more importantly, he was between me and my dinner. His stance and expression made it very clear that, no matter I was now technically his social superior, there was no way I was getting out of this room until he had his answers. I could certainly not push past so strong and tall a man. I was also unsure what would happen if we laid hands on one another. I was tired and I knew I was emotionally vulnerable. It would be all too easy to lean on Rory, to even attempt to rekindle our relationship, for I was far from indifferent to him, but Fitzroy’s warning echoed in my mind, and his very action of coming to me when he had no right to question anything I did showed a jealous turn of mind that any lady might shrink from.
I made one last attempt. I stamped my foot and said, ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Rory, I want my dinner.’
Unexpectedly, he laughed. ‘All right, I believe you.’
‘Why?’ I asked suspiciously.
‘Even you, Euphemia, are feminine enough not to have a hearty appetite on the brink of an elopement.’
‘I am not sure I find your statement complimentary. Particularly the part about even I being feminine enough.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake,’ said Rory. ‘Ye’ve won.’
‘Moreover,’ I continued, still feeling decidedly ruffled, ‘there would be no need for an elopement. Bertram can marry whoever he wishes as can I.’
Rory made a humph-ing butler noise. ‘I suppose Richenda would welcome you as a sister with open eyes?’
‘She would not have any say in the matter,’ I declared hotly.
‘So you are going to marry yon wee mannie?’
‘He is not wee!’ I protested.
‘He’s guy shorter than me.’
‘You are overly large,’ I said with as much dignity as I could muster. Rory bristled visibly, but I knew this had nothing to do with my comment on his height.
‘However,’ I said holding up a hand, ‘I have no intention now or ever of marrying Bertram. He is a dear and good friend, but nothing more.’
‘Which is why the pair of yous are galumphing all over the place.’
‘I never galumph!’
‘Aye, well, whatever ye’re doing. Making me drive you like I am some … automation.’
‘It is your job, Rory,’ I said. ‘If you do not like it then you should seek another situation.’
‘So that’s what ye want me to do, is it? Get out of your hair? Leave you to get up to goodness knows what! Well, I shan’t do it!’
Never had Fitzroy’s warning seemed so apt. Rory had no claim over me whatsoever, but here he was acting like a jealous husband.
‘Rory,’ I began carefully, but as I was framing how best to approach the situation the door burst open, and Bertram stormed in.
‘It’s no damn good, Euphemia,’ he said, not noticing Rory who stood off to one side, ‘I eventually bribed the man to see the passenger list. Over two thousand names, and me with no idea what name the blighter might have been travelling under. We don’t even know what class he was travelling in. I tried to describe him, but he always was such a slippery, nondescript kind of fellow that I couldn’t make anything of him.’
‘Fitzroy,’ said Rory, who is far from stupid. ‘This is all about Fitzroy.’
Bertram started, strode into the middle of the room and turned on Rory. ‘What’s this fellow doing in here?’ he demanded. ‘I thought we were keeping this all on a strictly need to know.’
‘He is preventing me from eloping with you.’
Bertram looked a little awed. He addressed Rory directly.
‘Don’t know I could keep Euphemia from doing anything she set her mind on. Don’t know I’d dare.’
Rory frowned.
‘Oh, for goodness sake, man,’ said Bertram. ‘You know her well enough to know she’d be a damn sight too annoying to elope with.’
I bridled at this, but some communication passed unseen between the pair of them and I saw Rory’s shoulders drop. ‘Aye, well, ye have a point,’ he said. ‘I mind ye told me about the time she …’
‘Yes, yes,’ said
I made one last attempt. I stamped my foot and said, ‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Rory, I want my dinner.’
Unexpectedly, he laughed. ‘All right, I believe you.’
‘Why?’ I asked suspiciously.
‘Even you, Euphemia, are feminine enough not to have a hearty appetite on the brink of an elopement.’
‘I am not sure I find your statement complimentary. Particularly the part about even I being feminine enough.’
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake,’ said Rory. ‘Ye’ve won.’
‘Moreover,’ I continued, still feeling decidedly ruffled, ‘there would be no need for an elopement. Bertram can marry whoever he wishes as can I.’
Rory made a humph-ing butler noise. ‘I suppose Richenda would welcome you as a sister with open eyes?’
‘She would not have any say in the matter,’ I declared hotly.
‘So you are going to marry yon wee mannie?’
‘He is not wee!’ I protested.
‘He’s guy shorter than me.’
‘You are overly large,’ I said with as much dignity as I could muster. Rory bristled visibly, but I knew this had nothing to do with my comment on his height.
‘However,’ I said holding up a hand, ‘I have no intention now or ever of marrying Bertram. He is a dear and good friend, but nothing more.’
‘Which is why the pair of yous are galumphing all over the place.’
‘I never galumph!’
‘Aye, well, whatever ye’re doing. Making me drive you like I am some … automation.’
‘It is your job, Rory,’ I said. ‘If you do not like it then you should seek another situation.’
‘So that’s what ye want me to do, is it? Get out of your hair? Leave you to get up to goodness knows what! Well, I shan’t do it!’
Never had Fitzroy’s warning seemed so apt. Rory had no claim over me whatsoever, but here he was acting like a jealous husband.
‘Rory,’ I began carefully, but as I was framing how best to approach the situation the door burst open, and Bertram stormed in.
‘It’s no damn good, Euphemia,’ he said, not noticing Rory who stood off to one side, ‘I eventually bribed the man to see the passenger list. Over two thousand names, and me with no idea what name the blighter might have been travelling under. We don’t even know what class he was travelling in. I tried to describe him, but he always was such a slippery, nondescript kind of fellow that I couldn’t make anything of him.’
‘Fitzroy,’ said Rory, who is far from stupid. ‘This is all about Fitzroy.’
Bertram started, strode into the middle of the room and turned on Rory. ‘What’s this fellow doing in here?’ he demanded. ‘I thought we were keeping this all on a strictly need to know.’
‘He is preventing me from eloping with you.’
Bertram looked a little awed. He addressed Rory directly.
‘Don’t know I could keep Euphemia from doing anything she set her mind on. Don’t know I’d dare.’
Rory frowned.
‘Oh, for goodness sake, man,’ said Bertram. ‘You know her well enough to know she’d be a damn sight too annoying to elope with.’
I bridled at this, but some communication passed unseen between the pair of them and I saw Rory’s shoulders drop. ‘Aye, well, ye have a point,’ he said. ‘I mind ye told me about the time she …’
‘Yes, yes,’ said
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