Prize Bride

Chapter 22

(A/N: continues to be a PoV change between Sor and Corrie)

She looked so beautiful lying on the bed I just had to kiss her. Even if I said I wouldn’t touch her or make love to her as I wish I could have all night long I can at least kiss her right? So I bent I head down and kissed her brow softly.

Her face squnched up a little but then the muscles in her face relaxed and she pushed her cheek even further into my shoulder. It was hard knowing that I would be leaving her soon, hard for me more than for her in my mind.

She would probably find another, better, husband soon after I’d gone and would forget all about me. But me. I would never be able to bed another woman again without thinking of her which I’m sure will slowly kill me.

Corrie was disappointed when I told her what I was not going to do. I could see some of the excitement drain out of her expression and her tone of voice changed.

“Corrie I can’t do this tonight.” I confessed to her after kissing her long and hard for the third time after getting into the room.

“Do what?” she asked almost sleepily.

“I can’t make love to you tonight, I’m sorry.” I remember feeling that small jerk of her body ans she stood up straighter and looked at me.

“Why not? Are you afraid of hurting me?”

“No, no. But I have a pact, with a friend of mine. It’s a very serious pact I assure you.”

“What is this pact that it should prevent us from being together?” we hadn’t been married more than a day and she was upset with me, I could tell.

“My friend, he’s a terrible drunkard. And it has nearly killed him and torn his whole life apart. His wife weeps for him and his children cry out when he is in a state of drunkenness. I swore to him that if he didn’t drink any longer I would give up my wife on our wedding night. That is how much I loved my friend. And he took it for fact and I signed a wager. If I break it I fear for his health and his family. Surely you’ll understand that.”

I rocked her gently from side to side and looked deep into her eyes. They blinked several times before she said anything.

“All right, I can accept that. But you must introduce me to this friend later. Promise me that?”

“I promise.” I cringed at my own lie. Here I was madly in love with this woman and lying to her face. Surely she would hate me too much after I’m gone to regret my leaving.

But after we had resolved that issue I took her to bed and wrapped my arms around her and we fell asleep like that. Now the sun is slowly rising and small bits of sunlight are trickling through the curtains and falling on the bright blue carpets on the floor.

Never in my life have I wanted to stay in bed so much as I do right now. But unfortunately, the moment didn’t last long because servants came, far too many of them than necessary, and we had to get dressed.

“I love you.” Corrinette said to me quietly as she was whisked away by her ladies in waiting.

We were reunited at breakfast where her father greeted us with nothing but smiles. I hated to think what would happen when he found out the truth.

“I hope you two didn’t sleep very well last night!” the duke joked patting me on the back. He laughed loudly as I sat down beside him.

“As well as can be expected Sir.” I told him. He laughed harder at my comment.

“You and I have some things we must discuss after breakfast. It shouldn’t take more that a few hours than you are free to take your bride and do whatever you desire.”

So after breakfast I followed him out and he sat me down to discuss legal issues.

“Now, as you have married my only daughter, you are the soul heir to my possessions. But I’m sure you knew that when you entered my little competition.” He chuckled. If I had known I would have been sure to loose but I kept that too myself.

“There are papers you need to sign in order to make the marriage legal but I’m sure you can handle that all on you own without my help. So I’ll give them to you and then we’ll think nothing of them when you are done. I have signed them already so all that’s missing is your signature.”

I gulped to myself. What do I do now? I can’t read or write! And even if I could write what name do I put down?

“That is fine with me. But aside from hat I would like to ask a favor of you.”

“Of course my boy! What is it?”

“I would like to go back home, without Corrinette. Just to prepare my home for her. I fear I left it in a terrible mess and I would hate for her to come home with me and see my estates in such horrible shape. It is in now way ready for a lady. Do you think that an awful thing for me to do? To leave her here for a while? I would of course come back as soon as possible to fetch her.”

I could see he was thinking very hard about it. After all why would I want to be parted from my wife so soon?

“How long would it take you?”

“No more than a few weeks. There hasn’t bee a lady in my keep for so long my men have run free so to speak. I think you and I both now what that can look like. Besides I don’t think they expected me to bring one home.” I explained.

“Yes I do know, and I think you are a wise and caring man to think of such a thing. It shows that you care more about her feelings than her talents in the bedroom. You are a fine man Corvall, I am glad you are my son in law.” He leaned over and patted me on the shoulder and I nodded. Mostly I did it to hide my shame at having lied to this man, and partially I did it because I had never had a father to say such things about me and I felt a longing to stay and live with that feeling a bit longer. At least I might die happy.

But then I would be putting my friend in danger and my sister would hate me for my stupidity. Poor Nora had actually wept when I left. She cried for me not to leave her all alone in this world and I’d promised her I wouldn’t. And so I shook hands with the Duke, took the papers, and went on my way.

Corvall has been acting so strangely since we got married. I know it has only been one day but still I feel as though something is not right with him.

When he came back from meeting with Papa he seemed sad, but he wouldn’t tell me why. Then I took him walking but he seemed to be concentrating on something far away. And every so often he would look behind us as if he thought something, or someone, was there. I can’t figure out what is wrong and he won’t tell me.

“Corrinette?” he stopped me.

“Yes what is it?”

“Would you mind terribly if I left for a short while, to go get my estate ready for you? I would come back to fetch you as soon as I’m finished.”

He was lying, I could feel it. It’s funny that I should detect what wasn’t there. His words sounded rehearsed and his voice too smooth.

“Why not just take me with you? I wouldn’t mind.” I told him.

“Yes but I don’t think I could take the shame of bringing home a wife to my home in the state it is. I don’t want you to regret having married me as soon as we get there.” He explained, the liar.

Was he trying to hide something from me? I couldn’t believe he would lie to me yet it was so obvious. Perhaps that woman was waiting for him back in his keep and he didn’t want me to see her. Or maybe he had innumerable women that he needed to move out before I came. Whatever it was I wasn’t going to stay here while he tried to hide them from me.

“As long as you’re not too long.” I whined trying to sound sad while I formed plans in my mind of following him.

“I wouldn’t be.” He promised and I leaned myself against his chest. His heart was pumping so violently it felt more like a hum. Whatever it was he was hiding I would find out.

A/N: Wow it took me so long to actually finish writing that chapter!I got myself into a bit of a bind on this one soI hope it all works out the way it should. Thank you to all of you who have continued to review. Please keep up the good work!