Be My Wife, The Bell's Bargain

pte

hung in the a

elt it rising and bit down on it. Her heart pounded

ough," s

r than she expected. Jake'

ided her towards the table with a hand at her back, his touch light

ting the word. "That is not a wo

have not be

the chair beside her. Her knees were weak as she sat, and she was grateful for

e corridor, quick and u

with an iron. A faint tremor in his jaw gave away that he had not recovered from whatever had brou

glad you cou

d. It was the only

and took the chair directly across from Celine. When he sat, his eyes rested on her face

ke said. "

d to touch them. Celine picked up her spoon and realised she did not know which of the three forks

of a man laying a trap. "Bryan has been very secretive.

stopped halfw

mind so clearly that she almost spoke it

ssed against her

a friend. I was bored, and she was the only person who didn't try to sell me somethi

atly that she could have thanked him. She

arity?" P

. You wouldn

of small

said mildly. "L

rugged and returned to his s

onald passed her the water jug without a word, and his small no

anged like art, and she was too nervous to taste i

e sat with his hands folded on t

Miss Taylor. W

," she said carefully. It was true, and it was sa

er the table. Pau

d, and for the first time his voice

she is being moved to a

l said lightly. "Ex

od leave her face. Of course he would

g for it,"

e looke

ntinued, setting down his fork. "She is going t

nce, the same script he had given her in the car. Even so, something in

Donald said gently. "A mothe

," Celine

y, leaning back. "That

meant

r been a man f

er needed o

lingered on her plain wrists, on the worn edge of the sleeve she had tried to hide. Som

Do you love

to the silence like

Donald's quiet, Bryan's tense beside her. Every rehearsed answer scattered from her mind. Sh

someone," she said, softer than she

whole truth. She lifted her eyes an

rt, dry sound that might have been a laugh. "A car

and this time it stayed. His thumb pressed once against her kn

his glass with

the board especially. But I find the timing curious." He turned his gaze on Bryan. "Four months were put before the board,

e life private,"

eyes were polite and cold. "I mean no offence, Miss Taylor. I would simply like to kno

went ve

The hospital. Mara and the things she could not say. Every fragile p

. His voice was calm. His hand,

lence, and for a moment somethin

s cane once ag

id. "But do it quietly. This

urse,

the rim, and she felt, with a chill she could