couple of hours later at least, that Wat brought in more water for them to wash. This time, Alisander rolled away from her at once, loudly complaining at the earliness of the hour and soundly berating his servant for being mistaken about the time. Wat, now engaged in lighting their fire, responded with great restraint.

Her husband then made a great show of stepping on one of the topaz necklaces and hopping around, clutching his foot, and complaining bitterly about wives who were careless of their jewelry. Jane could not maintain a dignified silence in the face of such provocation. “’Twas you who dropped them on the floor and not I,” she said as he heaped them carelessly onto a dresser.

“Nonsense.”

“Besides, they are not mine. You merely ‘commissioned them with me in mind,’” she reminded him.

“Of course, they’re yours.” He shrugged. “Did I not make that clear last night?”

“No, I don’t believe so.” She rolled onto her side to watch him as he took a hurried wash. His second of the morn, she reflected. “If they are for me, then I wonder you did not give them to me as a bridal gift,” she pondered aloud, “instead of your own belt and necklace, I mean.”

“I did not give them to you for a bridal gift because I wanted to see my own jewels on you,” he admitted. “Before you ask, I have no idea why. One gets these inclinations from time to time.”

Jane lay a while considering this. Court had been unbearable without her, that was what he had claimed the previous night, and that he always, always wanted her with him. She felt her cheeks grow warm. Of course, he was merely being theatrical when he used words like “desolated,” but perhaps, under his peacocking, there was a grain of truth and he had missed her.

She swallowed, suddenly realizing how badly she wanted to believe this to be true. My sweet dove, that was what he had called her, and her breath grew shallow remembering the expression on his face when he had said it. He had looked almost baffled by the words coming out of his own mouth, and his voice had been so gentle, despite the hard press of his flesh against hers.

She had

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