Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“I did not plan on falling in love and wedding you.”
“Please spare me the lies,” Aliss said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“It was ransom I asked for, not marriage.”
She choked on her laughter. “But marriage to me would guarantee you the Isle of Non. After all, my sister and I would want to be close.” She shook her head again. “I had told you that, about wanting to be close. How you must have laughed at me when I proposed. Everything was suddenly in your grasp and all you had to do was—”
“Commit myself to you for the rest of my life?” he asked incredulously. “Do you not think ransom a more sensible choice? Why wed you and be stuck with you?”
“Guarantees. Tarr of Hellewyk would not dare attempt to reclaim the isle if you were wed to his sister-in-law.”
“So I saddled myself with you in exchange for the land.”
“It would appear the Isle of Non is that important to you.”
“Do you not care to know why?” he asked.
She shook her head. “What difference does it make? The isle is what matters to you. I do not and that tells me that you do not—”
“Do not dare say that I do not love you,” he said, giving the wooden table one good pound with his fist.
Aliss smacked the table with her hand. “Do not dare insult me by claiming to love me.”
He tempered his tone. “I do love you, Aliss.”
“No! You love the land more.”
Her hurt refused to allow her to listen to him and he could not blame her. Nothing he said right now would make sense to her.
“I want free of our marriage.”
“No!” His shout reverberated in the room. “ We are husband and wife, joined before God and so shall we remain.”
Aliss stood. “We will see about that.”
Rogan followed her out of the cottage and over to where Fiona and Tarr stood talking with Anna and John.
“I want out of this marriage, Tarr,” she said, coming to stand in front of her brother-in-law.
“I will not release you from our vows,” Rogan said with a cold calmness.
“I do not want to be wed to you,” Aliss said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Are you sure?” Rogan asked.
“Yes, I am sure,” Aliss said, her voice trembling.
Rogan walked over to her. Her unshed tears tore at his heart and the slight quiver in her chin made his soul ache. He had hurt her terribly, and in so doing, he had hurt himself. He certainly would not forgive himself, why should she?
“A bargain?” he asked.
“Why should I, when you do not honor them?”
He felt the insult like a slap to his face but retained his composure. “I will let you free if . . .”
“I am listening,” Aliss said when he grew silent.
“Come with me and my clan to the Isle of Non. Let me prove how very much I love you. At the end of six months’ time if you are not convinced of my love, I will free you and take my leave. The Isle of Non will be yours and you need never see me again.”
She swallowed hard and he hoped it was because she could not bear the thought of separating from him, hoped that there was a chance for him to redeem himself, hoped she would fall in love with him all over again.
“Three months’ time,” she bartered to his disappointment.
“Six or you have me for a lifetime.”
“All right.” She sighed.
Rogan walked over to Tarr. “A fair enough bargain for you?”
“The choice belongs to Aliss, but I feel it a fair deal,” Tarr said.
He then turned to Fiona.
She spoke before he could. “I feel as my husband does.”
“Then it is settled,” Rogan said. He approached John and Derek and yelled out, “Get the people packing. We leave in a few days for a new home.”
Aliss stared at her husband’s retreating back and felt her legs wobble. They would not hold her up much longer. They would collapse out from under her if she even dared take a single step.
“Aliss, are you all right?” Fiona asked.
She realized then that her whole body trembled. “I am not sure.” Before her sister summoned help, Aliss grabbed her arm. “Walk with me. I need to walk.”
Fiona hooked arms with her and off they strolled.
“This is such a shock to me,” Aliss admitted. “I feel like an idiot. He told me he loved me. I believed him.”
“I can kill him for you and settle everything,” Fiona said.
“No, you mustn’t do that,” Aliss insisted, knowing her sister was serious. “Promise me you will not hurt him.”
Grudgingly Fiona said, “I promise, but tell me why you do not want me to hurt him. He has hurt you, lied to you, and betrayed your trust. He deserves punishment.”
Fiona was right. He had done all that to her and more. He had made her believe he loved her. He had made love to her, told her she was beautiful, and now he wanted time to prove his love—or did he?