Page 93 of Storm of Bells
A silence which spoke very, very loudly.
My gaze started to move around the hall, andthe gears in my brain started turning. I turned from left to right,for the first time really noticing how much valuable furniture andpaintings and statues were scattered throughout the room. Much toomuch. It was almost as if they were on display, as if…
My gaze flicked back to Mr RikkardAmbrose.
‘No.’
‘Pardon, Miss Linton?’
‘No. Not even you would do what I thinkyou’ve done!’
‘Indeed?’
I raised an accusing finger and jabbed itinto his chest.
‘You…you…have you brought me tocelebratemy weddingin yourfurniture warehouse?’
He moved both shoulders exactly half amillimetre up, then down. Rikkard Ambrose’s version of a shrug.‘Storage space in the city is expensive.’
A knock came from the door. Just as I whirledaround, it opened and a completely strange lady stuck her headin.
‘Err…is the shop open?’
I jabbed a finger at her. ‘Out!’
Yelping, she retreated and let the door slamshut behind me. I turned back to Mr Ambrose. ‘Let me correctmyself. Combined warehouseandstore. What in the name ofyour bollocks, which I assume you’d like to keep intact, is thisplace?’ Reaching up, I almost speared his nose with my outstretchedfinger. ‘I. Want. The. Truth!’
Mr Rikkard Ambrose cocked his head, gazingdown at my outstretched finger as if it were an annoying fly. ‘Yousummed it up quite admirably, Miss Linton. This is a combinedwarehouse and store. As I said, real estate in the city isexpensive. Also taking into account that most of the affluentpeople live in the outskirts of the city in any case, I came to theconclusion that the ideal placement for a combined store and showhouse of luxury furniture would be in the countryside not too faraway from London. When an estate became available in the vicinityof the city, it seem like the perfect location.’
Breathing heavily, I stepped closer. ‘Andthen you also concluded that a glorified warehouse would be theperfect location for our wedding.’
He nodded, seeming gratified that I hadfinally understood. ‘Exactly.’
I gazed up at his cold, immovable face, notfor the first time asking myself what stupid cupid had bad enoughaim to make me fall in love with such a monumental miser. Withoutknowing why or how, a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Damn, Lilly! You just can’t help yourself,can you?
Crap! No, I couldn’t. I loved him, theice-cold idiot. I needed him. And, more importantly right now,heneededme. Urgently.
I raised an eyebrow.
‘And what do you think Patsy and Adaira willsay once the baggage is unloaded, and they come in here and findout the truth about what this place is?’
He considered for a moment. ‘They will beimpressed by my good sense and thriftiness?’
Reaching up, I patted his cheek. ‘Go ondreaming if it makes you happy.’
Stepping towards me, into me, he grabbed myface and bent down until his eyes were level with mine. His voicesank until it was just a low growl. ‘I don’t care what they say. Idon’t care what they think. The only woman’s opinion that mattersto me, Miss Linton, is yours.’
Slidingmy arms around his neck, I placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.‘That’s both incredibly chauvinistic and incredibly sweet.’Grabbing the hair at the back of his neck, I held fast and boreddeep into his eyes with mine. ‘But don’t you think you’ll get outof this with a few smooth words! I amnotgoing to getmarried in your own personal version of Harrods!’[23]
‘You’re not?’
‘No!’
‘Why not, pray?’
‘Because…because…’
