Page 91 of Slippers and Thorns
“And the fact that you think he’s agood manis supposed to convince me that you don’t have feelings for him? Just the way you say that suggests that you don’t think that I’m agood manlike he is!”
“Yesterday in the hedge maze,” she choked out. “He wouldn’t have.”
“And what makes you so sure?” he challenged. “Did you test him on it?”
Ella snapped her mouth shut, but her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Did…did that mean she did?
Red began to crowd the edges of his vision. “So all your righteous anger is just a cover for the fact that you would have done the same thing, except the man you wanted wouldn’t have you.”
She jerked back like he’d slapped her. Dropping his arm, she took a step back. “I didn’t—that’s not what—”
“You looked me in the eye and told me he was nothing more than a friend!”
“He isn’t!” she insisted.
“I suppose that should be obvious,” he snorted. “You couldn’t even convince him to run with you, because his job was more important to him than you are!”
“If you hadn’t—the hedge maze, I wouldn’t—”
“Not that you care, butshestarted it!”
“You didn’t stop her!”
Their voices had risen far too much; they were starting to attract attention. Confounded castle living, with never a moment’s privacy.
He lowered his voice. “Well, it’s not likeyouwere ever going to give on it, so why do you care?”
“And you wonder why I—” Ella cut herself off and spun on her heel, practically running away from him.
He probably should have followed her, for appearances, if nothing else.
But as his shoulders heaved after their fight, he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
CHAPTER 38
Ella
S
ince he’d brought a delegation as a cover, Axel couldn’t drag Helena back home immediately. However, he and King Phillip appeared to be conspiring together to keep Helena and Michael away from each other. It didn’t mean that Michael ever spent time with Ella, but at least he wasn’t cavorting with her rival.
It did mean Ella spent much of her time alone, even when around others. She didn’t have much in the way of friends among the nobility, and she avoided as many gatherings of them as she could; she didn’t want to watch the way their eyes followed her or overhear the new additions to their gossip about her.
How Michael had finally come to his senses about marrying a commoner.
His interest in the Ralnoran princess, and whether or not the delegation was to arrange terms for a marriage alliance.
The way she had flown out of the castle scandalously mounted astride, and been led back under guard hours later after she had finally been tracked down.
“Arabella!” a voice hailed her as she trudged through the castle, not really going anywhere, just looking for a change of scenery from her quarters.
“Good afternoon, Justin,” she said quietly. She offered him a weary smile. “Can I help you with something?”
“No, not really,” he grinned as he came up alongside her. “Where are you off to?”
She shrugged. “Nowhere. Today isn’t my day helping with the food distribution, and I don’t feel up for a ride on Shadow.” Mostly because she didn’t want to feed into any stories by wandering out with any of her guards, Charlie or otherwise.
