Page 87 of Grave Expectations
"There is! She should be removed from the committee, for one thing."
"She can't be removed. She inherited the position."
"Then…she should be told what a horrible person she is. She should be made to see that her actions were despicable."
"She has been told. You did that admirably. Whether that will affect her, I don't know."
"That's another point." I poked him in the chest. "You didn't support me."
He caught my finger before I poked him again, held it a moment, then let it go. "I already said my piece to Julia on the ride. She knows I'm furious with her."
"Well. Good. I'm glad you told her, but that's somewhat irrelevant. A show of support just now would have been as much for my benefit as hers.Ineed to know you are on my side."
His eyes narrowed. "I see."
I waited for more, but none came. "You see? Is that it?"
"I suspected you needed to get your anger off your chest. You seemed to know what you wanted to say and I saw no reason to interrupt. I didn't realize you would assume my silence meant I didn't support you."
"Oh."
"I do support everything you said to her, Charlie. I told her as much just now."
"What did she say to that?"
"That if I can't see that she's innocent, we can no longer be friends."
It sounded like something one five year-old said to another after a fight over the last remaining slice of pie. And she called me the immature one. "What else did she say?"
His gaze slid to the ground at our feet. "She pointed out that you have an uncontrollable temper."
I huffed out a harsh laugh. "I suppose she told you that you were mad for wanting to marry such a hoyden."
"Something of that nature."
"Did you tell her that my temper only comes out when I'm very upset, like when someone kidnaps me, for example?"
"I told her that you're quite tame most of the time."
"Tame! I am not a horse, Lincoln!"
That telltale muscle in his jaw jumped again. "I see you're still upset."
I punched him in the arm, much harder than I'd punched Seth, and stormed off. He could have caught my hand but he didn't. I heard him following at a distance and turned. Stopped. He stopped too, out of reach. His gaze didn't meet mine. Something was still wrong.
"Lincoln, what is it? What aren't you telling me?"
He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, then said, "I wish to be undisturbed for the rest of the day."
I blinked at him, hot tears burning my eyes. "Why?"
"I need to think."
"About?"
"About what to do next."
"Why can't we think together? We can discuss some ideas. We've worked well together in the past. Perhaps I should try summoning Holloway after all. Or the hired killer."
