Page 72 of New Storm Rising
“Don’t worry yourself.” Stepping forward, Mr Ambrose gave them a regal, reassuring gaze. “You have been through an ordeal, and you are now free men and women. It will be perfectly sufficient if you put in a few hours of unpaid overti—ng!”
“What my beloved arm candy was going to say,” I cut in, pressing my foot harder down onto his foot, “was that since you have gone through such a terrible ordeal, you’ll get double pay for a month.”
“But tha—aaagh!”
“Something wrong, my dear?” Concerned, I glanced sideways at my dear hubby, whose neck was now twitching spasmodically.
“Don’t. Worry. About. It!” Mr Ambrose squeezed out as he tried to tug his toes out from under my heel. Unsuccessfully. Ah, the pleasures of hardcore footsie… “I have some things, ehem…weighing on me, but the important thing now is that all you good people work har—um, I mean find happiness in your new life.”
“Thank you.” Tears brimming in his eyes, the bushy-haired man stepped forward, grabbed Mr Ambrose’s hand, and bowed once more. “Thank you. No one else care. No one else give work. All we… we so grateful.”
“No need,” I assured the man with a beneficent smile befitting a generous big boss. “He’s happy to have you here, trust me.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. Why don’t you head to the miners’ quarters and make yourself at home? I’m sure you’re tired after your long journey.”
With a blinding smile, the man bowed to me as well, then ushered off his companions. Jabbering in their various native languages, they headed off towards their new home. Smiling, I waved after them, then, when they were hopefully out of hearing range, I sidled up to Mr Ambrose and, still smiling, murmured, “You manipulative bastard.”
“Says my loving wife with her boot on my toes?”
“Just be glad it isn’t up your arse.”
“Consider me filled with intense gratitude.” Slowly, very slowly, he turned towards me. His eyes flashed darkly. “Oh yes. Intense gratitude that you usurped my authority and fortune in public.” Taking a step towards me, he suddenly seemed a whole lot taller than before, and not at all amused. “Intense gratitude for the fact you just quadrupled my expenses. Intense gratitude that youmade fun of your husband.”
“Now, ehem, wait just a minute.” Clearing my throat, I took a cautious step back. “You know that none of that was serious, right? That was all in good fun, right?”
“Indeed?” Rikkard Ambrose’s eyebrow twitched half a millimetre. “Well, then consider none of this to be serious either, will you?”
“Now, wait just a minu—mmmmph!”
That was the last thing I got out before my wrists were captured in his grasp and I was slammed against the outer wall of the log house. The rough wood of the wall dug hard into my back, or at least that’s what I thought, until Mr Rikkard Ambrose stepped forward once again, pressing into my front.
“W-wait just a minute! It was all a j-joke and—”
One elegant finger on my lips swiftly silenced me. “Mrs Ambrose?”
“Y-yes?” Heck! Why oh why was I suddenly stuttering?Why?
“You have known me for several years now, haven’t you?”
“Y-yes.”
“And we’ve already been married for a few weeks, correct?”
“Yes.”
“During that time, you should have gotten to know me adequately well, should you not?”
“Yes.”
Sea-coloured eyes darkening to fathomless depths, he leaned forward until his face was nearly touching mine.
“Then what, pray, would ever give you the idea that I wouldappreciate humour?”
“Um…” I considered the question for a moment. “Because you wear a really funny top hat?”
To judge by the look in Mr Rikkard Ambrose’s eyes, he did not deem this to be a sufficient reason.
