“I do know that,” David replied, nodding. He’d never seen so much as a sip of alcohol pass Bell’s lips. Had she truly come to his room in the middle of the night, risking ruination, to inform him that her brother didn’t drink? “But you do drink, I see.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I do. Do you know why?”
David shook his head, still bemused as to where the conversation was headed. “No, why?”
“Because I can control myself when I drink.”
David frowned. “Are you saying Bell can’t?”
Annabelle shrugged. “To my knowledge, he’s never tried. But there’s every reason to believe he might not be able to control himself.”
David continued to frown. “What does that mean?”
She slowly walked toward the canopied bed and stared down at the mattress as if it were a foreign object. “Why weren’t you at dinner?”
The conversation had taken another turn. It took everything in him to keep from asking her why she cared, why she’d come, but instead he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “I didn’t feel up to it tonight.”
She traced a finger along the top of the bedspread. “Up to what?”
David blew out a deep breath. When he’d first seen her at the door, he’d been concerned that she was foxed, but she wasn’t. Now that he’d spoken to her, he could tell that she was perfectly sober. Then why had she risked scandal to come to his door? And how would he ever get her back to her own room without her being seen? But first he had something to say. He’d been wanting to apologize to her all day. But apologizing to someone you had no intention of coming within fifty paces of was difficult. Now that she was in his bedchamber, he might as well take advantage of the opportunity. However unexpected.
“Look, Lady Annabelle,” he began, putting his hands on his hips.
“Lady Annabelle?” she echoed. “So formal? I thought we were long past titles, David.”
She wasn’t making this easy for him. He cleared his throat. “You’re right. Fine, then. Annabelle. I want to apologize for my behavior last night.”
“Which behavior?” she asked, blinking at him in an adorable manner.
He couldn’t think clearly when she was standing that close to his bed. Images of their naked bodies intertwined atop it kept scorching through his mind. What had she just said? Oh, yes. He supposed he deserved that last question. “I shouldn’t have questioned your decision not to marry. It’s none of my concern. I’m sorry.” There. He’d apologized. Now he could truly move on with his life. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any woman, but he’d gone about it all wrong. He’d ham-handed his attempted courtship and been nothing but an ass about it. He’d told her she was speaking in riddles, that she made no sense.
“David, I owe you an explanation…”
“You owe me nothing,” he continued, shaking his head. “Least of all an explanation of why you’re not interested in me.”
A short burst of laughter escaped her lips. “I’mnotinterested inyou? Why, that’s news to me.”
His brows shot up atthatpronouncement, but he was determined to set things straight and leave them there. This was his last chance. “Whatever your reasons for not wanting to be courted or to marry, they are your own, and I had no right to demand an explanation from you.”
“Do you want to know something?” she asked, leaning a hip against the mattress.
He eyed her warily, not wanting the conversation to take yetanotherturn. “What?”
“I don’t even like Lord Murdock.” She lifted her nose in the air.
“Really?” David arched a brow. This time he couldn’t help himself. “Then why are you spending so much time with him? The man kicks dogs, for Christ’s sake.”
She drained the champagne glass and set it on the bedside table and stared out the window. “I could ask you the same question. Why have you been spending so much time with Lady Elspeth?”
“To my knowledge, she’s never kicked a dog,” he shot back, hand on his hips again.
“I’m not defending Lord Murdock,” Annabelle retorted.
“Fine, but you still didn’t answer me. Why are you spending so much time with him if you don’t even like him?” Why was he continuing this argument? He’d said what he needed to say. It was over. He should be escorting her to the door and praying the corridor was still empty.
Annabelle wrapped her arms around her middle. “Because…because…he’s an ass.”
“What?”
