Page 13 of Anice’s Bargain

5

Anice swallowed, but saliva continued to pool in her mouth. The frantic walk to her room left her inundated by the salty perfume of dried meat. It emanated from the wrapping she clutched and released little bursts of scent with every step. It rose around her like a miasma, fogging her brain and leaving her nearly mad with hunger.

She practically ran into her chambers and slammed shut the door behind her. Without bothering to go to her dressing table, she unwrapped the worn parchment to reveal a fist-sized hunk of dried venison. Her hands shook with such desperation she nearly dropped it to Piquette who waited with an eager gleam in his eyes.

“Oh pish,” she chided. “You’ve had several meals while you were cared for. This is one meal I cannot share with you.” Yet, as she spoke, she drew off a single sliver and tossed it to her beloved pet.

Piquette snatched it from the air and swallowed it without bothering to chew.

Anice peeled off another sliver of dried meat and lifted it to her lips. The saltiness of it hit her tongue, flavor exploding in her mouth. Herbs, salt, smoke from the curing flames. Pleasure radiated through her body. She leaned her head back against the smooth wood of her door and chewed and chewed and chewed the small bit of meat, savoring it as much as reigning in her control.

It would be too easy to blindly devour the meat in great, savage bites and gnaws. But such a delicacy should be shared with her sisters. She tore off another strip and ate that one with less decorum, giving in to her desperate hunger.

Only two months prior, meat was eaten daily, something sure and commonplace. Yet it had now become so rare and cherished.

Piquette flicked a glance up at her. She tossed a curl of venison to the floor. “No more. I believe you’ve had more than your share when you were with James.”

James.

She slipped another piece of dried meat into her mouth, and slowly ate, knowing she ought to stop soon lest there was no more to share. His gesture to bring her food had been kind. Yet he had appeared no more eager for the union than she. Was there another he loved? What was his opinion on her being English?

Her thoughts stirred to life in her mind, the starving stagnation of her ability to concentrate finally returning due to the bit of food. She ripped off another small chunk, her final one. It would be enough to provide the energy she needed for her body as much and her mind.

James did not wish to wed her.

And he’d asked for a secret as his betrothal gift. She groaned and bowed her head forward beneath the crush of humiliation from having revealed that secret to James.

It had all happened so fast, been so confusing with her muddled thoughts. The tantalizing scent of the venison had overwhelmed her. It had sent her system into a wild response where her pulse raced as though she were near death and her gums ached for the pressure of solid food while she chewed. She had not been able to think properly with her head spinning thus. Rather than come up with an interesting reply, a safe reply, she had offered the only thing that would rise through the cloudiness of her muddy thoughts—the truth.

In fact, it was far truer a secret than ever she’d confessed.

“Did I truly say that aloud?” The scraps of food in her stomach went sour.

Piquette’s large head lifted to regard his mistress, but Anice shook her head at him. “No more. The rest is for the others, at least until supper. Which we shall have tonight.” A giddy bubble of excitement tickled in her chest. “We shall have supper every night. Oh, Piquette, we will have food.”

The dog gave an eager chuff in celebration with her. The last few weeks had been miserable for everyone.

She wrapped the venison in its simple parchment. Her sisters were as hungry as she and would benefit from some of the meat. She opened her door and quickly located Ella and Catriona in the corridor leading to their shared room.

“We saw your future husband.” Catriona clasped her hands to her chest and grinned.

Anice winced. “Dare I ask what you thought of him?” She handed the wrapped bit of meat to Ella.

“He seems a fine man.” Cat watched Ella open the parchment “He is quite tall and—” Her eyes went wide. “Is that venison?”

“A betrothal present.” Anice put up her arm to keep Piquette from snuffling the precious food with his large, wet nose. “I thought it best to share.”

“It was kind of you to do so.” Ella stared down at the gift in her hands.

Cat swallowed, as her large stare fixed on the food. “We can’t, Anice. He gave it to you.”

Anice put her hands to her hips. “Pish.” The way she said it, she reminded herself of Marin, who said the phrase in moments such as these. “It is mine to do with as I please and I want to share it with the two of you. Besides, this will prepare our stomachs for food tonight.”

The sisters both pulled off small bits and smiled gratefully as they handed it back. Cat devoured hers with a haste even Piquette might envy, but Ella savored hers as Anice had done.

The girls were too thin, their young bodies painfully skinny. The famished gleam in their eye as she passed them a second chunk made her grateful for her decision to share. No matter how bad it might be to marry a Graham, it would be better than watching these sweet girls slowly starve.

“It was kind of James to offer this to you.” Cat grinned. “As I was saying, he is very tall and strong. Did you see how large his arms were? Like tree trunks.” She spread her fingers in the air to demonstrate their size.