Page 53 of The Model Debutante
Nick came and sat opposite her, crossed his legs, steepled his fingers and regarded her over the top of them. ‘My agent has collected your clothes from Mr Harland and has ensured that the canvasses have been removed and stored securely. Lynley will not be able to find any evidence to connect you with that studio now, however hard he tries.’
‘Well, that is a relief,’ Tallie said briskly, setting her hands on the arms of the chair and beginning to rise. ‘Thank you for setting my mind at rest. How very efficient your agent is.’
‘Please, do not go. Surely you did not think that was all I wished to speak of?’
His eyes were steady on her face and Tallie schooled her expression carefully to one of mild puzzlement. ‘Why yes.’
‘No. Tallie, you realise that after last night you have been completely compromised?’
‘But no-one saw me,’ she protested. ‘Except Mr Harland, who does not count, and your coachman who I am sure will be totally discreet.’
‘I am referring, not to our rooftop escapades, which by some miracle we did scrape through unseen, but to the fact that you spent last night in my bed. With me.’
‘You put me there,’ Tallie pointed out. ‘And nothing happened.’
That maddening eyebrow lifted as he lowered his hands.Tallie saw his mouth was twisted into a wry smile and found herself hopelessly distracted by the subtle changes of expression those flexible, sensual lips could evoke.
‘Your definition of “nothing” is an interesting one,’ Nick observed evenly. ‘For myself I retain a very vivid recollection of how your body felt in my arms and how it felt to kiss you.’
Tallie flushed but held his gaze. If he could recall how her body felt, she was certain she was branded scarlet at every point his naked frame had touched hers. ‘You have kissed me before. Jack Lynley kissed me, come to that. No-one suggested I had been compromised as a result.’
‘There is all the difference in the world between a few kisses and being in a man’s bed. Face it, Tallie, you areruined.’
What was it she had said to him, days, weeks ago? That this struggle of wills between them felt like a war? What was happening now felt like a duel.
She took a moment to calm her breathing then asked politely, ‘In what sense ruined? For what am I now unfit? I am physically exactly the same. I have perhaps acquired a little more knowledge of certain matters which I did not have before, but those can stay shut up in my mind. So, please define ruined, Cousin Nicholas.’
Suddenly his control snapped. Nick brought both hands down hard on the arms of his chair and was on his feet in a fluid movement which gave her a glimpse of what a lethal swordsman he would be.
‘Damn it, Tallie. For marriage of course.’
It took an effort of will not to press back into the illusory safety of the high backed chair. Mentally Tallie rallied, raised her guard and riposted. ‘Why? No-one else knows. I am still a virgin. And in any case, I have never had any intention of marrying so the entire matter is academic.’ She saw him begin to open his mouth and added tartly, ‘And kindly do not swear again.’
‘Swear?’ Nick’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Of course not. I apologise. What I will do next, if you persist in this ridiculous pretence that nothing of any consequence occurred last night, is to put you over my knee and…’
‘Inflict violence upon me?’ Tallie enquired sweetly. Her mind and consciousness seemed to be existing on two levels. On top there was a dangerous enjoyment in sparring with Nick, provoking him, seeing how she could strike sparks from his temper. Underneath something was shrivelling, dying. The man she loved was telling her that his actions had made her unfit for marriage to anyone else. It could only be a matter of moments before he explained that – as any gentleman must – he would therefore marry her himself.
Nick stood glaring at her. ‘No of course I would not hurt you. It is just that you are so…’
‘Irritating? I must be, to make you lose your prized self-possession, yourfroideur.’
He stilled, his eyes narrowed regarding her. ‘Is that what you think I prize? Self-control? Coldness?’
‘Isn’t it? I heard it in your voice before I even saw you. Calm, controlled, slightly aloof, just a very little amused at the caperings and emotions of us lesser mortals. You need to know everything, be in command. No surprises for Lord Arndale. No messy emotion or ill-bred displays of temper.’ Now even the fencing was no longer amusing. All she wanted was to hold him off, perhaps hurt him a little, just a very little to counterbalance the pain inside her.
Angry grey eyes glared back. Nick took a long breath and said, ‘Well, Miss Grey, as we have both comprehensively insulted and offended the other, might I suggest we return to discussing what we came in here to resolve?’
‘Whatyou, my lord, came in here to resolve. As I thought I had made clear, there is absolutely nothing I wish to speakabout, other than to reiterate my gratitude for your actions yesterday. They were, if nothing else since has been, the actions of a gentleman. No, that is unfair.’ She held up a hand to silence him and continued in a manner of frigid politeness which she could see was inciting him to even greater depths of anger. ‘I must also be grateful for the manner in which you assisted me in telling Lady Parry a story which must have been very shocking for her.’
‘I do not want you to be fair, Tallie, I do not want your gratitude, what I want is…’ He broke off, one clenched fist poised to thump the table as the door opened.
‘That horse is as sound as a bell. I cannot imagine why you thought–’ William stood in the doorway, whip in one hand, hat in the other, regarding the two of them with some confusion. ‘I beg your pardon. Have I interrupted? I could hear voices and I thought you would want your mind set at rest about the animal.’
‘Not at all, Cousin William,’ Tallie said warmly. ‘I amdelightedto see you. Do, please, come in and tell Cousin Nicholas all about his horse. I must go and write a letter.’ His arrival had only put off the painful declaration she was certain Nick was going to make her sooner or later, but although she felt a coward she could only be glad of the respite.
‘We were just discussing Jack Lynley’s latest activities,’ Nick said smoothly. He moved across and placed a hand on her shoulder. Without an unseemly struggle she was effectively trapped. ‘Cousin Tallie thwarted his attempts to seduce a friend of hers and it appears that two blows to his pride by one young lady was more than he could stomach. Added to that it seems he realised that to attack the young lady living under my aunt’s roof would be to attack me – and I have been acting in such a way recently that his dislike of me has grown inordinately. He hatched a plot to ruin Tallie which fortunately misfired last night. I have been considering what to do about him.’
Tallie sank back into the chair and considered giving way to strong hysterics. Nick was blandly ignoring the furious looks she was shooting him while William was reacting with predictable indignation. ‘What to do? How can you even hesitate? Why I will call him out, the bast…blackguard. Cousin Tallie is a guest under my roof, my mother’s companion. This is outrageous!’ He took an agitated turn around the room and swung round to face them. ‘What did he do?’
