Название: The Paper Marriage
Автор: Bronwyn Williams
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Историческая литература
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She had learned at an early age that men couldn’t abide tall women. Even her father, once she’d grown a full two inches above his respectable height of five and a half feet, had avoided standing beside her whenever possible. She had understood intuitively, but it had hurt, all the same.
Matthew avoided her, too, but it had nothing to do with her height, or even her lack of looks. According to Bess, he simply didn’t care for women. Which suited her just fine, as she wasn’t overly fond of men. Once this trial period was over, if she decided to go through with the marriage, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about the marriage act.
She hated it. It was painful, demeaning and embarrassing. A friend had once confided that she enjoyed it every bit as much as her husband did, and Rose had thought she must be lying. When, a year into her own marriage, Rose had learned that Robert kept a mistress, she’d been relieved rather than angry, thinking that he might leave her alone.
He hadn’t. Especially when he’d been drinking, in which case he would grab her with no warning at all, shove her down on the bed, even in broad daylight, and do it to her.
She had hoped her pregnancy would end all that, for he’d been eager for a child right from the first. For a while he’d seemed delighted, seldom snapping at her, even paying her some of the same small courtesies he’d shown during their brief courtship.
She’d been nearly five months along when Robert had come home one day in a rage. “Guess where I’ve been, my dearest little wife.” Sarcasm was one of his favorite weapons.
“I can’t imagine. At the club?” He reeked of strong drink, and it was barely past noon.
“Right you are. I happened to meet the trust officer who handled your father’s estate. Would you care to explain yourself?” His eyes flashed dangerously in his pale, narrow face.
She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. “I—I’m afraid I don’t remember him very well. I believe he was in Switzerland when Mama and Papa—after they—”
His control snapped. Waving a fist, he shouted, “Why did you lie to me? What in hell did you hope to gain?”
“B-but I’ve never lied. Why would you think that?” She’d been truly mystified.
“Oh, no? What about your trust fund, what about that?” By that time his face had been fiery red, spittle flying from his thin lips.
“Robert, please don’t shout, I don’t think it’s good for the baby. I won’t be twenty-one until September, you know that.”
“What good will your blasted brat do me, when there’s not a damn copper penny left to inherit? All that money, wasted! Blown away!”
That was when she’d learned that he’d married her for the fortune he’d expected her to come into on her twenty-first birthday, insuring it with a son.
“It’s gone, I tell you! Every single investment cashed in and wasted by your cheating scoundrel of a father!”
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