AllFreeNovel
Share Us
James. Standing there with an impressed half-smile and an arched eyebrow. He cocked his head at his aunt, saying, “I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone speak to you that way, Aunt.”
“Except you!” Lady D retorted. Then, realizing he’d just called her “aunt,” she started sputtering anew, jerking her head in Elizabeth’s direction.
“It’s all right,” James said. “She knows everything.”
“Since when?”
“Since last night.”
Lady Danbury turned to Elizabeth and snapped, “And you didn’t tell me?”
“You didn’t ask!” Then Elizabeth turned back to James and growled, “How long have you been standing there?”
“I saw you crawling under the cabinet, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Elizabeth fought an inner groan. She’d managed to grab hold of Jane and beg her to stall James, and she’d been hoping that Jane would have kept him in the hall at least until she’d managed to return the blooming cat to Lady Danbury.
She hadn’t really wanted James’s first view of her
after last night’s debacle to be of her swishing behind.
When she got her hands on that cat…
“Why,” Lady Danbury shrilled, “did no one inform me of the change in James’s public identity?”
“Blake,” Caroline said, tugging on her husband’s arm, “this might be our cue to leave.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“Well, you’re going to have to,” James said forcefully. He crossed the room and grabbed hold of Elizabeth’s hand. “You are all welcome to stay and enjoy your tea, but Elizabeth and I are leaving.”
“Wait a moment,” she protested, making an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve her hand. “You can’t do this.”
He stared at her blankly. “I can’t do what?”
“This!” she retorted. “You have no rights over me—”
“I will,” he said, flashing her a very confident, very male smile.
“Bad strategy on his part,” Caroline whispered to Blake.
Elizabeth clawed her hands, trying desperately to contain her anger. “This is my house,” she ground out. “If anyone is going to invite my guests to enjoy themselves, it will be I.”
“Then do it,” James returned.
“And you cannot order me to leave with you.”
“I didn’t. I told your assorted guests—all of whom I gather were uninvited—that we were leaving.”
“He’s bungling this badly,” Caroline whispered to Blake.
Elizabeth crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”
James’s expression became positively menacing.
“If he’d only asked her nicely…” Caroline whispered to Blake.
“Blake,” James said, “muzzle your wife.”
