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sputtered in outrage. “The bans had to be posted, and I had no way of knowing whether or not you would remain in England should you be released. I thought it wise to keep you secured until the wedding.”
    “You thought me as lacking in honor as you and he are.” He thrust a thumb at Lord Rudman in a backhanded movement. “In America, we settle our disputes one man to another. There’s no need for such underhanded backbiting.”
    He glared at Avery Rudman. His contempt for both men stewed inside him, sickening, ferocious. “We have
    other means of managing our women without lowering our morals to do it.”
    His expression stony with control, Lord Rudman offered no reply to Matthew’s diatribe.
    Matthew turned to his uncle. “I need some fresh air.
    I’m sure you’ll understand if I don’t return until our guests have taken their leave.” Talbot nodded, his expression grave.
    Matthew stepped from the room and closed the French doors behind him. He drew a deep breath as he sought to leash his temper, his stomach muscles contracting painfully. The possibility of being returned to prison because of his lack of control preyed on his mind.
    They would have to kill him. He wouldn’t be put back into that hellish place.
    He strode down the steps and followed the path Katherine had taken. Her presence at the table had acted as a buffer between him and their guests. Her dark violet eyes, copper streaked hair, and clear creamy skin had drawn his attention again and again. The rise of color in her cheeks each time he showed her attention fascinated him. He wondered what experience, if any, she might have garnered at court, for her response to his kiss had been hesitant and uncertain. He found it hard to align the self-assured young woman who had faced him with such determination in the prison with the innocent who blushed at his every glance.
    The late afternoon sun did little to alleviate the nip in the air as he circled the fountain. He paused beside the decorative structure to enjoy the bubbling dance of water springing from the center of an unfurled flower held within the hand of a scantily clad maiden.
    He breathed in deeply the fresh breeze wafting against his face. The air of liberation smelled of damp ground tinged with the evergreen scent of freshly trimmed shrubs.
    He found himself facing several paths running in spokes to the back of the garden. Not knowing which Katherine might have taken, he continued on the one leading straight forward.
    The indistinct sound of a voice behind him caught his attention. He turned to see Jacqueline Rudman bearing
    down on him. Alarm displaced his calm and his gaze swept the garden for any threat accompanying her. “Your husband will miss you, Jacqueline, and I came out here for a moment’s quiet.”
    The woman’s bottom lip protruded in a pout. “How can you be so cold to me, Matthew? You barely spoke to me at dinner or even afterwards, though you had plenty of opportunity.”
    He braced his feet apart and folded his arms in a stance he hoped she would find less than welcoming. “Did you expect me to ignore my bride at our wedding reception?”
    Her elaborately coifed blond hair gleamed as she stood before him. She brushed a nonexistent piece of lint from his coat in a proprietary gesture, her fingers curling around the open lapels of the garment. “No, but I did not expect you would ignore me so completely either.” Her lips curled downward into a pout. “Especially after all we have shared in the past. Our having wed other people doesn’t have to mean we cannot enjoy one another again.” This woman had cost him his freedom for nearly three months and, at her husband’s insistence, remained completely oblivious to it. Repugnance washed over him, and he controlled his expression with an effort. “You approached me when I first arrived months ago, Jacqueline. I told you then I don’t sleep with married women. I haven’t changed my mind.” Anger flashed across her