“I expect a house to be conducted with order and proper decorum,” he replied, the intensity of his gaze making her flinch, albeit slightly.
He took a deep breath, reining in his temper.
Do not let this woman unnerve you. You have been through Hell and back; this is nothing.
“I shall be staying the night, Lady Inverhall. My journey from London was long and arduous. But let me be clear on this: you will be leaving soon. I intend to sell this estate, and I have no need of a dowager cluttering up the property as I conduct a sale.”
“Sell Inverhall?” Lady Inverhall let out a short, sharp laugh. “And where, pray tell, do ye imagine I will go? This is me home.”
“It ismyproperty now,” Hugo countered. “An inheritance I did not ask for, but one I will deal with just the same. And as for where you will go, I intend to find you a suitable husband assoon as is humanly possible. Perhaps a younger lord to take on your unique charms.”
He watched for her reaction, expecting outrage, perhaps tears. Instead, she merely chuckled again, stirring his annoyance. He rolled his shoulders back as he looked down at her.
She was formidable for a little thing; he had to give her that. He had to have at least a foot on her, perhaps more, yet her presence was larger than life.
“Ye plan to find me a husband? Ye truly believe ye can kick me out that easily, Yer Grace?” She stepped closer, her green eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’d like to see ye try.”
“I never back down from a challenge.”
“Is that right?”
As she stepped even closer to him, closing the distance between them, Hugo noticed the generous curves that hid beneath her dirty, wet gown. Her dark hair was long, with delicate ringlets still dotted with flowers. He noticed how the strands flowed down her back and each side of her breasts like an ornate frame.
Another jolt, sudden and unsettling, shot through him.
This woman is a witch. I will not fall victim to her ways.
Yet, the playful challenge in her eyes and the proximity of her body pulled at him, despite his inner protestations. He caught the faint scent of wildflowers and damp earth that clung to her, mixing with a scent that was so uniquely hers.
It was intoxicating.
He felt a spell, a call that was beyond cognition and reasoning. It was hot and unwelcome, deep in his gut.
This woman—this infuriating, mud-caked creature was a threat to his carefully constructed control.
I am here for one thing and one thing alone: to sell this property and be done with the matter.
“Watch your tone, Lady Inverhall,” he warned, his voice rougher than he intended, more a consequence of his misplaced arousal than anger this time.
“Or else what?” she challenged, her voice a low murmur, filled with a dangerous defiance that only made his blood rush harder to places he willed to behave.
“Do not test me, My Lady. My patience has expired.”
“Will ye throw me out on me arse?”
The air crackled between them, as if a bolt of lightning had struck in the middle of the drawing room. His eyes roved over her curves again as she walked to look out the far window, landing on her round backside.
This woman was supposed to be a nuisance, an inconvenience, not a temptation. He forced himself to pull back, to break the potent pull that gnawed at him.
This was not part of the plan. Get it together, man.
“No,” he said to her back, his voice clipped. “I will not toss you out. Not yet, at least. Instead, I have arranged for us to attend a gentleman’s ball tomorrow evening. It will be an excellent opportunity to find you a suitor.”
Lady Inverhall whirled around, her eyes wide, and raised a delicate eyebrow. “A ball? Ye think I will simply parade meself around like a doll for yer convenience? What if I had a prior?—”
“You will attend,” Hugo stated, his voice firm but flat. “You will wear your finest dress, which I trust you have, contrary to your current appearance. And I somehow doubt you have a prior engagement, at least one of any import.”
“Of course, I have suitable clothing. Ye make it seem like I am an animal. We were just havin’ a bit of fun?—”
