“Oh, very well.” He reached over and snagged his brother’s biscuit as well, couldn’t have improprieties after all.
“Are you enjoying yourself this season, Elizabeth?” James asked, pointedly ignoring him now.
Her eyes shot to Robert. There was that blush again. He rather liked that blush on her. “Yes, thank you.”
“Have you had a chance to see the sights?” James asked.
They both knew that she’d been coming to London every year of her life. James really needed to work on his dinner conversation, Robert decided.
“Not yet,” Elizabeth said with a polite smile.
“You should really check out the orangeries. They’re very interesting,” Robert said before he could stop himself. Ah, well, at least she blushed again.
“What?” James asked, sounding confused as he shifted his gaze between the two of them.
“Nothing,” Robert mumbled. This woman was his enemy. If he kept saying stupid things like that, they would be found out and then he would be stuck with her for eternity. He shuddered at the thought. For the rest of the meal, he remained quiet, limiting himself to refilling his plate five times instead of his customary ten so that he could keep an eye on her. When they were finished with their meal, they met up with their parents. Plans for the rest of the night were quickly made. It was decided that both families were going to his father’s house for a game of cards and a drink.
Robert waited until their parents and James were ahead of them before he grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and dragged her towards the small hallway behind the grand staircase. It was dark and, most importantly, private.
“Get your hands off me!” she demanded.
“We need to talk,” Robert said through clenched teeth.
“We have nothing to talk about.”
“I beg to differ.” He forced himself to ignore her soft, warm body pressed up against his. She tried to push past him, but he wasn’t having that. He gently pushed her back against the wall.
“Robert, let me go! They’ll notice our absence.”
“Too bad. I want to know why you tricked me.”
“No one tricked anyone. It was just a mistake, one better off forgotten.”
A mistake? The most passionate night of his life was a mistake? Her first time and that’s what she thought? That grated on him in the worst way. “Is that what you think, Beth?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why, Beth?”
“You know I hate that name.”
“Oh, so sorry, Beth. I do apologize, Beth.” He was being petty and he knew it, but he didn’t give a damn. She’d always brought out the very worst in him.
She reached up and twisted his ear. “Ow!”
“Out of my way, Robert Lemonade,” Elizabeth said casually, pissing him off in the worst way.
She released his ear just as she stepped back into the foyer after making sure that it was empty. “Good seeing you again, Robert.”
Chapter 10
He absently rubbed his ear as they rode through the city. His mother and father couldn’t say enough nice things about Elizabeth. James seemed to agree with them. He nodded quite often and smiled, looking quite pleased. Dear God, the man was smitten with the little minx.
Robert wanted to put his fist through something.
James and Elizabeth, the idea was horrifying. Having her as a sister-in-law would drive him to drink. Poor James, the bloody bastard would be stuck with her day and night. Night. The idea of James experiencing his minx was not comforting. His minx? She wasn’t his anything. That didn’t mean that he wanted her to join the family because he didn’t and she wouldn’t be. He wasn’t going to put a stop to it over jealousy. He had future generations of Bradfords to worry about, after all. Just because the idea of her with another man made his blood boil did not mean that he was jealous. Just the opposite, in fact. He didn’t want to see any man tied down with such a horrible woman.
“What’s going on?” James suddenly asked, making him realize that he’d been glaring at his brother since they’d left the ball.
