Page 83 of Marry in Scarlet
Hart didn’t give a snap of his fingers for the maid. He glanced past Georgiana, out of the back window and saw the yellow post chaise following with the maid still in it. He swore under his breath. “And so she’s coming anyway. Do you ever do as you’re told?”
“Not if I don’t agree with it. Sue was so excited to be coming to London—she’s never been much past Bath—and I’m not going to disappoint her at this late stage.”
“And what about disappointing me?” Not that he was disappointed—more like furious. And strangely relieved that she hadn’t been planning to jilt him. And frustrated.
She snorted. “Is it possible to disappoint someone who is so cynical he thinks the worst of everyone? In any case, I’m not going to disappoint her just because you don’t have the courtesy to ask me whatIwant.”
He didn’t think the worst of everyone. Just most people. “You, Lady Indignation, didn’t even have the courtesy to informmeyou were going out of town.”
“I told you, there wasn’t time. It was an emergency. Besides, what business is it of yours where I go and what I do? We’re not married yet.”
“I was worried, dammit!”
“Worried? I was with my great-aunt. Why on earth would you be worried?”
“Because that other great-aunt of yours was weaseling around my questions, that’s why. It was obvious she was hiding something.” Something shady.
“Weaseling? Aunt Agatha?”
“First, you weren’t at the Filmore party because, according to her, you had the headache. Then you missed the Compton ball because you were indisposed. And then you weren’t at Almack’s on Wednesday because—”
“Almack’s?” Her jaw dropped. “You went to Almack’s? But younevergo to Almack’s.”
“Don’t change the subject,” he said curtly. His appearance at Almack’s, knee breeches and all, at the ludicrouslyearly hour that was required, had caused an annoying ripple of reaction. Sinc had been beside himself with glee.How the mighty have fallen.
The memory fueled his irritation. “Your great-aunt claimed you had a megrim. Hah! I’ll wager you’ve never had a megrim in your life! You forget, I know all about the shams and pretenses women assume to get their way.”
Her breath hissed in. “Pretenses?I don’t make pretenses! And don’t you dare suggest I do.I’mnot your mother.”
He didn’t even blink at the insult. “Then why would Lady Salter make all those excuses, if not to hide something untoward?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask her to. I never even spoke to her before Aunt Dottie and I left. There wasn’t time.”
“And when I called at Ashendon House to inquire about your welfare—because I was worried and thought you might be ill—Ashendon was just leaving, and all he said was that you’d run off to Bath without any explanation.”
“He knew I was with Aunt Dottie.”
“He also implied that you make a habit of disappearing without explanation, but that eventually you came back.”
She made a dismissive gesture. “Pooh, that was years ago. Well, more than a year anyway.”
“So what was I to think?”
Her eyes sparked chips of anger. “There could be any number of reasons, but you chose not to give me the benefit of the doubt. You chose to assume that I’d run off with another man, or to another man.”
He couldn’t deny it. Though he wasn’t going to admit it and give her more ammunition.
Her eyes narrowed. “You did think it, didn’t you? Even though I agreed to remain betrothed to you. Even though I gave you my word. Which you obviously don’t believe in.”
He couldn’t deny that either, but he said in a conciliating tone, “But I must, must I not, because you claim you don’t break your promises.”
It apparently wasn’t conciliating enough. She bared her teeth at him. “There is a first time for everything.”
“What if you have a child?” And where had that question come from? He needed an heir, of course, but... It was her duty to him that was the issue. Surely.
“Then of course I will belong to them,” she said as if he’d asked a particularly stupid question.
At that, the tension in him began to abate. Yes, he couldn’t see her leaving a child to the uncertain care of servants. She’d probably be as fiercely protective as a mother bear...
