will you listen to me, termagant? Your Mrs Overshott will be here in an hour with a trunk full of your belongings, and your maid, too. They will have rooms near yours, and you will be staying here with me for however long it takes to make you mine. No more protests, if you please.’
Her lips held the warm imprint of his mouth upon hers, and her mind strayed into other dangerous territory. ‘What do you mean, to make me yours? You said I was free,’ she whispered.
‘I know what I said.’ Carefully, he released her wrists and held her arms as she swayed unsteadily. ‘Come through here into the parlour. You need to sit.’
The difficult day, the unrelenting heat, her emotions and furious responses suddenly began to take their toll of her, and she was glad to be supported for the few steps into an adjoining room lined with colourful tapestries and carved wainscoting. Her shoeless feet made no sound on the polished oak floor. A large leaded window had a cushioned seat across its width, and one of the casements had been opened wide to let in the scents from the garden beyond. She made her way towards the light to sit next to the open window, breathing in the aroma of cut grass and wallflowers. This, she thought, could not be the garden still in a mess, for the low box hedges were neatly clipped, and white roses spilled over the high brick wall to meet a bank of foxgloves and blue monkshood.
When she turned again to the room, a tray of pretty blue-and-white Chinese tea dishes had been placed upon the table, steaming with clear pale liquid, a plate of tiny biscuits beside them. It was fragrant and soothing and, as she took her first sips, the surface rippled in time with her trembling. Without doubt, it was the most bizarre situation she had ever been in, and one she had no idea how to handle. The fencing had been a contest for which she had put in place contingency plans against her failure, but this was different, for although she had wanted to know more about Sir Leo’s true intentions, she had never expected to be informed so soon and in so bold a fashion. Or had she misunderstood him?
Shakily, she replaced her dish on the tray. ‘What did you mean,’ she repeated, ‘to make me yours? Have you brought me here to dishonour me? Is this supposed to be the easy way nowadays? To abduct a woman before gaining her consent?’
‘The easy way. Oh, dear, shall I ever be allowed to forget that, I wonder?’ he murmured. Taking a biscuit, he put it whole into his mouth, picked up a low upholstered stool and, placing it below her, took her feet and put them on it. ‘You are the most remarkable woman,’ he said, munching. ‘Even when you’re dog-tired to the point of exhaustion, your tongue is as sharp as a dirk. D’ye hone it every morning, mistress?’
She glared at him, refusing to answer his jibe.
‘Well, now,’ he said, sitting at the opposite end of the window-seat, ‘it’s like this. I recall saying that I would not wed any woman who was as set against the match as you, but your Mrs Overshott, wise woman that she is, kindly pointed out to me that, so far, I’ve given you very little opportunity to feel any different. Have I? No. So, since no polite invitation from me is likely to get you here before I have to go off again on my duties, Mrs Overshott agreed that I don’t have a day to lose. Besides, the Duchess’s son is not going to leave you in peace, and her two daughters are not going to leave me in peace, either. So it’s best if we both make ourselves scarce, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, I see,’ Phoebe said, as if the light had suddenly dawned. ‘So it’s all about fitting me somewhere into your busy timetable to see if you can change my mind in…how many days…or is it hours before you must go? It’s no wonder you’re in such a tearing hurry, Sir Leo.’
‘I’ve already given you the answer to that, lass, if only you’d listen instead of galloping off on your high horse. However long it takes,
Her lips held the warm imprint of his mouth upon hers, and her mind strayed into other dangerous territory. ‘What do you mean, to make me yours? You said I was free,’ she whispered.
‘I know what I said.’ Carefully, he released her wrists and held her arms as she swayed unsteadily. ‘Come through here into the parlour. You need to sit.’
The difficult day, the unrelenting heat, her emotions and furious responses suddenly began to take their toll of her, and she was glad to be supported for the few steps into an adjoining room lined with colourful tapestries and carved wainscoting. Her shoeless feet made no sound on the polished oak floor. A large leaded window had a cushioned seat across its width, and one of the casements had been opened wide to let in the scents from the garden beyond. She made her way towards the light to sit next to the open window, breathing in the aroma of cut grass and wallflowers. This, she thought, could not be the garden still in a mess, for the low box hedges were neatly clipped, and white roses spilled over the high brick wall to meet a bank of foxgloves and blue monkshood.
When she turned again to the room, a tray of pretty blue-and-white Chinese tea dishes had been placed upon the table, steaming with clear pale liquid, a plate of tiny biscuits beside them. It was fragrant and soothing and, as she took her first sips, the surface rippled in time with her trembling. Without doubt, it was the most bizarre situation she had ever been in, and one she had no idea how to handle. The fencing had been a contest for which she had put in place contingency plans against her failure, but this was different, for although she had wanted to know more about Sir Leo’s true intentions, she had never expected to be informed so soon and in so bold a fashion. Or had she misunderstood him?
Shakily, she replaced her dish on the tray. ‘What did you mean,’ she repeated, ‘to make me yours? Have you brought me here to dishonour me? Is this supposed to be the easy way nowadays? To abduct a woman before gaining her consent?’
‘The easy way. Oh, dear, shall I ever be allowed to forget that, I wonder?’ he murmured. Taking a biscuit, he put it whole into his mouth, picked up a low upholstered stool and, placing it below her, took her feet and put them on it. ‘You are the most remarkable woman,’ he said, munching. ‘Even when you’re dog-tired to the point of exhaustion, your tongue is as sharp as a dirk. D’ye hone it every morning, mistress?’
She glared at him, refusing to answer his jibe.
‘Well, now,’ he said, sitting at the opposite end of the window-seat, ‘it’s like this. I recall saying that I would not wed any woman who was as set against the match as you, but your Mrs Overshott, wise woman that she is, kindly pointed out to me that, so far, I’ve given you very little opportunity to feel any different. Have I? No. So, since no polite invitation from me is likely to get you here before I have to go off again on my duties, Mrs Overshott agreed that I don’t have a day to lose. Besides, the Duchess’s son is not going to leave you in peace, and her two daughters are not going to leave me in peace, either. So it’s best if we both make ourselves scarce, isn’t it?’
‘Oh, I see,’ Phoebe said, as if the light had suddenly dawned. ‘So it’s all about fitting me somewhere into your busy timetable to see if you can change my mind in…how many days…or is it hours before you must go? It’s no wonder you’re in such a tearing hurry, Sir Leo.’
‘I’ve already given you the answer to that, lass, if only you’d listen instead of galloping off on your high horse. However long it takes,
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