He spread his hands. “What is there to understand? Grandmother is not pleased that we’ve spent all day avoiding each other, so she’s taken it upon herself to force some conversation on us. I imagine she thinks we’ll talk if we’re left in here long enough.”
Amelia pressed her lips together and folded her arms tightly. “Well, we won’t. I shall ignore you out of principle.”
He sighed. “Lovely. Thank you.”
“I don’t… I don’t mean to offend, you know that. I just don’t like being cornered.”
That seemed like a pointed remark.
Pursing his lips, he glanced up at her. “Is that supposed to mean something? Are you perhaps remarking on what happened between us afteryoubarged into my washroom?”
She went pink. “I did not mean to barge into your washroom.”
“In fact, now that I think about it, there’s a distinct pattern ofyouspying onme. You came into my washroom, and you also happened to wander by when I was bathing in the lake.Naked,” he added pointedly. “You seem to have a knack for sensing when I am unclothed.”
“You are being ridiculous.”
“Am I? I hardly dare change into my nightclothes in case you crawl out from under the bed.”
She’d gone crimson now. Stephen had to admit that he was enjoying himself.
“I amnotenjoying this conversation,” she snarled, arms folded tighter than ever.
“Nor am I, but as you may have noticed, walking away is not an option for either of us.”
“But why did Letitia do this? What could she possibly achieve by it?”
Stephen sighed, leaning back until his shoulders and the back of his head rested against the cool glass pane. “She imagines that we’ll fall in love.”
Amelia flinched. “Well, that is ridiculous.”
“I concur. But my grandmother believes that real love and marriage—one or the other, it does not need to be both—will solve all of our problems and make me as happy as a pig in the sh… filth,” he corrected lamely.
“I suppose she believes it will make you happier.”
“She does. But that doesn’t change the fact that she has no right to interfere with my life in this way.”
“I am not saying that she does. But she is your grandmother, and?—”
“What is it you think I will do once I get out of here?” Stephen interrupted, eyes blazing. “Shout at my elderly grandmother? Berate her, humiliate her in front of our servants? Strike her?”
Amelia flinched. “No, of course not.”
He rose to his feet, careful to keep a good deal of space between them. “You seem to think that I am some kind of monster, Amelia,” he murmured, trying in vain to catch her eye. “A cruel man, a thoughtless man. You put me in the same category as your brother.”
At that, her head snapped up, eyes flashing with anger.
“You go too far,” she hissed. “I wouldneverput you in the same category as him. You do yourself and me a disservice by saying it.”
A muscle twitched in Stephen’s cheek, and he forced himself to look away. Outside, it was raining again—the classic English spring weather. What else had he expected?
“You are afraid that I orchestrated this,” he said, his voice curt.
“I did not say that.”
“No, but you thought it. Let me tell you that it is not true. I had no idea this would happen. I shall be leaving as soon as my grandmother sees fit to free us. It cannot be long, surely.”
“I don’t know. Letitia’s memory is getting weaker,” she mumbled.
