“And you, my dear,” he retorted, good humor fled, “to stretch theanalogy a little, are developing into a harpy, all teeth and claws.”
Without warning he opened a door and swung her into a room. Abedroom.
Beth looked up at him wide-eyed, fear shivering along her nerves. Whycould she not control her clever tongue? Why could she not remember he wasquite unlike any man she had ever known?
He was dangerous.
Beth the radical reminded herself she had determined to stand up to themarquess. Beth the cautious whispered that she hadn’t reckoned on doing italone, in a bedroom.
“What are you doing?” she said. It came out rather squeakily.
He was not touching her, but he was standing close, deliberatelylooming over her. Beth forced herself to not step back. “I am remindingyou of our bargain,” he said tersely. “Are you going to behave yourselftonight?”
It was the wrong word to use. Beth intended to honor her bargain, butshe did not like to be told to behave herself. She raised her chin. “Doyou not see me dressed like a peacock,” she asked bitterly, “sporting thefamily jewels?”
“You know that is only the minor part.”
Beth sneered. “I am not going to call you a baboon in front of yourfriends and neighbors, my lord.”
His lips tightened. “Not good enough, Elizabeth. The only sane reason for this match is that we are in love.Madly, crazily in love. Good breeding takes away the necessity for us tobe demonstrative, thank God.” He took a step back, but that was no relief,for he used the space to let his eyes wander dismissively over her.
Beth could feel herself color.
“But,” he drawled, “we need a certain something in the eyes, don’t youthink?”
Beth forced a careless shrug and gave him exactly the same slowdismissive scrutiny. “It will be an effort, my lord, but I will try.”
She heard his breath hiss between his teeth. He stepped closer againand placed one finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.“Make sure you do, Elizabeth, or I will take payment for the dishonoreddebt.”
“You do not try at all,” she said fiercely, jerking away from histouch. “Can you not see this is no way to make me be as you wouldwish?”
He moved away and turned to face her, one brow raised. “How then? Ihave been as kind as I know how and had it thrown in my face. I haveoffered you kisses and had them ejected. I have left you be and returnedto sharp words. At the moment, my dear bride-to-be, I simply want to besure there will be no scandal from this evening. I am not considering yourfeelings at all.”
“That is blunt,” said Beth, shocked by his all-too-accurateanalysis.
“You once said you preferred plain speaking. You have it. Behaveyourself.”
Beth felt a tremor and did not know whether it was fear or anger. “Likemost animals, my lord, I do not like the whip.” She took a deep breath andfought for composure before this quarrel spun out of control. “If youwould stop reminding me you have the upper hand I think I would behave agreat deal better.” She meant it to be a conciliatory suggestion, but hedid not take it that way.
“I see no sign of that,” he said implacably. “But if you behave well Iwill have no reason to wield the whip, will I?”
Beth clenched one fist and drove it into her other palm. She had neverfelt so close to violence. “But it is alwaysthere!”she protested. “I can never for one moment be unaware ofyour power!”
He shrugged, and she could tell he was genuinely perplexed by herwords. “That is the way of the world, Elizabeth. You cannot change it andneither can I. If I promise never to compel you to do anything, that won’talter the fact that I could, and probably with the full force of the lawbehind me.”
He offered a smile and she could tell he was making a genuine effort tobe kind. “There’s no need for all this heat, my dear. I am not likely tobe a demanding husband, and,” he added lightly, “pretty women generallyfind it easy enough to control their men. I know many men who live underthe cat’s paw.”
It was as if a chasm yawned between them, as if they spoke differentlanguages entirely. Anger drained from Beth, leaving only sadness. “Youneed not fear that, my lord,” she said quietly. “I will never try to usefeminine wiles to rule you.”
With that she turned away toward the door but waited politely for himto open it.
“You will notice,” he said as she walked out ahead of him, “that Isuppressed the obvious rejoinder.”
Beth responded to his light tone with one of her own. “That you wouldprefer feminine wiles? You are bound for disappointment there, Lord Arden.I have none.”
“How fortunate then,” he drawled, “that I have wiles enough fortwo.”
It was, she supposed, a gallant attempt on both their parts to restoresome kind of harmony, but the evening loomed before them, full of trapsand disasters.
