said I knew you’d mistakenly affianced yourself to me.”
His body tensed at her admission. “Then if you knew, why didn’t you say something?”
“ I tried,” she said through clenched teeth. “Why do you think I chased you outside to your carriage that day?”
Patrick closed his eyes. Yes, even that memory was clear as glass. She’d come outside and he’d once again made a fool of himself by relieving her of the imaginary duty he’d thought she’d assigned herself of keeping watch over his children while he married her. Why was he always making an ass out of himself where she was concerned? He cleared his throat in hopes of forgetting his last thought. “Let me make sure I understand,” he said carefully, his eyes locking with hers once again. “You knew all week and never said anything?”
“ Yes.” Her simple answer was said with such confidence, Patrick didn’t know whether to become furious and blister her ears, or compliment her bravery.
He did neither.
“ If you didn’t wish to marry me, just what was your plan this morning?”
Juliet’s top teeth poked out and grabbed hold of her bottom lip in a way Patrick would have taken to be nervousness, but knowing Juliet the little he did, he knew better. She wasn’t scared of him; she was trying to hide her mirth, that little minx. “I was seeing to it that you got a sample of your givings.”
“ Is that so,” he drawled, rocking back on his heels. “That didn’t turn out like you’d planned, either, now did it?”
She pursed her lips. “I’d say your arrogance is quite unbecoming, but I feel I’d be speaking a mistruth.”
“ Are you saying my arrogance is becoming?” He grinned at her.
“ No. Not at all.” She flashed him a half smile and swayed her hips in a way that made her skirt swish, drawing his attention where he was sure neither of them wanted it to go: her hips. She stopped moving and delicately cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her eyes where it belonged. “I was merely saying, it’s not becoming in any sense of the word since I have little doubt arrogance is not a new air for you. Rather, I think you’ve always been arrogant. A trait I find highly infuriating.”
He took a step toward her. Then another. And another until there was a mere two inches separating them. “There’s not enough hours in the day to list all the traits you possess I find infuriating.”
The pink tip of Juliet’s tongue peeked out between her parted lips and moistened them. “You can get rid of me and my infuriating habits right now if you’ll grant me an annulment.”
“ Never.” He had no idea why he was refusing, nor why his voice was so firm in his refusal. An annulment would resolve everything. It was clear to him the two of them would never get along well enough to form a real marriage, nor even one that could pass as companionable. So why not grant her request and send her on her way?
Because he was losing his mind, that’s why.
“ Never is a mighty long time, Lord Presumptuous,” Juliet pointed out crisply.
Patrick leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “That’s something you should have thought about before taking it upon yourself to put me in my place.”
Juliet didn’t bat an eyelash. “I may have lost this particular battle, therefore, I shall have to spend the rest of my natural life as your wife, but I assure you, I am not some weak ninny who cannot hold her own.”
“ I wouldn’t doubt that statement for a moment,” he said, matching her earnest tone. And he didn’t. This slip of a woman had an iron will and inner strength that seemed to match his own. Being married to her may not be the enjoyable experience he had with Abigail, but he was absolutely certain the word tedium would never be an accurate adjective used to describe their marriage.
Chapter 10
Patrick drummed his fingers along the edge of his desk. He and Juliet had been married two weeks now
His body tensed at her admission. “Then if you knew, why didn’t you say something?”
“ I tried,” she said through clenched teeth. “Why do you think I chased you outside to your carriage that day?”
Patrick closed his eyes. Yes, even that memory was clear as glass. She’d come outside and he’d once again made a fool of himself by relieving her of the imaginary duty he’d thought she’d assigned herself of keeping watch over his children while he married her. Why was he always making an ass out of himself where she was concerned? He cleared his throat in hopes of forgetting his last thought. “Let me make sure I understand,” he said carefully, his eyes locking with hers once again. “You knew all week and never said anything?”
“ Yes.” Her simple answer was said with such confidence, Patrick didn’t know whether to become furious and blister her ears, or compliment her bravery.
He did neither.
“ If you didn’t wish to marry me, just what was your plan this morning?”
Juliet’s top teeth poked out and grabbed hold of her bottom lip in a way Patrick would have taken to be nervousness, but knowing Juliet the little he did, he knew better. She wasn’t scared of him; she was trying to hide her mirth, that little minx. “I was seeing to it that you got a sample of your givings.”
“ Is that so,” he drawled, rocking back on his heels. “That didn’t turn out like you’d planned, either, now did it?”
She pursed her lips. “I’d say your arrogance is quite unbecoming, but I feel I’d be speaking a mistruth.”
“ Are you saying my arrogance is becoming?” He grinned at her.
“ No. Not at all.” She flashed him a half smile and swayed her hips in a way that made her skirt swish, drawing his attention where he was sure neither of them wanted it to go: her hips. She stopped moving and delicately cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her eyes where it belonged. “I was merely saying, it’s not becoming in any sense of the word since I have little doubt arrogance is not a new air for you. Rather, I think you’ve always been arrogant. A trait I find highly infuriating.”
He took a step toward her. Then another. And another until there was a mere two inches separating them. “There’s not enough hours in the day to list all the traits you possess I find infuriating.”
The pink tip of Juliet’s tongue peeked out between her parted lips and moistened them. “You can get rid of me and my infuriating habits right now if you’ll grant me an annulment.”
“ Never.” He had no idea why he was refusing, nor why his voice was so firm in his refusal. An annulment would resolve everything. It was clear to him the two of them would never get along well enough to form a real marriage, nor even one that could pass as companionable. So why not grant her request and send her on her way?
Because he was losing his mind, that’s why.
“ Never is a mighty long time, Lord Presumptuous,” Juliet pointed out crisply.
Patrick leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “That’s something you should have thought about before taking it upon yourself to put me in my place.”
Juliet didn’t bat an eyelash. “I may have lost this particular battle, therefore, I shall have to spend the rest of my natural life as your wife, but I assure you, I am not some weak ninny who cannot hold her own.”
“ I wouldn’t doubt that statement for a moment,” he said, matching her earnest tone. And he didn’t. This slip of a woman had an iron will and inner strength that seemed to match his own. Being married to her may not be the enjoyable experience he had with Abigail, but he was absolutely certain the word tedium would never be an accurate adjective used to describe their marriage.
Chapter 10
Patrick drummed his fingers along the edge of his desk. He and Juliet had been married two weeks now
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