Page 37 of A Christmas Temptation for the Duke
“You certainly look it.”
“Huh…” She shrugged. “I suppose I do not see the point in worrying. Whoever they are, they are not going to do anything while I am with you. And perhaps seeing me today, with you by my side, was enough to scare them away for good.”
“Maybe…”
Daniel wanted to believe such things, but it felt too good to be true.
He had not believed Lady Alison when she came to him the previous evening. Left alone as she was, coming to terms with being forgotten, the storm raging, her home empty, the logical conclusion for her accusations was her imagination running wild.
Now, he had no choice but to admit that she had been telling the truth all along. As to what all of this might mean… he wished that he knew.
“You will remain here this evening,” he said as he started to pace again. “And I do not want to hear your arguments,” he then added quickly.
“I was not planning on it.”
“I was hopeful that your parents would return by the day’s end,” he continued. “Likely, tomorrow will see them arrive. At which point, Lord Pemberton might have an insight to who these men are.”
“You think they have something to do with Lord Pemberton?”
“Possibly…” He bit into his lip. “They thought your home to be empty, found that it was not, and were very likely following you today to confirm the fact. Hopefully, seeing you was enough to deter them.”
“I am sure it will be.”
Daniel spun back on Lady Alison and was caught completely off guard by how submissively she was behaving. Until now, every word spoken by her lips seemed designed to instigate and annoy, and he had thought that he was going to have to fight her to stay another night.
But there she sat, perfectly placid, even pleased looking.
Yes… there was a smile behind her eyes, a sense of triumph as if this was all part of some plan. Daniel grimaced when he saw it, knowing already the reason.
And he very nearly said nothing… but that was never his way.
“What?” he demanded of her.
“What do you mean?”
“That look. By rights, you should be the one pacing back and forth as if your tail is on fire. Rather, you wear a smirk, and I hesitate to ask the reason.”
“Oh, do I…” Her small smile grew. “Perhaps I am just relieved, is all. I cannot help but remember just last evening when you all but called me insane for even suggesting that there were men outside my home. The implication being that I was a scared little girl looking for attention.”
“I never said that.”
“But you meant it,” she shot back. “So, now, I wonder….” She flashed her eyes. “When is the apology coming?”
“Apology? What apology?”
“From you,” she said simply. “An apology for calling me a liar…” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Any time now, would be nice.”
“You cannot be serious.”
“I am deadly serious.”
“You are…” Daniel groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “You have just been told that two men are stalking you and all you can think about is beating me.”
“It is not about beating you.”
“Of course it is,” he snapped. “That is what it always is. Your never-ending crusade to be proven right. A child has more humility than you.”
The smirk left her lips, and she narrowed her eyes. “And a mule is less stubborn than you are. Is it really so hard to say sorry?”
