Coventry by dark.”
“Obviously, I owe you my thanks,” she said, struggling for clarity, “for saving me from those ruffians last night, for your friendship to my uncle, for your generous offer. But I do not wish to go to London. I shall be staying here with my friends.”
She dared not blindly entrust herself to this elemental warrior; the image of him standing on that snowy ridge, barbaric and magnificent, bathed in moonlight, streaked with blood, would be forever imprinted on her mind. Besides, the minute she left Yardley, she knew what would happen to Amy.
For a fraction of an instant, she considered telling Damien about Mr. Reed’s unnatural proclivities, but discarded the notion with a shudder. She could not possibly bring herself to tell a virtual stranger something so personal and so humiliating.
He was shaking his head at her warily. “This is nonsense, Miranda. You can’t stay here. You’re too old to be at school. It’s time to move on. Look at this dismal place. You don’t really want to be here.” He paused, resting his hands on his lean waist. “I daresay the only reason you could possibly wish to stay is so that you can keep sneaking out to the Pavilion. Isn’t that right?”
She said nothing, bristling at his condescending tone.
“Miranda, Miranda, it seems you and I need to have a little chat. Put first things first.” Sauntering over to Mr. Reed’s desk, he sat casually on the corner of it, one foot braced on the floor. Loosely clasping his hands on his thigh, he held her in a penetrating stare, looking every inch the despotic army colonel. “Listen very carefully, my dear. Your playacting days are over; you have taken your final bow. You may be accustomed to duping your caretakers and running around the countryside half naked, but mademoiselle, you are my ward now. I will not tolerate insubordination.”
Her nostrils flared as she inhaled sharply with indignation. She lifted her chin, but managed to hold her tongue.
“Oh, you don’t like that, eh?” he taunted softly. “Well, glare all you want. Be advised, however, that I’ve turned some two thousand ignorant, malingering farm boys into disciplined soldiers capable of whipping Soult, Massena, and Boney himself, so I assure you, you can’t win. You don’t scare me, and I already know every trick in the book. Lord, if Jason could have seen you on that stage last night, he would have thrown you in a convent. I’m half tempted to myself. But in light of how you have been allowed to run wild, I am prepared to give you a fair chance to start anew. From now on, you will conduct yourself in a manner befitting a respectable young lady. You will not embarrass me, my family, or your uncle’s memory. Is that perfectly clear?”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
His arrogance incensed her. “For your information, I am nineteen years old and I don’t need a guardian!”
“Oh? That’s not how it looked last night. You flung yourself headlong into a highly dangerous situation. Where was your head, girl? Do you know how foolish that was? Do you have any inkling what could have happened to you if I hadn’t been there?”
She huffed and looked away. “The Mud City people never bothered me before.”
When he grasped her chin with the firm, gentle touch she remembered all too well, forcing her to look at him, she was shocked by her body’s instant feverish response to the contact of his fingertips on her skin. Her pulse fluttered in her artery as she met his gleaming silver gaze in mingled fear and desire.
“Those men would have raped you and left you for dead,” he said in a hard, quiet tone. “They got exactly what they deserved. I’m sorry you had to see it, but I don’t for one second regret what I did. Aye, especially now that I know you are mine to protect.” His light hold on her face became a caress. He trailed his knuckle along the line of her jaw, mesmerizing her with his touch. He held her in a masterful stare as his voice
“Obviously, I owe you my thanks,” she said, struggling for clarity, “for saving me from those ruffians last night, for your friendship to my uncle, for your generous offer. But I do not wish to go to London. I shall be staying here with my friends.”
She dared not blindly entrust herself to this elemental warrior; the image of him standing on that snowy ridge, barbaric and magnificent, bathed in moonlight, streaked with blood, would be forever imprinted on her mind. Besides, the minute she left Yardley, she knew what would happen to Amy.
For a fraction of an instant, she considered telling Damien about Mr. Reed’s unnatural proclivities, but discarded the notion with a shudder. She could not possibly bring herself to tell a virtual stranger something so personal and so humiliating.
He was shaking his head at her warily. “This is nonsense, Miranda. You can’t stay here. You’re too old to be at school. It’s time to move on. Look at this dismal place. You don’t really want to be here.” He paused, resting his hands on his lean waist. “I daresay the only reason you could possibly wish to stay is so that you can keep sneaking out to the Pavilion. Isn’t that right?”
She said nothing, bristling at his condescending tone.
“Miranda, Miranda, it seems you and I need to have a little chat. Put first things first.” Sauntering over to Mr. Reed’s desk, he sat casually on the corner of it, one foot braced on the floor. Loosely clasping his hands on his thigh, he held her in a penetrating stare, looking every inch the despotic army colonel. “Listen very carefully, my dear. Your playacting days are over; you have taken your final bow. You may be accustomed to duping your caretakers and running around the countryside half naked, but mademoiselle, you are my ward now. I will not tolerate insubordination.”
Her nostrils flared as she inhaled sharply with indignation. She lifted her chin, but managed to hold her tongue.
“Oh, you don’t like that, eh?” he taunted softly. “Well, glare all you want. Be advised, however, that I’ve turned some two thousand ignorant, malingering farm boys into disciplined soldiers capable of whipping Soult, Massena, and Boney himself, so I assure you, you can’t win. You don’t scare me, and I already know every trick in the book. Lord, if Jason could have seen you on that stage last night, he would have thrown you in a convent. I’m half tempted to myself. But in light of how you have been allowed to run wild, I am prepared to give you a fair chance to start anew. From now on, you will conduct yourself in a manner befitting a respectable young lady. You will not embarrass me, my family, or your uncle’s memory. Is that perfectly clear?”
“No!”
“Pardon?”
His arrogance incensed her. “For your information, I am nineteen years old and I don’t need a guardian!”
“Oh? That’s not how it looked last night. You flung yourself headlong into a highly dangerous situation. Where was your head, girl? Do you know how foolish that was? Do you have any inkling what could have happened to you if I hadn’t been there?”
She huffed and looked away. “The Mud City people never bothered me before.”
When he grasped her chin with the firm, gentle touch she remembered all too well, forcing her to look at him, she was shocked by her body’s instant feverish response to the contact of his fingertips on her skin. Her pulse fluttered in her artery as she met his gleaming silver gaze in mingled fear and desire.
“Those men would have raped you and left you for dead,” he said in a hard, quiet tone. “They got exactly what they deserved. I’m sorry you had to see it, but I don’t for one second regret what I did. Aye, especially now that I know you are mine to protect.” His light hold on her face became a caress. He trailed his knuckle along the line of her jaw, mesmerizing her with his touch. He held her in a masterful stare as his voice
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