Craving the Forbidden (Mills & Boon Modern) (The Fitzroy Legacy - Book 1) by India Grey Page B
Authors: India Grey
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Jasper, had spun out of control somewhere along the line.
‘Yes. Leave Alnburgh.’
In contrast with the chaotic thoughts that were rushing through her brain, his voice was perfectly emotionless as he straightened up and turned to face her.
‘I gather from Tatiana that Jasper’s planning to stay on for a few days, but I think it would be best if you went back to London as soon as possible. The rail service on Sundays is minimal, but there’s a train to Newcastle at about eleven in the morning and you can get a connection from there. I’ll arrange for Jensen to give you a lift to the station.’
Sophie was glad she had the wall to lean on because she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her up otherwise. She didn’t turn to look at him, but was still aware of his height and the power contained in his lean body. It made her quail inside but it also sent a gush of hot, treacherous longing through her. She laughed awkwardly.
‘Well, Major Fitzroy, you’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? And what about Jasper? Or have you forgotten him?’
‘It’s Jasper I’m thinking of.’
‘Ah.’ Sophie smacked herself comically on the forehead. ‘Silly me, because I thought all this was for your benefit. I thought you wanted me gone because my face and my clothes and my accent don’t fit and because I’m not scared of you like everyone else is. Oh, yes, and also because, no matter how much you’d like to pretend otherwise, you weren’t entirely faking what happened earlier.’
For a second she wondered if she’d gone too far as some emotion she couldn’t quite read flared in the icy fathoms of his eyes, but it was quickly extinguished.
‘No.’ His voice was ominously soft. ‘I want you gone because you’re dangerous.’
The anger that had fuelled her last outburst seemed suddenly to have run out. Now she felt tired and defeated, as the stags on the walls must have felt when the Fitzroy guns had appeared on the horizon.
‘And what am I supposed to tell him?’
Kit shrugged. ‘You’ll think of something, I’m sure. Your remarkable talent for deception should make it easy for you to find a way to let him down gently. Then he can find someone who’ll treat him with the respect he deserves.’
‘Someone who also fits your narrow definition of suitable.’ Sophie gave a painful smile, thinking of Sergio. The irony would have been funny if it hadn’t all got so serious, and so horribly humiliating. ‘Gosh,’ she went on, ‘who would have guessed that under that controlling, joyless exterior beat such a romantic heart?’
‘I’m not romantic.’ Kit turned towards her again, leaning one hip against the wall as he fixed her with his lazy, speculative gaze. ‘I just have this peculiar aversion to unscrupulous social climbers. As things stand at the moment I’m prepared to accept that you’re just a pretty girl with issues around commitment and the word “no”, but if you stay I’ll be forced to take a less charitable view.’
From inside came a sudden chorus of ‘Happy Birthday to You.’ Automatically Sophie looked through the window to where everyone had assembled to watch Ralph cut his birthday cake. The light from the huge chandeliers fell on the perma-tanned backs of the women in their evening dresses and made the diamonds at their throats glitter, while amongst them the dinner-suited men could have been the rich and the privileged from any era in the last hundred years.
I really, really do not belong here, Sophie thought.
Part of her wanted to stand up to Kit Fitzroy and challenge his casual, cruel assumptions about her, as her mother would have done, but she knew from bitter experience that there was no point. Inside, through the press of people, she could see Sally Rothwell-Hyde, all gleaming hair and expensive white teeth, as she sang, and suddenly Sophie was sixteen again, standing in the corridor at school with her packed trunk and her hockey stick beside her, watching through the
‘Yes. Leave Alnburgh.’
In contrast with the chaotic thoughts that were rushing through her brain, his voice was perfectly emotionless as he straightened up and turned to face her.
‘I gather from Tatiana that Jasper’s planning to stay on for a few days, but I think it would be best if you went back to London as soon as possible. The rail service on Sundays is minimal, but there’s a train to Newcastle at about eleven in the morning and you can get a connection from there. I’ll arrange for Jensen to give you a lift to the station.’
Sophie was glad she had the wall to lean on because she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her up otherwise. She didn’t turn to look at him, but was still aware of his height and the power contained in his lean body. It made her quail inside but it also sent a gush of hot, treacherous longing through her. She laughed awkwardly.
‘Well, Major Fitzroy, you’ve got it all worked out, haven’t you? And what about Jasper? Or have you forgotten him?’
‘It’s Jasper I’m thinking of.’
‘Ah.’ Sophie smacked herself comically on the forehead. ‘Silly me, because I thought all this was for your benefit. I thought you wanted me gone because my face and my clothes and my accent don’t fit and because I’m not scared of you like everyone else is. Oh, yes, and also because, no matter how much you’d like to pretend otherwise, you weren’t entirely faking what happened earlier.’
For a second she wondered if she’d gone too far as some emotion she couldn’t quite read flared in the icy fathoms of his eyes, but it was quickly extinguished.
‘No.’ His voice was ominously soft. ‘I want you gone because you’re dangerous.’
The anger that had fuelled her last outburst seemed suddenly to have run out. Now she felt tired and defeated, as the stags on the walls must have felt when the Fitzroy guns had appeared on the horizon.
‘And what am I supposed to tell him?’
Kit shrugged. ‘You’ll think of something, I’m sure. Your remarkable talent for deception should make it easy for you to find a way to let him down gently. Then he can find someone who’ll treat him with the respect he deserves.’
‘Someone who also fits your narrow definition of suitable.’ Sophie gave a painful smile, thinking of Sergio. The irony would have been funny if it hadn’t all got so serious, and so horribly humiliating. ‘Gosh,’ she went on, ‘who would have guessed that under that controlling, joyless exterior beat such a romantic heart?’
‘I’m not romantic.’ Kit turned towards her again, leaning one hip against the wall as he fixed her with his lazy, speculative gaze. ‘I just have this peculiar aversion to unscrupulous social climbers. As things stand at the moment I’m prepared to accept that you’re just a pretty girl with issues around commitment and the word “no”, but if you stay I’ll be forced to take a less charitable view.’
From inside came a sudden chorus of ‘Happy Birthday to You.’ Automatically Sophie looked through the window to where everyone had assembled to watch Ralph cut his birthday cake. The light from the huge chandeliers fell on the perma-tanned backs of the women in their evening dresses and made the diamonds at their throats glitter, while amongst them the dinner-suited men could have been the rich and the privileged from any era in the last hundred years.
I really, really do not belong here, Sophie thought.
Part of her wanted to stand up to Kit Fitzroy and challenge his casual, cruel assumptions about her, as her mother would have done, but she knew from bitter experience that there was no point. Inside, through the press of people, she could see Sally Rothwell-Hyde, all gleaming hair and expensive white teeth, as she sang, and suddenly Sophie was sixteen again, standing in the corridor at school with her packed trunk and her hockey stick beside her, watching through the
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