Page 22 of Wedded to the Beastly Duke
He would not stand for it.
* * *
Emmeline watched the Duke with mingled amusement and trepidation. This was not how she had intended their confrontation to unfold, and she had not seen him this angry since they got married, and there was a moment when she wondered if her plan might backfire.
His eyes darkened like an encroaching storm. “Howdareyou?”
“How dare I?” She gave a bitter little laugh. “The question is, how dareyou, My Lord Duke? Storming in here like you are the last barbarian on this planet.”
The term ‘barbarian’ seemed to hit a nerve, and he scowled. “I am a peer of the realm, and you would do well to remember it.”
“Oh, you have given me no space in which to forget, My Lord Duke.”
“Stop calling me by that ridiculous title,” he snapped. “My name is Adam, as you know very well.”
Shedidknow, but it had not occurred to her to use it. After all, even her parents did not call each other by their given names.
If he wanted her to abandon formal modes of address, he would have to earn it first.
“I fail to see what relevance your name has to you barging in here,” she said stiffly.
“It—nothing.”
He snapped his mouth shut and dragged a hand through his hair, and Emmeline did her best not to notice the way his eyes looked when they flashed with anger, or his sensual lips as they pressed together. His face was made up of hard angles and stern lines, and she could not help noticing how well rage settled on them, as though he had been designed for anger and passion.
No, thinking of passion was a dangerous thing to do.
“The fact of the matter is, you entered the east wing against myexpressinstructions and you planted a cat on my desk. And it appears now you are harboring more cats in my library.”
Emmeline frowned. “I did not enter…” Finally, the reason he had stormed across the house to find her dawned on her. “Oh, sothat’swhere Mog got to. I was starting to wonder.”
“Mog?”
“The tabby,” she explained. “I was keeping her in here, but she has a penchant for wandering off. It has beensucha trial keeping you from noticing her. But I suppose I failed, after all.”
“The question is, Emmeline, why are there cats in my library?” He peered at the offending creatures. “They look dirty.”
“They arenot.”
“Are you feeding them milk and fish?”
“Naturally.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Why should I not? They deserve to eat well just as the rest of us do.”
The tabby entered the room at hissed at him, her hackles rising.
He glared at Emmeline. “How many cats have you brought into my home?”
“Not too many.”
“How many?” he bit out.
“Three. Not including the kittens.” She watched as understanding dawned on him that there was another cat somewhere in the building. Hopefully, it would come out, but she could not rely on that.
He massaged his temples. “You are going to get rid of them, or else I will dispose of them myself. Do you understand?”
“Dispose of them yourself?” She glowered at him. “You would not dare.”
“You have no concept of what I would and would not do.”
