main concern here?"
He
turned his head, his jaw stiff as his gaze followed a man swaying on a pair of
stilts. "I attended school with all your brothers."
As if
that would explain everything? Emily stared blankly at the juggler, her heart
erecting a wall of steel.
"What
exactly did Roderick do to make you promise to watch over me?" she asked.
"Save your life?" It was meant as a sarcastic remark, but what she
did not expect was the shocking answer.
"Yes,
as a matter of fact, he did."
She
stiffened. "I see."
"No,
I don't think you do see at all. Today could have been disastrous. Blast it,
Emily, if anyone but Agatha or Jane had appeared at the doorway . . ." He
plowed a hand through his dark hair. "If your brothers ever suspected that
you and I were seeing each other, now or even before—"
The
crowd started pressing in, cutting off his comments, pushing the two closer
together. Jared was crushed up against her shoulder. Emily blinked back tears.
He had never loved her. It was but a game to him. His touch was almost unbearable.
He said something, but his voice was drowned out as the crowd boomed with
applause and laughter when the juggler stood on his head, managing four balls
in the air.
When the
laughter subsided, Emily tried to move away from him as she spoke. "What a
horrid thought, my lord. To think that you might have been forced to marry poor
little me?"
He
grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, his lips curling into a dangerous
scowl. "Stop it, Em. I'm no longer the man you loved. We were children
then."
Emily flinched,
pulling away. Her heart shook at the sound of his words. He was right. This was
not the boy she had loved. In the short span of three years, he had become a
man with a commanding presence that could thwart even the most powerful of men
like her brothers.
He had
changed, but so had she.
"I
believe, my lord, that you are to guard me, and that is all. Do not flatter
yourself that I was once in love with you. It was but a silly game we played,
nothing more."
With
perfect timing, a short, pudgy man, holding a freshly baked bun, pushed between
them. The sweet smell of butter made Emily recall that she had not eaten
anything for hours.
"I
will not be forced into a marriage again," Jared growled, lowering his
head to hers, almost touching her.
"What
are you saying?" Had he been forced to marry Felicia?
"I
mean exactly that, madam." His mouth thinned.
Emily
gasped in outrage, pulling her cloak over her face. How dare he think she
planned being found in his chambers? She had loved him.
Tears
collected in her eyes, but she refused to let him see. She sniffed, trying to
focus on the juggler passing three flaming torches back and forth to his
partner, a painted lady dressed in a revealing outfit of purple and pink boa
feathers. The crowd began to grow, laughing and pushing, and she was pressed
from all sides. But even the grand sight of the festive woman did not uplift
her mood.
"We
cannot marry, Em. We were never meant to be. This very minute your brothers are
finding a suitable husband for you."
She felt
herself drain of color. A suitable husband indeed. Jared waited for her answer.
But she said nothing. She could not face him. He would see her grief, and she
could not bear to let him see the hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
The
crowd blurred before her.
"Emily.
You must see why this is best."
The
tender sound of her name on his lips squeezed her heart, but she could say
nothing. Two boys pushed her aside, battling for space to view the boa feathers
and the lady who wore them. A foul-smelling woman immediately followed,
elbowing her way forward, separating Emily from Jared even more.
Whether
Jared was about to apologize or not, Emily did not care. Not anymore. She hated
him for what he had done to her. Hated him for agreeing with her brothers'
plans. Hated him for making her feel again and throwing it back in her face.
"Blast,"
he said harshly, "this is a becoming an unruly mob. Stay
He
turned his head, his jaw stiff as his gaze followed a man swaying on a pair of
stilts. "I attended school with all your brothers."
As if
that would explain everything? Emily stared blankly at the juggler, her heart
erecting a wall of steel.
"What
exactly did Roderick do to make you promise to watch over me?" she asked.
"Save your life?" It was meant as a sarcastic remark, but what she
did not expect was the shocking answer.
"Yes,
as a matter of fact, he did."
She
stiffened. "I see."
"No,
I don't think you do see at all. Today could have been disastrous. Blast it,
Emily, if anyone but Agatha or Jane had appeared at the doorway . . ." He
plowed a hand through his dark hair. "If your brothers ever suspected that
you and I were seeing each other, now or even before—"
The
crowd started pressing in, cutting off his comments, pushing the two closer
together. Jared was crushed up against her shoulder. Emily blinked back tears.
He had never loved her. It was but a game to him. His touch was almost unbearable.
He said something, but his voice was drowned out as the crowd boomed with
applause and laughter when the juggler stood on his head, managing four balls
in the air.
When the
laughter subsided, Emily tried to move away from him as she spoke. "What a
horrid thought, my lord. To think that you might have been forced to marry poor
little me?"
He
grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, his lips curling into a dangerous
scowl. "Stop it, Em. I'm no longer the man you loved. We were children
then."
Emily flinched,
pulling away. Her heart shook at the sound of his words. He was right. This was
not the boy she had loved. In the short span of three years, he had become a
man with a commanding presence that could thwart even the most powerful of men
like her brothers.
He had
changed, but so had she.
"I
believe, my lord, that you are to guard me, and that is all. Do not flatter
yourself that I was once in love with you. It was but a silly game we played,
nothing more."
With
perfect timing, a short, pudgy man, holding a freshly baked bun, pushed between
them. The sweet smell of butter made Emily recall that she had not eaten
anything for hours.
"I
will not be forced into a marriage again," Jared growled, lowering his
head to hers, almost touching her.
"What
are you saying?" Had he been forced to marry Felicia?
"I
mean exactly that, madam." His mouth thinned.
Emily
gasped in outrage, pulling her cloak over her face. How dare he think she
planned being found in his chambers? She had loved him.
Tears
collected in her eyes, but she refused to let him see. She sniffed, trying to
focus on the juggler passing three flaming torches back and forth to his
partner, a painted lady dressed in a revealing outfit of purple and pink boa
feathers. The crowd began to grow, laughing and pushing, and she was pressed
from all sides. But even the grand sight of the festive woman did not uplift
her mood.
"We
cannot marry, Em. We were never meant to be. This very minute your brothers are
finding a suitable husband for you."
She felt
herself drain of color. A suitable husband indeed. Jared waited for her answer.
But she said nothing. She could not face him. He would see her grief, and she
could not bear to let him see the hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
The
crowd blurred before her.
"Emily.
You must see why this is best."
The
tender sound of her name on his lips squeezed her heart, but she could say
nothing. Two boys pushed her aside, battling for space to view the boa feathers
and the lady who wore them. A foul-smelling woman immediately followed,
elbowing her way forward, separating Emily from Jared even more.
Whether
Jared was about to apologize or not, Emily did not care. Not anymore. She hated
him for what he had done to her. Hated him for agreeing with her brothers'
plans. Hated him for making her feel again and throwing it back in her face.
"Blast,"
he said harshly, "this is a becoming an unruly mob. Stay
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