Read Libertine's Wife for Free Online

didn’t
succeed at it. You are obviously no real lady at all, my dear. Real
ladies don’t do what you did to me, now do they? I would say the
countess failed miserably with you.”
    “ You are quite cruel,”
Arianne choked out, longing to slap him for his insults. She was
suddenly self conscious under his sardonic gaze.
    “ I merely point out the
obvious.” He smirked at her, folding his arms across his chest.
“Would a real lady allow herself to be ruined without the benefit
of marriage? And then pin it upon an innocent man as you have done
to me? I would guess the answer to that question is a resounding—
no! There we are, my dear. You are not a lady at all.”

Chapter Three
    No, a real lady certainly
wouldn’t have done as I did , she thought in
agreement. A tremendous wave of unworthiness assailed her. Arianne
felt tears spring to her eyes as he insulted her.
    She never felt more gauche, fidgeting
under his condescending gaze. His look spoke volumes of what he
thought of her. Her lips trembled, but she refused to cry. She
wouldn’t allow him to see how he wounded her. A part of her
accepted his unkind treatment, knowing she deserved far worse than
insults.
    But he was wrong of one thing. She’d
known better than to get herself into such a disgraceful position.
Falling in love allowed her to dismiss propriety. Arianne would
have never lain with Julian if she hadn’t believed with all her
heart they would marry. She allowed herself to be swept away. Even
a lady could be swept away, she reasoned without any
regret.
    No, she had no such recriminations. She
loved Julian with every bit of her heart, clung to his perfect
image, if only to get through her marriage to this cruel,
contemptible man.
    Her husband just wanted to belittle
her, she knew. Arianne refused to think she couldn’t hold her own
in any social situation. Lady Vale assured her none would ever know
she’d never attended an elite finishing school when she finished
her training. The lady must have taken pity on her years before, or
perhaps she was bored in her own life. Julian’s father was always
in London, leaving his wife alone at Vale House.
    Arianne recalled how shocked she was
when Julian began courting her last year. Deep down, she never felt
good enough for him. Julian knew her all her life. He didn’t care
if she had no dowry. The girlish dreams she had of him all her life
became a reality then.
    Then, she was overwhelmed with feelings
she wasn’t worthy of him, not fit to be his wife. It worsened when
Edmund died and he became the Earl of Vale. She panicked to think
of being his countess, having not a clue what it
entailed.
    Her husband knew her a scant second and
honed in on all those insecurities like a fly to jam, picking her
apart, and dissecting her until she was nothing. She was unable to
form a retort, too humiliated to meet his gaze.
    There were never any funds available
for such things. Because of her brother’s gambling, there were
rarely enough funds to pay the few servants they employed. Eustace
grudgingly paid for a tutor years ago, but her education was quite
limited. She could read quite well, write a fine hand, and do
simple sums. It seemed enough until now.
    She felt worthless in her husband’s
eyes. Dejected, her blurred gaze clung to the floorboards of the
coach for a time. The silence was awkward as it stretched between
them.
    Seeing the mocking censure in his
handsome face made her realize just how outclassed they were. Her
husband was a wealthy marquis who probably went to the finest
schools. His lofty position entitled him to all the benefits of his
station. He had a lifetime of training behind him, begun early on
as a child. Her confidence plummeted under his disparaging
assessment of her.
    She was the orphaned daughter of a
modest baronet. Compared to him, she had no remarkable background
at all. The fact she wasn’t suitable to be his wife was obvious to
her. Taken off guard, she stared numbly out the window,