Page 85 of Grave Expectations
"Pleasant ride?" I heard Seth ask.
"Not entirely unpleasant." Lady Harcourt sounded like she was in a good mood. If she'd sounded upset, perhaps I would have remained hidden and allowed her to leave without confronting her, but it was that cheerfulness that brought my temper bubbling to the surface all over again.
I pushed open the stall door. Lady Harcourt's jaw dropped and Lincoln's hardened. She eyed me up and down, wrinkling her nose ever so slightly.
"Good morning," I said tightly.
"Good morning, Charlie," Lady Harcourt said, dismounting. "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to speak with you."
Seth and Gus made a hasty retreat, taking the horses with them, but Lincoln remained unmoved. He didn't seem surprised to see me or worried about the pending discussion. He showed no emotion whatsoever. Typical.
"If you've come to apologize for helping Mrs. Drinkwater, then don't," I told Lady Harcourt. "What you did…it's unforgiveable."
"I don't want your forgiveness," she said, oh-so-calmly.
"You ought to."
She tugged on the edge of her neat dove-gray riding jacket and glared down the length of her nose. "I came to explain to Lincoln—"
"To Lincoln! I think I deserve some sort of explanation and apology more so than anyone, except Gus."
"Calm down," she said through her teeth. "Your hysteria only makes you more childish."
Lincoln caught my hand, trapping it to my side before I could strike her. His gaze locked with mine, and I got the feeling he was willing me to walk away, to leave the issue alone.
But I couldn't. I snatched my hand out of his.
"Julia was just leaving," he said.
"Not until I hear the explanation she gave you," I said.
She smoothed her hand over her hips. "It's private."
"If it's about you dancing at The Al, I already know. We all do."
She shot a glance toward the stall door where Seth was seeing to Rosie.
"So is that the explanation you want to give?" I asked. "You were protecting your secret?"
She inclined her head in a nod.
"Do you hear yourself?" I asked her. "Do you hear how pathetic your excuse sounds, or do you think you're entirely justified in your actions because your secret remains safe?"
"You're being immature," she snapped. "Not to mention unreasonable."
"Unreasonable! You had me kidnapped!"
"I did nothaveyou kidnapped. Merry forced me to tell her all about you, thenshedecided to abduct you. It was nothing to do with me."
"That's not what she told us. Yes, she blackmailed you, but you needn't have told her about my necromancy or about our advertisement for a housekeeper. You chose to do so."
"She's lying. I've already explained as much to Lincoln. I don't need to go over it again. The issue is laid to rest."
"I don't think she's the one who's lying."
She arched a slender brow. "You're callingmea liar?"
I arched my brow back at her.
