Page 58 of Wicked Designs
“We aren’t hunting foxes then?”
Ashton laughed. “Lord, no, you are the only fox we’ve hunted lately. We want something less bothersome, so our prey will be pheasants.”
Emily sat up on the edge of her seat. “Will I get to shoot one?”
Cedric’s brows rose in surprise. “I would never have taken you for a hunter, Emily.”
“It seems I never cease to amaze you. Will I get to shoot?”
“If you think we are stupid enough to give you a firearm—”
“I’ve handled one before! I know how to hunt.”
Ashton steepled his fingers. “Our fear is not that you haven’t handled a gun…” The unspoken words revealed his true concern, and it wasn’t for the pheasants.
Emily eyed the men reproachfully. “You honestly think I would shoot you? Any of you? Well, perhaps Charles, but only if he tries to tickle me again.”
Cedric sat up in his chair, leaning towards her. “You will be in charge of Penelope. She has to learn to retrieve the fowl once we’ve shot them. Best to start them young, you know.”
“I suppose I won’t mind that.” Emily nibbled at a scone. That they would limit her enjoyment out of some silly fear that she would shoot them irritated her. Well, perhaps it wasn’t too silly. The thought of her out in the grass with five men whose arms were raised in surrender did put a smile on her face.
A few minutes later, Godric joined them, looking virile in his hunting jacket and buckskin breeches. He held out a black coat for her.
“It is my old coat,Emily. Let me put it on you.”
Emily stood away from her chair and put her arms into the coat he held for her, and then he spun her around to face him so he could button itup. She wanted to swat his hands away and do it herself, but knew she’d lose that battle.
“There.” He patted her shoulders so roughly that Emily staggered. The jacket hung loosely over her, hiding her figure.
Godric pressed her back down into her chair and took a seat next to her. “Now, finish your breakfast.”
Emily felt a childish retort on the tip of her tongue but for once restrained herself.
After everyone ate, Ashton and Cedric fetched the guns while Godric lingered in the hall with Emily. He seemed indecisive about something, but finally spoke.
“You know, I don’t think I had my proper good morning kiss from you.” His eyes heated as they fell on her.
“You’re mistaken. You stole a fair number of kisses from me this morning.” Something in his face had changed, the dark part of him seemed to have returned, meaning to restore his control. She couldn’t allow that, not if she wanted him to fall in love with her.
“This morning was an introduction to another type of pleasure.”
“Well, I hate to disappoint you, Godric, but you are out of opportunities.” Emily took a big step back, putting herself out of his immediate reach.
He advanced.
“That is the beauty of holding you captive. I don’t need to worry about opportunities.”
Oh? He thought she couldn’t play the game back? Well, he was about to earn his kisses. She bit back a grinand glanced about the hall. Could she make it up the stairs to a room? No, he’d snare her halfway to the top.
She bolted, thinking only to get to the first doorway she could find, his study. She slammed the door, turned the key in the lock and braced herself against the door.
Godric beat on it from the other side. “Emily, open this door at once! I am in no mood to hunt you down.”
She huffed. “But it’s such a fine day for hunting, don’t you think?” Let him make what he would of that.
“Simkins, get me the spare key!”
“Oh, blast.” She studied the window. A sash window. The view beyond the windowpane revealed a small side garden on the left end of the manor.
