Marrying the Mistress by Juliet Landon Page B

him, though I could easily foresee the reaction. ‘When I told them about Linas, there was some discussion that I might go and live with them again. With Jamie.’
    â€˜Who suggested that?’
    â€˜My mother would like it. She wants me to look after my brothers.’
    â€˜Yes, I can understand the reasoning, Miss Follet, and you must do whatever you can for them, but I would not allow Jamie to live so far away. He will be either at Blake Street with you, or here with me.’
    â€˜I told her that I could not do so. I have my business to attend to, you see, and I need to be on hand. It brings me an income, and, if that were to go, they would be much the poorer.’
    â€˜Oh, so your business supports them, does it? I thought…’
    â€˜You thought it was another way for me to line my pockets? Yes, well, that is what mistresses often do, I believe. They usually move on when the going gets rough, and I didn’t do that either, my lord. Nor did I shirk from telling Linas that I was pregnant, even when I feared he would surely turn me out. That was a risk, I can tell you. A very uncomfortable one.’
    â€˜I can see why you are bitter, Miss Follet.’
    â€˜At the way I was used, and still am being used? As Jamie’s mother, being told what I must and must not do, as if I were married? Which I cannot do either?’
    â€˜Have there been no compensations?’ he asked fromthe depths of his chair. His long legs crossed and recrossed, and I saw the pinpoints of fire reflected in his eyes as they turned again in my direction.
    â€˜Jamie. And a place to live in comfort, and a thriving business and good friends to work with. Yes, and I still have some freedom left, which I shall fight tooth and claw to keep.’
    His tone sharpened to match mine. ‘You have no need to fight tooth and claw, lass. We’re on the same side.’
    I swung my legs off the long chair, ready to go.
    â€˜Correction,’ I said. ‘We have never been on the same side, my lord. Not even before I became your brother’s mistress, when you tried to warn him off me. Too unreliable, you told him.’
    â€˜Is that what he told you?’
    â€˜That’s what he told me. We laughed about it. We shall never be on the same side, except where Jamie’s welfare is concerned. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m getting rather tired.’ I tried to stand, but the room swayed dangerously and I had to sit down again with an ungainly thud, my hands clutching to keep me upright. ‘Oh!’ I said. ‘Oh, dear.’
    He was beside me instantly. ‘Steady…steady, lass. God’s truth, but I’ve never known a woman fly up into the boughs so fast. Now wait. I’ll take you back, but I shall not allow you to walk. It’s time you were taken in hand.’
    I let the remark go, for he was justified in thinking that I was on edge, snapping and snarling as if I was being threatened. ‘I’m all right,’ I said. ‘It’s just dizziness, that’s all.’
    â€˜No, you’re not.’ Busily re-wrapping me, his hands came to rest upon my shoulders where the blanketpinned my arms to my body. Holding it tightly so that I could not protest, he swung me once more into his arms where I lay with my head upon his shoulder, utterly powerless. Wordless, too.
    â€˜Now, my beauty,’ he said, sternly, ‘let’s get one more thing straight, shall we? It will be better for Jamie if we both try to show him that we’re friends, not rivals. I shall not use him to score points, nor should you do that. If you want to fight me, we’ll do it in private, not in front of him. Agreed?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    His eyes narrowed and his lips moved, and I knew there was more to come. ‘Fierce woman,’ he whispered. ‘My God, but the lad has a warrior-mother to defend him, doesn’t he? You don’t have the physique to go with it, though, so