The Gift by Julie Garwood

wasn't certain he heard her correctly. "What did you say?"
    "Why did you wait so long?" she asked him in a much stronger voice.
    "Wait so long to do what?"
    He looked completely bewildered to her. She took another deep breath. "To come for me," she explained. Her voice shook. She gripped her hands together in a bid to hang onto her temper, then said, "Why did you wait so long to come and get me?"
    He was so surprised by her question, he didn't immediately respond. That Nathan didn't even think she merited a response was the last blow to her pride that Sara was going to take. In a near shout Sara demanded, "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you?"
    His eyes widened in surprise. His bride had just shouted at him. He stared at her in a way that made her think he thought she'd lost her mind.
    And then he slowly shook his head at her. Her composure shattered. "No?" she shouted. "Was I so insignificant to you that you couldn't even be bothered getting around to the chore of coming for me?"
    Nathan was stunned by her questions. He knew he shouldn't let her raise her voice to him, but her comments so astonished him, he wasn't certain what to say.
    "You actually want me to believe you're angry because I didn't come for you sooner?" he asked.
    Sara picked up the nearest object she could get her hands on and threw it at him. Fortunately, the chamberpot was empty. "Angry?" she asked in a roar worthy of a commander. "What makes you think I'm angry, Nathan?"
    He dodged the chamberpot and the two candles that followed, then leaned back against the door. "Oh, I don't know," he drawled. "You seem troubled."
    "I seem…" She was too incensed to stammer out another word.
    Nathan's grin was in full evidence when he nodded. "Troubled," he finished for her.
    "Do you own a pistol?"
    "Yes."
    "May I borrow it?"
    He forced himself not to laugh. "Now why would you want to borrow my pistol, Sara?"
    "I want to shoot you, Nathan."
    He did laugh then. Sara decided she hated him. The bluster went out of her. She wanted to weep with frustration. Perhaps her relatives had been right after all. Perhaps he did despise her, maybe even as much as her parents told her he would.
    She gave up the battle and sat down on the bed again. She folded her hands in her lap and kept her gaze downcast. "Please leave my cabin. If you wish to explain your sorry conduct to me, you may do so tomorrow. I'm too weary to listen to your excuses now."
    He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She dared to give him orders. "That isn't how our marriage works, Sara. I give the orders, and you obey them."
    His voice had been hard, angry. It was deliberate, of course, for he wanted her to understand he meant what he said. He thought he was probably frightening her again. She started wringing her hands in obvious agitation, and though he felt a bit guilty because he had to resort to such intimidating tactics, the issue was far too important to soften his approach. Nathan promised himself that no matter how pitiful she looked or sounded when she started crying, he would not back down.
    Sara continued to wring her hands for a long minute, pretending that it was her husband's stubborn neck she had between her fingers. The fantasy helped to lighten her mood.
    Nathan nagged her back to reality when he growled, "Did you hear me, bride?"
    God, she hated the name "bride!"
    "Yes, I heard you," she answered. "But I don't really understand. Why is that how this marriage works?"
    The tears were back in her eyes again. Nathan suddenly felt like an ogre. "Are you trying to bait me?" he asked.
    She shook her head. "No," she answered. "I just supposed our marriage was going to go along in the opposite direction.
    Yes, I always did," she added in a rush when he frowned intently at her.
    "Oh? And just how did you think this marriage was going to go along?"
    He actually seemed to be interested in her opinion. Sara immediately took heart. She lifted her shoulders in a dainty shrug. "Well, I supposed