Suddenly the gentleness vanished from her delicate features and a deep growl escaped her throat. Her nails were like claws as they flew through the air toward his face, but he quickly grasped her hands before she could slap his face. Her bosom rose and fell quickly. The material of her dress grazed the back of his hands. Her warm breath fanned his face, and it smelled like a spearmint leaf.
“Curse you, Mr. Knightly.” Her angry eyes watered. “If you had no intentions of allowing her to go along, then you should not have led me to believe—”
“Miss Landon,” he hissed. “Would you calm yourself and listen to me?”
“I’m appalled at you, Mr. Knightly,” she continued, ignoring his demand as her eyes flashed with fervor. “I’m alady, and I shall not have my reputation ruined. I’m quite certain my father wouldn’t appreciate it, either.”
The mother sprang from her chair and tried to peel her daughter away. He held the young woman tight as he met her piercing glare.
“Miss Landon, would you cease your prattling for two minutes and listen to me? There is one rule you must learn before tomorrow.” His gaze swept over her face, across her tinted cheeks, down her perky nose to those full lips. He then shifted his attention back to her dark green eyes. “You willnotdisobey my orders. You’ll follow me like an obedient dog and do everything I say. I know the trail through the jungle very well, and I know what to expect. Your spoiled behavior is dangerous to take with you, so I suggest you leave it with your mother.”
Her raspberry tongue darted out and swept across her lips. Her throat jumped in what appeared to be a hard swallow. Tears gathered in her eyes, but he could see her stubbornness kept them from falling.
“Promise me you’ll follow my rules, Miss Landon.”
Her body trembled. After a few moments of silence, she nodded stiffly.
“Say it,” he demanded.
Startled, she jumped. Her expression hardened. “Yes, Mr. Knightly. I’ll follow your rules. I will not disobey.”
Smiling, he released her hands. She fell back against her mother whose protective arms wrapped around her shoulders. The old woman threw him a gaze as sharp as a dagger, even though her coughs had taken more color away from her face, if that were possible.
Although the young woman had relented this time, he knew their journey would be filled with pitfalls along the way. Nothing he couldn’t handle, though.
He nodded to the two women. “I’ll admit you are correct, Miss Landon. An unmarried woman should not travel without another woman present. I will have one of my men bring his wife along since she is familiar with the jungle.”
Relief crossed Miss Landon’s face, but thankfully, she didn’t say a word.
“I shall meet you at the docks first thing in the morning,” he continued. “I sincerely hope you will be ready.” He glanced over her fitted gown, enjoying the way it hugged her slender figure, before he turned and marched toward the door.
“But Mr. Knightly?” Mrs. Landon’s voice squeaked. “What will I do while my daughter is gone? I don’t have the funds to pay for a room at the inn while I wait for your return.”
The daughter gave Felix a pouty look and he wanted to growl in frustration. “Fine. I shall pay for your lodging.”
The older woman gave him a nod. “I thank you, sir.”
Quickly, before the two women realized they needed something else, he hurried out of the office. Once outside, he breathed in the clean, crisp air. Not very often did he allow a woman to make him upset, but then again, he hadn’t run across one so uppity since he left England three years ago. For a moment, he wasn’t certain if it was her attitude, or her beauty that disturbed him more. This particular trek would certainly take years off his life.
Felix grumbled and mounted his horse. He didn’t have the patience for someone so spoiled. Men followed commands better than a woman, and he wasn’t looking forward to arguing with her the entire time. Her father paid him well, but this wasn’t about money. Adventure was what he sought, and Felix thrived on danger.
As he rode toward his home on the edge of town, he continued to question his decision to take Miss Landon through the jungle. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it—he just didn’t want to. He didn’t want to hear her complaining every step of the way. He wasn’t that desperate for money.
Thankfully, though, money wasn’t an issue. He already owned a few homes—this place and a small house in England he’d been contemplating selling. He loved to travel, so living in nice houses was not necessary. Instead, he’d accepted this journey into the jungle because it was what he loved to do.
After stopping, he tied his horse to a fencepost near the makeshift barn and headed toward the front door of the house. From up the street, a boy called his name. Felix waited until the lad stopped in front of him.
Breathless, the boy handed him a paper. “Sir, this letter just came for you.”
“Thank you.” Felix flipped him a coin. The boy grinned, and clutching the coin in his hand, he ran off.
Felix entered his home and shut the door. When he opened the letter, his grandmother’s name at the bottom of the missive grabbed his immediate attention. He hadn’t talked to her since he left London right after he’d been disinherited by his father. Anxious, he skimmed the message. The news slammed into him like a runaway team of horses. Shaking his head, he read it again.
Dearest Felix,
Your father hasn’t been well of late, and just last week, pneumonia claimed his life. Because your older brother died of a gunshot wound a year ago, you are now the Duke of Rosewood. Please return home and resume your responsibilities. If you fail to do so, or to contact us by the first of the year, you will be declared dead and the title will be given to your cousin, Stanley, who is, as you know, a spendthrift. The title is rightfully yours, and I wish you to weigh this decision carefully.
Sincerely,
