Page 131 of Storm of Bells
‘Very simple, Miss Linton.’ His steely eyesbored into mine. ‘From this moment onward, you are mine. From thismoment onward, you will do exactly what I say, when I say it.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘Do I really have to spell it out for you?Dear me, you are more stupid than I believed.’
Ditto, Lord Dogleash.
‘Very well.’ His eyes flashed, and hesmirked, as if he had just won a triumphant victory. ‘You’re in mypower now. Unless you want me to tell Mr Rikkard Ambrose what hisbeloved fiancée gets up to in her spare time, you will be my eyesand ears from now on!’
You are in my power now?Dear me, hereally was putting the melodrama on thick. Well…the least I coulddo was reciprocate.
‘F-find out?’ I did my very best to inject ahealthy dose of terror into my voice. After all, I did have anOpera prima donna for a friend. She’d be really pissed off if Ididn’t deliver a good performance. Giving a dramatic sigh, Ipressed a hand to my heart. ‘You…you don’t mean…you’reblackmailingme?’
Or whitemailing? Greymailing?Mailing-that-used-to-be-black-but-faded-in-the-wash? What exactlydid you call blackmail that didn’t work?
Whatever the name for it was, I was lovingit! I could hardly keep the grin from my face. ‘You blaggard!’ Iproclaimed experimentally. ‘You dastardly villain!’
His wicked smile widened. The stupid littlefemale had finally gotten the hang of things, and now he was goingto enjoy tearing her down.
But not nearly as much the stupid little girlwas going to enjoy this.
‘Please!’ I clutched my hands together in animpressively desperate plea, my eyes widened to the size ofsaucers. Maybe next time I’d get them up to dinner plates. ‘Pleasedon’t…’
His face twisted cruelly.
‘Oh yes, I’ll tell him. And after I’ve toldhim, I’ll tell anyone else who might be interested.’ A cruel smirkflitted over his face. ‘Can you imagine what his darling littlesister would think when she found out that underneath her futuresister-in-law’s commonplace exterior lurked a devious,double-crossing wench? Can you imagine what she would say?’
‘Oh God!’ I covered my face with my hands, toobscure the grin that I could no longer prevent from spreadingthere. ‘I…I…can picture it…almost as if I’d seen it myself. Oh, no,please don’t!’
Could a girl choke on her own laughter?
‘And what of the man himself?’ His smirkturned downright malevolent.
Pulling away my hands from my face, I liftedmy chin, which, by now, I had managed to subdue into a mask of fearwith my considerable acting ability. Claudette would be proud ofme! ‘W-what makes you sure he won’t f-forgive me?’
‘Forgive you?’ He gave a bark of laughter.‘God, you’re naïve! You might think you know Mr Rikkard Ambrose,but you have no idea who he truly is. He’d rather eat live slugsthan have a woman for a secretary!’
‘R-really?’ I made my lower lip tremble whilethinking I should check Mr Rikkard Ambrose’s daily diet, just incase.
‘Of course, you little fool! Anyself-respecting gentleman would.’
‘P-please! Have mercy!’ I clutched his lapel,wondering if I would have time to choke him before he noticed.‘Please…’
‘Yes?’ His expression bordered on thediabolical, he was enjoying this so much. ‘Please what?’
‘Please have a soft head.’
He blinked. ‘Huh? What—’
My grip on his lapel tightened. Abruptly, Itugged him forward and lifted my leg. Stumbling forward, he fellstraight across it, towards the stone wall of the church, and—
Crack!
‘Nnng!’
‘Oh dear,’ I said solicitously. ‘Did youstumble? Let me help you?’
Promptly, my foot helped him by slamming downon his.
