Page 80 of Romancing the Rifleman
“Diana!”Harrington shouted.“Stay behind me.He could be dangerous!”He gave chase, but she was already upon the stranger.
She ripped the floppy hat off his head, revealing a glossy head of pale blond hair.“Marcus!”she snapped.“What the devil are you doing here?”
Chapter41
Diana adored her brother.He was one of her favorite people on the face of this earth.
That did not change the fact that right now, she wanted to kill him.
“What iswrongwith you?”she snapped.“You followed me all the way to Ireland!Why can you never leave me alone?”
The duke lifted his chin, unrepentant.“I had to satisfy myself as to your well-being.”
“And you thought stalking me was the logical solution?”Diana shot back.“I wasfrightened, Marcus!I thought someone was trying to kidnap me!”
A trace of regret stole into his eyes.“I am sorry for that.I did not realize you had spotted me.”
Diana was not prepared to offer him absolution.“You should have known better.Subtlety has never been your forte.But here we all are.Have you satisfied yourself sufficiently that you can now leave us alone?”
“Satisfied myself?”Marcus wrinkled his nose as he flicked his hand toward the weather-beaten market stalls.“Name one thing about your present living situation that issatisfactory.”
Diana cast her eyes heavenward.“We’re staying in a perfectly nice cottage.”
“I have seen it.Acottage.”He spat the last word, as if it were a vile curse.“For the sister of a duke!”
Diana nudged Harrington and offered him a commiserating smile.“Just wait until he hears about the seagulls.”
She had expected her husband to grin.
Instead, his face fell.He looked… crestfallen.
“Harrington?”Diana pressed his arm.“What’s wrong?”
She would be lucky if he could even hear her over Marcus’s outraged shouting.“Seagulls?What do you mean, seagulls?”He rounded on Harrington.“I should like to know how you can possibly justify this foul mistreatment of my sister!”
Harrington held his hands up, palms out.“I know it’s not what she deserves.”
Diana would not have thought it possible to feel more annoyed than she already was.She would have been wrong.What was wrong with Harrington?She had explained multiple times that she much preferred her life with him to her gilded cage in London.
What was it about her brother that made Harrington fold so easily?
She glowered at Marcus.“Ideserveto be happy.And I am.Here.”She looped her arm through Harrington’s.“With Harrington.”
Harrington shot her a look of desperate gratitude.
Marcus looked baldly skeptical.“You cannot convince me that you are happier here than you would be in London, with servants to wait on you and every luxury at your disposal.”
“Isn’t it amazing how that works?”Diana shot back.“You refuse to listen to a word I say, and then you have no understanding of what I actually want!”
“I was surprised, too.”Harrington’s voice came out gruff, and he looked somewhat startled to find that he had spoken.“But she assured me again and again that she prefers adventure to comfort.”He rubbed the back of his head, not meeting Marcus’s eyes.“I mean, she did grow up with Aunt Griselda.When you consider that, it’s not surprising that she isn’t some wilting flower.”
Diana squeezed his arm encouragingly.That was more like it.
Marcus’s blue eyes narrowed to two frosty slits as they fixed themselves on Harrington.“Even if that is the case, the fact remains thatyouare unworthy of my sister.And you know it!”
Harrington’s gaze was fixed upon the ground.“I… I…”
Diana glared at her brother.“Marcus!Stop!”
