Page 28 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
Her heartbeat quickened. She simply couldn’t wait to see him again.
And just like that, Gilbert was banished. She couldn’t sense him at all anymore.
***
She was hurrying down the staircase, dreaming of Jasper, when Amy suddenly approached the bottom, staring up at her solemnly.
“Susannah,” she said quietly. “I am afraid that your friend, Leonard Green, is in the parlour, expecting you.”
Susannah was dumbfounded. “What? But I said that he should not be admitted …”
Amy nodded. “Yes, you did. But I am sorry to say that Mr Green would not listen to me. He simply pushed past me, demanding to see you, claiming that he would not leave until he had.”
Susannah felt a sudden flare of anger. What right did he have to push past her housekeeper, demanding entry into her home? What was wrong with the man?
She was almost tempted to keep going towards the stables, ignoring him entirely. Would he eventually get the hint and leave?
But then, her innate sense of duty overcame her. He was in her home, now, and she must receive him, no matter how rudely he had done it.
She took a deep breath. “Very well. I shall receive him.”
Amy nodded, her eyes wide. “Shall I send for tea?”
Susannah shook her head. “No. I do not want to encourage him further by being polite to him, in any way.” She took a deep breath, a steely glint in her eye. “I think that I must tell him to leave myself and that I do not want him visiting me again. He might once have been a friend … but those days are long gone now.”
Chapter 12
Susannah saw Leonard waiting for her, leaning against the mantelpiece, staring into the small fire that was flickering in the grate. When he heard her enter, he looked up quickly, his face breaking out into a wide smile.
“My dear,” he said, his eyes raking over her. “You look positively radiant!”
Susannah studied him. He was dressed up as if he were attending an important event, instead of a casual visit. He had slicked back his receding light brown hair and wore gold cufflinks on his shirt.
“Leonard,” she said in a monotone voice. “I was not expecting you …”
He nodded eagerly. “Yes, I know, but I justhadto see you, Susannah. It simply could not wait.”
She took a deep breath. “Yes, well, there is something that I must say to you, as well, now that you are here …”
Before she could finish her sentence, he had strode towards her, taking her right hand in his own, almost crushing it. She winced, trying to pull back. To her astonishment, he sank onto one knee, gazing up at her avidly.
She was so shocked that she couldn’t think of a thing to say. Not one single thing came into her head.
“Now that your husband is gone,” he said, his voice booming in the quiet parlour, “it is time for us to finally be together, Susannah.”
She gazed down at him, astonished. She could not believe that he was doing this.
“It is fate,” he continued. “I see now that it was meant to be that you married him, even though he was cruel to you. You see that, do you not?” He paused, still gazing at her avidly. “He has died, leaving you his vast fortune, so that we can now marry, and live together in luxury for the rest of our lives …”
Susannah gazed at him in horror. What on earth was the thought process of the man? He had not even bothered to ask her if she wanted to marry him before launching into this strange idea about it being fate that they would one day be together. As if Gilbert’s death had been a necessary occurrence, a precursor to their inevitable union. It was so convoluted and twisted she couldn’t believe he had the gall to even utter it.
She snatched her hand away, her heart thumping hard. She hadn’t loved Gilbert for years; hehadbeen a cruel husband to her. But that didn’t mean she had to entertain the ramblings of this man. A man she had not seen in years, who had always twisted things to suit his own way of thinking.
She didn’t have to put up with it anymore.
“I will not marry you,” she said in a cold voice. “I haveneverintended to marry you, and quite frankly, your audacity in assuming that I would takes my breath away, Leonard.”
He stared at her, turning his head from side to side as if she was a puzzle that he couldn’t quite make out.
