“What?” she managed.
“How much money. I’m assuming it must be a lot, for such a performance.”
She stared back at him, shocked. The sweet cocoon around her seemed to shatter like glass.
“The amount will be intriguing. I’m supposedly a wealthy man, but I wonder just how often even I could afford an evening like this.”
She closed her eyes quickly again, astonished at the depth of the hurt that filled her, afraid that tears would fall and betray her completely after this devastating humiliation.
Her eyes flew open. She cried and hit him, trying to punch him out of her way. She caught his chin, but he barely seemed to feel the blow. She nearly rose to her feet, but he grappled her back down, his countenance grim.
“What do you think you’re going to do, go running through the halls naked? And what then? Do you think you can race to your room like some kind of princess and shut me out?”
“You are a?—”
“You came for money! Admit it.”
“I came for money!” she cried out, glaring at him, her eyes shimmering.
“How much, damn you? Let’s see how much you think you were worth!”
“Sweet Jesus! Did you treat your last wife so?” she demanded in turn. “Then surely, she most probably died to escape you!”
The fury in his eyes frightened her so that she closed her eyes, nearly crying out. But no blow fell upon her, and she opened her eyes. A chilling dismay swept over her at the way he looked at her. She was the wronged party! She wanted to cry out, but her pride saved her.
“I—I don’t understand you!” she choked out, barely able to hold back her tears. “No man leaves his wife with—with nothing.”
“Damn you. I’m asking again. How much money do you need?”
“About a hundred dollars,” she said warily.
He arched a brow, sinking back on his haunches. “You do value yourself, Lady Douglas!”
She ignored his mockery. “You asked me what I need!”
“For what?” he demanded.
“I…”
“For what?”
“My sister!” she cried out.
“Sister?” he repeated, amazed.
“Yes! My sister,” she hissed. “I need to wire money to her for travel expenses. I want to bring her—here.”
“You have one sister?”
“Yes.”
“Older, younger? What’s her name?”
“Two years younger. Sabrina.”
“I see.” What did he see? She had never been in a more miserable position, trapped, with him settled back on his haunches atop her, her hips caught between the lock of his thighs as he stared down at her, ready to make demands.
“Have you more siblings? Brothers? What of your mother and father? Other family? Will I be bringing scores of citizens westward?” He shrugged with a mocking glint to his eyes. “Such a procession could prove infinitely entertaining, I imagine.”
