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“Then you thought wrong.”
“Like hell I did!”
She gasped before her eyes grew even more livid. “How dare you use foul language on me?”
“Well when you act like a spoiled little brat, it’s kind of hard not to.”
She blinked, obviously hurt. He knew he had gone too far with that last bit but he couldn’t help himself. She was as frustrating as all get out. He never met a more indecisive female in all his life. Or one that had such flip personalities. One moment she was pleasant and wonderful to be around; and the next, she was snippy and ungrateful.
“Kathleen, get back on the carriage.” She spoke sternly to her sister but kept her fierce gaze on him.
He wanted to tell Kathleen to stay where she was just to deny her sister. As a matter-of-fact, he would have loved nothing more than to escort Kathleen into the library and leave Evelina to sit alone in the carriage to wait for them for the next little while until they returned. It would have served her right.
Instead, he let out an irritated sigh and grabbed Kathleen’s arm probably a bit too harsh before ushering her inside the carriage next to Evelina.
“I’ll ride on the outside.” He growled. “The air inside the carriage is much too foul for my liking.”
Again, her eyes flicked with insult but he ignored it and slammed the door shut behind Kathleen before climbing up to take the seat next to the driver.
***
Evelina glanced at Ryan’s back as he sat stiffly on the seater in front of the enclosed carriage and felt horrible inside. She knew he was only trying to be nice and she reacted dreadfully.
“Evelina? What’s wrong?” Kathleen eyed her with concern.
She sighed. “Did you not see the library?”
“Of course I did.”
She made a face that her sister immediately understood. Swinging around in her seat, Kathleen glanced back at the building as it receded from view. “Oh dear. The stairs.”
Evelina closed her eyes and wished that she were like any other girl.
“You should have told him.”
Her eyes flew open. “No! He must not know.”
“He’s going to eventually find out.”
And just that thought scared her immeasurably. Though she knew Ryan would never choose her for a wife, she couldn’t bear the thought of him discovering the truth about her. She would prefer he exited her life without her secret ever being discovered.
The ride back to her parent’s home seemed to take longer than it did to get there. Most likely because there was so much tension and anger in the buggy. Evelina’s anger had evaporated almost immediately but from the stiff posture of Ryan’s back, she knew his hadn’t. He was more than likely wondering why he ever got involved with Evelina.
As she glanced out her window and saw the river and the docks come into view, she nursed her wounded heart with the thought that at least she still had the Lady Evelina to hold Ryan’s interest. She didn’t think he was quite ready to throw his chances of securing his dream away just yet. Or at least she hoped not.
The carriage slowed in front of her parent’s home and Ryan was leaping from his seat before it even came to a complete stop. Obviously in a rush to part company with them. Not them exactly, just Evelina.
She worked quickly, trying to find the right words to apologize but the door to the carriage opened quickly and he was ushering Kathleen out before she could even concoct her first excuse. The smile she spotted on his face as he bid farewell to Kathleen lifted her spirits some, hoping he was in far better spirits than she imagined.
However, once he settled Kathleen on the ground and turned his attention back to Evelina, his countenance turned stony as he held out his hand to aid her out of the carriage. She sighed heavily and glared at his offering. Why would he give Kathleen such a warm farewell but not Evelina? He was just being mean now. She would have apologized if he hadn’t turned so sour.
“I don’t need your help.” She brushed his hand aside then leaned forward to step out of the carriage. It
was only then that she realized how far up it was from the ground.
“Suit yourself.” He snapped and took a step back.
Evelina’s confidence wavered immediately. All at once, she regretted her decision to reject his offer but would rather die before she asked him for help. On an unsteady leg, she placed her boot on the far tinier step than she recalled it being earlier, and then tried to stand on it. As she suspected, her leg buckled and she found herself falling forward toward the earth. She imagined her face slamming into the hard ground and instinctively reached out for something.
