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“Are youlistening to me?” Marjorie demanded, her strident voice makingthe headache pounding at her temple even worse.
“You aretalking loud enough to wake the dead, so yes, I can hear you quitewell.” Brooke knew she had fanned the flames as soon as thewords were out of her mouth.
“I have beenputting up with your insolence for God’s know how long. I stoodaside while you stormed out of this house and insisted on leasingthat dreadful apartment in that part of town and then blowing up whatcould have been a very lucrative career to run that clinic with thosepeople.
Now I have to hearthat they are bludgeoning each other to death. Not that I am theleast bit surprised. Those kind-”
“Stop rightthere.” Pushing back her chair, Brooke rose. “They arehuman beings. Yes, they might not have the opportunities we have.They might not live in fancy houses with a sunroom and a lavishbackyard and maids tripping all over them, but they are people too,and as far as I know, we were all created equal.
I know you areconcerned about what happened last night, but it was a one-timething. Nothing like that had ever happened before.”
Taking a deep breath,she walked over to look out the window, trying to bring her temperunder control. It had been a dreadful day, but at least she had beenbusy until she locked the doors.
It was on the driveover here that the treacherous thoughts had descended. Thoughts ofhim and what they had done. And the fact that he had not called her.But that's what she had requested. She was not going to get involvedwith Cooper Rochester. That would be asinine.
“I am not goingto apologize. You are my daughter, and I have a right to beworried.”
Her expression softened as she turned to look ather mother.
“You do. Andyou and I are never going to agree on this topic. I am fine, Mother,shaken up, but I am okay.” She passed a hand at the back of herneck. “I just need to go home and sleep, that’s all.”
“Why don’tyou stay the night? You could go to your old room and have the maidsend you something. Please, Brooke,” She added quietly. “Ineed this.”
*****
“What did shesay to rope you in?” Dwayne entered the room and sat on theside of the bed, watching as she rubbed the overnight cream into herskin.
“She guilted meinto staying.” Looking around the room with a grimace at thecream and lavender wallpapers, she met his eyes in the mirror.“Nothing has changed.”
“She decided tokeep it just like you left in case you returned.” Kicking offhis shoes, he propped the pillows under his arm.
“Which is notgoing to happen.”
“You neverknow. And it’s great to have you here, even just one night. Howare you?”
“I am fine andhave you to blame for this. You threatened me.” Putting the jaraway; she came to join him on the bed. “Move over.”
He did, making roomfor her. “I was damned scared. What if that moron had decidedto pull a knife on you?”
“You areforgetting that I happen to be a jiu-jitsu expert and can pretty muchhold my own. Besides, I was not alone.”
“Ah yes, theesteemable Dr. Cooper Rochester was present.”
“Yeah.”Hauling herself up against the pillows, she took in the room she hadspent her childhood and teenage years in. She had been given carteblanche to redesign it when she turned twelve and had been so excitedshe could barely stand it. “I asked him to help me pick thecolors.”
Her brother knewimmediately that she was not referring to Rochester.
“He said thecream would go well with the lavender, and we hung wallpapertogether.”
“I remember.”
“And we wouldgo to these antique stores to pick out furnishings because I wantedthe extraordinary.”
“Brooke-”
She shook her head.“It brings back memories. I adored him-”
“And he adoredyou. You were his princess.”
