kiss you whenever I want. Someone ought to. You don’t know the first thing about it.”
Her jaw dropped, which had the added effect of bringing her chin down a notch. “Are you implying I don’t kiss well?”
“If you think that was only implied, you haven’t understood a word I said.”
She let out a cry of outrage and rushed at him. Brook wasn’t certain what she would have done had he allowed her to touch him. He had agile reflexes, honed by years in the rookeries, and he moved quickly aside. She stumbled past him with a startled cry.
“Get out!” she yelled.
“This is my flat. You get out.”
She turned toward the door, as though to do just that, and then seemed to reconsider. For all her fury, she wasn’t too angry to think straight.
Slowly, she turned back to face him. “I can’t leave. I have nowhere to go.”
“And a price on your head.”
“A fat lot you care.” She swiped her hand out. “You only want my father’s money.”
“I don’t give a damn about your father’s money. He could give me a hundred thousand pounds, and it wouldn’t be enough to put up with the likes of you. You’re a stubborn, spoiled brat, and you always have been.”
“You’re an immoral, ill-mannered arse!”
He would concede the ill-mannered arse. He could be both at times, but he was rather proud of his morals. “Immoral? What the devil do you know of my morals?”
“I know you have half a dozen by-blows spread throughout the countryside!” She’d positioned her hands on her waist, and her tone was that of one who thinks she has won the argument.
Brook leaned a hip against the dainty escritoire. “This is the second mention you have made of bastards. As I said, I have no bastards. The children you read of in my private correspondence are youths I pulled out of the rookeries. These children were orphans who only wanted a better life and asked for my help. I gave it to them by finding them positions as servants in large, well-to-do homes. They’re safe, fed, and well away from the gangs and thugs who would have preyed on them in the city.”
She stared at him, her mouth slightly parted with what he imagined was her next riposte. Then she closed her mouth and swallowed. Color rose in her cheeks again, but he imagined this time it was from shame.
“You helped those children?”
“I’m trying to. Not all of them are children either. Geoffrey is almost seventeen. I would have had to sire him at fourteen or fifteen. I promise you, I had any number of items on my mind at that age and none of them were tossing up a girl’s skirts.”
“I see.” She wrung her hands together. “I suppose I should apologize.”
“Go ahead.” Now he was being an ill-mannered arse.
“Very well, I am sorry for assuming the worst about you.”
He would have nodded. The apology was enough for him. He’d actually been surprised she’d made one at all.
“And I also apologize for reading your private letters. I should not have done that, and I really have no excuse.”
“All is—”
“And I probably should not have had your flat refurbished without asking for your permission. That was quite selfish of me and probably a rather underhanded method of punishing you for stashing me away here.” She lowered her lashes and swiped at her cheek.
Did she brush tears away or was it merely an itch?
“It’s unjust of me to blame you,” Lila said. “You are only trying to help me, the same way you helped those children. I do appreciate it, and I beg you to understand that the events of the past few days have been quite a shock. I hope you will forgive me.”
She raised her gaze to his, and Brook tried to remember what he had been angry about. “Who the devil are you?” he asked. “What have you done with Lady Lila?”
“Very funny.”
“I’m not attempting to amuse you. Is this apology some sort of jest?”
She exhaled, her expression a mixture of hurt and shock. “I suppose that will teach me to
Her jaw dropped, which had the added effect of bringing her chin down a notch. “Are you implying I don’t kiss well?”
“If you think that was only implied, you haven’t understood a word I said.”
She let out a cry of outrage and rushed at him. Brook wasn’t certain what she would have done had he allowed her to touch him. He had agile reflexes, honed by years in the rookeries, and he moved quickly aside. She stumbled past him with a startled cry.
“Get out!” she yelled.
“This is my flat. You get out.”
She turned toward the door, as though to do just that, and then seemed to reconsider. For all her fury, she wasn’t too angry to think straight.
Slowly, she turned back to face him. “I can’t leave. I have nowhere to go.”
“And a price on your head.”
“A fat lot you care.” She swiped her hand out. “You only want my father’s money.”
“I don’t give a damn about your father’s money. He could give me a hundred thousand pounds, and it wouldn’t be enough to put up with the likes of you. You’re a stubborn, spoiled brat, and you always have been.”
“You’re an immoral, ill-mannered arse!”
He would concede the ill-mannered arse. He could be both at times, but he was rather proud of his morals. “Immoral? What the devil do you know of my morals?”
“I know you have half a dozen by-blows spread throughout the countryside!” She’d positioned her hands on her waist, and her tone was that of one who thinks she has won the argument.
Brook leaned a hip against the dainty escritoire. “This is the second mention you have made of bastards. As I said, I have no bastards. The children you read of in my private correspondence are youths I pulled out of the rookeries. These children were orphans who only wanted a better life and asked for my help. I gave it to them by finding them positions as servants in large, well-to-do homes. They’re safe, fed, and well away from the gangs and thugs who would have preyed on them in the city.”
She stared at him, her mouth slightly parted with what he imagined was her next riposte. Then she closed her mouth and swallowed. Color rose in her cheeks again, but he imagined this time it was from shame.
“You helped those children?”
“I’m trying to. Not all of them are children either. Geoffrey is almost seventeen. I would have had to sire him at fourteen or fifteen. I promise you, I had any number of items on my mind at that age and none of them were tossing up a girl’s skirts.”
“I see.” She wrung her hands together. “I suppose I should apologize.”
“Go ahead.” Now he was being an ill-mannered arse.
“Very well, I am sorry for assuming the worst about you.”
He would have nodded. The apology was enough for him. He’d actually been surprised she’d made one at all.
“And I also apologize for reading your private letters. I should not have done that, and I really have no excuse.”
“All is—”
“And I probably should not have had your flat refurbished without asking for your permission. That was quite selfish of me and probably a rather underhanded method of punishing you for stashing me away here.” She lowered her lashes and swiped at her cheek.
Did she brush tears away or was it merely an itch?
“It’s unjust of me to blame you,” Lila said. “You are only trying to help me, the same way you helped those children. I do appreciate it, and I beg you to understand that the events of the past few days have been quite a shock. I hope you will forgive me.”
She raised her gaze to his, and Brook tried to remember what he had been angry about. “Who the devil are you?” he asked. “What have you done with Lady Lila?”
“Very funny.”
“I’m not attempting to amuse you. Is this apology some sort of jest?”
She exhaled, her expression a mixture of hurt and shock. “I suppose that will teach me to
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