“Well, yes, but—”
“You, who accused me and my sister of manipulating your dear friend Melrose.”
“I wouldn’t sayaccused—”
“You, who refused to help dispel the rumors about me, even while Lord Melrose and my sister’s very happiness may depend on it. You’re asking me to assist you with a task. Do I understand you correctly, Lord Cross?”
Good Lord, one’s pride did burn going down, didn’t it? “Don’t forget, I did save you from going over the side of the hill with the carriage.”
“You most certainly did not. I’d already jumped before I even knew you were there. I savedmyself.”
“Well, I kept you from hitting the ground.” There was no denying that, at least.
“I would have preferred a cracked skull to such a reluctant rescue.Here.” She shoved the Copernicus into his hands, and with a haughty toss of her head, marched toward the door.
It was an exit fit for a duchess, nearly as dramatic as her arrival at Steeple Cross last night had been. It would have been impressive, indeed, but for one thing.
He had no intention of letting her go.
ChapterSeven
Juliet had always wanted to sweep from a room in a fit of self-righteous pique, her head high, nose in the air, and with an expression of offended dignity upon her face.
At last, she had her chance.
She gathered a handful of her skirts in her fist—sadly, they lacked the long train necessary for atrulymajestic exit, but one made do with what one had—and commenced with flouncing off in high dudgeon. “If you’ll be so good as to excuse me, my lord, I must go and pack my things.”
She brushed by him, intending to march out the door without a backward glance, but he moved in front of her, blocking her escape. “Just a moment, Miss Templeton. We’re not finished.”
Goodness, he was tall, and a trifle piratical, with that dark scowl. “On the contrary, my lord. I’mquitefinished.”
“Not yet. You haven’t given me a chance to change your mind.”
“Nor will I.” Why should she? “If you recall, last night you were so eager to be rid of me, you were a breath away from setting your hunting dogs on me.”
His lips twitched, and goodness, they were full, and so… firm. Had she never before noticed how firm they were?
“Nonsense. If I’d set the dogs on you, you wouldn’t be standing here right now. They never miss their mark.”
Was helaughingat her? “You wanted me out, and you didn’t take any pains to hide it. If it hadn’t been for Lord Barnaby, I’d have found myself swimming from Steeple Cross back to Chipping Norton last night. You’ll forgive me then, when I say I can’t help you.”
“Certainly, you could, if you chose to.”
“Very well, then. I don’t choose to.” High-handed, arrogant man! He’d as good as bundled her out the door as if she were soiled linens last night, and now he had the gall to demand a favor from her? “You’ve made it clear we’re not friends, Lord Cross. I don’t owe you anything more than I would a stranger.”
“Perhaps not, but the favor I require is for Lord Barnaby, not myself.”
If he’d uttered almost any other name, she’d be halfway up the stairs by now, but while Lord Cross deserved to be left alone to ponder his sins, Lord Barnaby had been kind to her, and he’d taken such tender care of Lady Fosberry last night. “Oh, very well. What do you want?”
“Lord Barnaby has, er…” He ran a finger under his cravat, jerking the tightly wound cloth away from his throat. “He’s, ah, fallen in love with Lady Cora Drummond.”
“That’s perfectly delightful, my lord. I wish them both joy, but I fail to see what Lord Barnaby’s affection for Lady Cora has to do with me.”
He gave his cravat another tug, and cleared his throat. “Lady Cora hasn’t fallen in love withhim.”
Oh. That was something of a dilemma. It explained why Lord Barnaby’s flirtations had met with such a cold response from Lady Cora at breakfast this morning. “Then I’m sorry for him, but I don’t know what I’m meant to do about it, unless Lord Barnaby wants me to court Lady Coraforhim.”
“That is, in a manner of speaking, precisely what he wants, Miss Templeton.”
