breathed.
Traitor!” he hissed from the end of the last table, and then jumped down. She saw his footprints on the grass as he ran to the side of the tent.
She called after him a last time, still keeping her voice low, for fear someone might be just outside the tent. “I’m not a traitor, I’m your friend, Bodkin. Please go to Zuder’s. I’ve left a message for you!” But the side of the tent was wrenched up as he wriggled beneath it, then he’d gone.
Knowing there was no point in trying to find him once he was outside, she picked up her parasol from the grass where Georgiana had dropped it, glanced in dismay at the mess of jelly and cream all over it, then turned to leave the tent. She immediately halted in, dismay, for Dominic barred the entrance. His arms were folded, and his eyebrow was raised quizzically, indicating that he was now thoroughly convinced that she belonged in a lunatic asylum.
Polly found it hard to meet his eyes. “Please stand aside, sir.”
“Why have you taken it upon yourself to hound poor Lady Georgiana?” he demanded, thinking that was as good a place as any to commence a probe into her sanity.
“Hound her? I’m not hounding anyone, sir. To be sure, her ladyship is a very silly creature who seems quite capable of all manner of hysterics without any help from me.”
“Miss Peach, you have quite clearly set out to pick on her, and—”
Polly interrupted. “Even if I were, what business would it be of yours? Are you the lady’s husband? Her beau, maybe?”
“I happen to be her very close friend.”
“Clearly not as close as you’d like,” Polly observed with stinging accuracy.
He colored. “Improper remarks seem to flow from your lips, Miss Peach.”
“And ungentlemanly conduct appears to come equally as easily to you! How dare you accuse me of making improper remarks, when your own comments haven’t exactly been agreeable for the past minute or so!”
“When it comes to manners, may I remind you that you not only consigned me to that cursed farmer’s yard yesterday, but you also threw a glass of water over me earlier today!”
“Both actions being the direct result of your rudeness, sir!”
“And I suppose you also threw your parasol at Lady Georgiana because I was at fault?” he inquired icily.
“I didn’t throw it.”
“Which presumably means you are about to accuse me again?”
She lowered her glance. “No.”
“Well, that is something, at least.” He searched her face. “In your questionable opinion, who is the guilty party? The Duke of York? The Duchess, maybe? Perhaps you think the man in the moon came down on the off chance?”
Fresh anger sparked in her lavender eyes. “I don’t know who did it, but I do know that you are one of the most obnoxious men in England!”
“No, madam, not obnoxious, merely unfortunate for ever having crossed your path!”
“Oh, believe me, I feel unfortunate for the very same reason!”
For a moment they glared at each other, then he glanced at the ruined buffet “Why. were you talking to the jelly?” he demanded. “You do know you were talking to it?”
She was acutely embarrassed. Could she risk telling him the truth? No, for he didn’t seem the sort of person who would ever believe in brownies, and he clearly already thought her to be quite moonstruck.
“I’m awaiting an explanation, Miss Peach.”
“I wasn’t talking to the jelly, sir, but to a small boy, a street urchin, behind the trestles. You probably couldn’t see him, but he was stealing food. I challenged him, and he scrambled under the side of the tent Surely you saw the canvas move?”
“No, I saw nothing.”
“Nevertheless, that is what happened.” She met his gaze without flinching. “Look, Sir Dominic, I’d be grateful never to see you again, and I will dance a jig if I am spared any more of Lady Georgiana’s studied hysterics, so if you will let me pass now, we can forget each other’s existence.”
He hesitated, ran
Traitor!” he hissed from the end of the last table, and then jumped down. She saw his footprints on the grass as he ran to the side of the tent.
She called after him a last time, still keeping her voice low, for fear someone might be just outside the tent. “I’m not a traitor, I’m your friend, Bodkin. Please go to Zuder’s. I’ve left a message for you!” But the side of the tent was wrenched up as he wriggled beneath it, then he’d gone.
Knowing there was no point in trying to find him once he was outside, she picked up her parasol from the grass where Georgiana had dropped it, glanced in dismay at the mess of jelly and cream all over it, then turned to leave the tent. She immediately halted in, dismay, for Dominic barred the entrance. His arms were folded, and his eyebrow was raised quizzically, indicating that he was now thoroughly convinced that she belonged in a lunatic asylum.
Polly found it hard to meet his eyes. “Please stand aside, sir.”
“Why have you taken it upon yourself to hound poor Lady Georgiana?” he demanded, thinking that was as good a place as any to commence a probe into her sanity.
“Hound her? I’m not hounding anyone, sir. To be sure, her ladyship is a very silly creature who seems quite capable of all manner of hysterics without any help from me.”
“Miss Peach, you have quite clearly set out to pick on her, and—”
Polly interrupted. “Even if I were, what business would it be of yours? Are you the lady’s husband? Her beau, maybe?”
“I happen to be her very close friend.”
“Clearly not as close as you’d like,” Polly observed with stinging accuracy.
He colored. “Improper remarks seem to flow from your lips, Miss Peach.”
“And ungentlemanly conduct appears to come equally as easily to you! How dare you accuse me of making improper remarks, when your own comments haven’t exactly been agreeable for the past minute or so!”
“When it comes to manners, may I remind you that you not only consigned me to that cursed farmer’s yard yesterday, but you also threw a glass of water over me earlier today!”
“Both actions being the direct result of your rudeness, sir!”
“And I suppose you also threw your parasol at Lady Georgiana because I was at fault?” he inquired icily.
“I didn’t throw it.”
“Which presumably means you are about to accuse me again?”
She lowered her glance. “No.”
“Well, that is something, at least.” He searched her face. “In your questionable opinion, who is the guilty party? The Duke of York? The Duchess, maybe? Perhaps you think the man in the moon came down on the off chance?”
Fresh anger sparked in her lavender eyes. “I don’t know who did it, but I do know that you are one of the most obnoxious men in England!”
“No, madam, not obnoxious, merely unfortunate for ever having crossed your path!”
“Oh, believe me, I feel unfortunate for the very same reason!”
For a moment they glared at each other, then he glanced at the ruined buffet “Why. were you talking to the jelly?” he demanded. “You do know you were talking to it?”
She was acutely embarrassed. Could she risk telling him the truth? No, for he didn’t seem the sort of person who would ever believe in brownies, and he clearly already thought her to be quite moonstruck.
“I’m awaiting an explanation, Miss Peach.”
“I wasn’t talking to the jelly, sir, but to a small boy, a street urchin, behind the trestles. You probably couldn’t see him, but he was stealing food. I challenged him, and he scrambled under the side of the tent Surely you saw the canvas move?”
“No, I saw nothing.”
“Nevertheless, that is what happened.” She met his gaze without flinching. “Look, Sir Dominic, I’d be grateful never to see you again, and I will dance a jig if I am spared any more of Lady Georgiana’s studied hysterics, so if you will let me pass now, we can forget each other’s existence.”
He hesitated, ran
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