Page 33 of Marry in Haste
Which was so much more reasonable and practical—and respectable—than anything Emm was thinking of. Really, she was as bad as the girls, reading more into any gentleman’s attentions than existed.
Thank goodness Miss Mallard had chosen this morning, of all mornings, to make her plans for the school clear. Because if she hadn’t, Emm might have accepted Lord Ashendon’s job. And with all these foolish yearnings she was subject to lately, anything could have happened.
If he was a rake, and if he thought to combine the role of governess/chaperone with the extra position of mistress... well, if she was honest with herself, Emm might be tempted.
And that would never do.
***
Rose and Lily came downstairs shortly after noon, subdued but eyeing him warily. Rose’s eye was badly swollen, a mere slit of red-rimmed silver-blue in a sea of nasty-looking dark purple. Several other abrasions marked her face. The whole side of Lily’s face was swollen and bruised and her mouth was lopsided. She could barely talk.
Cal was appalled. He’d intended to read them the riot act, but at the sight of their poor battered faces—his little sisters—he was filled with a mix of helpless anger, belated protectiveness and shame. Because he was supposed to be looking after them.
Aunt Dottie came with them, clucking distressfully and fussing over the girls. She gave Logan a dozen contradictory orders, sending for various remedies, demanding somethingbe done!and ordering the girls’ favorite dishes for luncheon. Treating them like little heroines.
Which they damn well weren’t! They’d sneaked out against his specific orders and now they’d reaped the rewards of their disobedience and recklessness.
Maybe they’d learned their lesson at last. He ought to be pleased.
But looking at the dreadful mess some unknown swine had made of his sisters’ faces, Cal couldn’t bring himself tobe pleased at all. He wanted to murder the bastard who’d dared to lay hands on them.
“If you’d told me you wanted to go out last night I would have—”
“What? Taken us?” Rose snorted. “To a political meeting? About working women?”
“I might. You never mentioned you had any interest in politics.”
Rose shrugged. “We don’t. It was the first meeting we’ve been to and it was boring, wasn’t it, Lily? We were all ready to leave, but then—things livened up.” Rose tried for an airy grin but winced in pain.
“But what happened?” Aunt Dottie exclaimed. “Tell me! How did this dreadful thing happen?”
“This man tried to touch me... personally. And when I objected, he got nasty,” Lily said, her words muffled because of her swollen mouth.
“Nasty? HehitLily! Gave her a backhander across the face and did that to her.” Rose indicated Lily’s swollen face. “So then I punched him!”
“Rose! Youpunchedsomeone?” Aunt Dottie exclaimed in horror.
Rose said in a hard little voice, “He deserved it, Aunt Dottie! Nobody hurts my sister and gets away with it.” She flexed her hand gingerly and added with satisfaction, “I bet I’m not the only one with a black eye this morning. But I wish I’d broken his nose.”
Both girls had swollen, scraped and badly bruised knuckles on their right hands. Cal rounded the table, picked up Rose’s hand and gently examined it. Rose watched him with an odd expression.
“You’re lucky you didn’t break your hand,” he told her as he released it.
Aunt Dottie moaned. “Whatever has happened to my sweet young nieces? Punching people. A vulgar public brawl!”
He examined Lily’s hand next. Luckily neither girl seemed to have broken any bones. “You’re lucky too.”
“Lily!Do you mean—don’t tell me you hit a perfect stranger too!” Aunt Dottie said in failing accents.
“No, she punched Miss Westwood,” Rose said, her good eye brimming with amusement.
What? Cal stiffened. That was how the teacher had been hurt? Lily had punched her?
Aunt Dottie’s eyes almost popped. “That nice young teacher? Lily—whyon earth would you punch dear Miss Westwood? I thought you liked her.”
“I do. It was an accident.” Lily awkwardly removed her hand from Cal’s light grip. “I was trying to stop the man from hurting Rose.”
“But Lily, a lady should never...” Aunt Dottie shook her head, lost for words.
