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Clasping her chin, I murmur, “I only care about what you want. And I think you want me. Am I wrong?”
Her eyes turn shiny and she’s about to say something when Mr. Bryce pops into the room like an unwelcome presence and I want to curse. The look on his face makes her murmur an excuse before leaving and I can’t chase after her now that he is here. I don’t often feel violent but right now I have enough to last a decade.
Putting my hands in my pockets I fire a civil smile but he doesn’t smile back. As long as he doesn’t kick me out of this house, I don’t care. Deep down, he probably knows that the closer I’m allowed to stay to the girl, the less havoc will I wreak.
“Is everything all right in here?” he asks, rubbing his moustache and I nod.
“Everything’s in order.”
He lights up his pipe. “You must know that Zinnia is a very fragile girl. When she was a child she was very sickly...”
The word tears into me. Sickly. I should have been there for her, holding her hand, caring for her instead of her being here alone with these people.
I loudly clear my throat to stop him from talking about the girl’s past, forcing myself not to squeeze my eyes in regret because I don’t want to hear about her difficult, early years. It grates on me too much.
Mr. Bryce looks at me in surprise. “What I meant to say is that being without Morton has been very difficult for her.”
I inhale. Wrong. She doesn’t love him, never has and never will.
“And we care a lot about her.” He lets out a short, surprised snort. “In fact we’re prepared to do pretty much everything we need to keep her.”
Same.
Walking over to me, he gives me a rough pat on my shoulder. “I don’t mean to sound ungentlemanly, but both Morton and I would be prepared to pretty much duel you if it would come to that.”
No, they won’t. They’re too big of cowards.
“I don’t think it will have to come to that,” I say, my voice neutral. “And I’m not trying to take Miss. Zinnia away from you.” I’m only trying to take what is mine.
“Good.” Mr. Bryce nods. “Good, that is what I thought. I’m sorry if I came across as aggressive. We’re just very territorial down here in the south.”
Then he should see us northerners. Especially the Rowe’s.
“I understand completely. And I don’t blame you for wanting to protect her.” Everyone wants to secure a treasure. Especially one as rare and fine as the girl.
“Of course. We must all protect what is ours.”
Boring my eyes into his, I reply, “I couldn’t agree more.”
5
Zinnia
I’m practically hyperventilating as I change into my robe and sit down bymy vanity. I could barely keep my mask on during dinner and I withdrew early. I couldn’t just sit there, feeling the frustration roll off Bram in powerful waves that all went straight my way and it felt like I was getting choked.
He’s not happy that I didn’t talk to him and barely looked at him but I couldn’t. Mr. Bryce’s cautious eyes were on me the whole time. And I wish that Bram would be more understanding of my situation because he knows how I feel.
I’ve already I encouraged him probably more than I should have and he must know that I want him.
Grabbing my brush, I furiously begin to discipline my hair. What would the Bryce’s say if they knew I was acting like this? My stomach stirs when I remember the looks Mr. Bryce gave me and then Bram.
He looked like he could sense that there’s something between us, something undeniable and that can’t be tamed. Miss. Pattie on the other hand, seemed oblivious to it and chatted away about the party at our neighbors that’s coming up this weekend.
I’m going to disappoint them. I can feel it with every cell in my body that I’m going to betray them. I’m not going to be this perfect young woman they’ve trained me to be. As long as Bram is around, I won’t be able to hold back, to think clearly.
The safest thing would be if heleft. I meet my own eyes in the mirror and I don’t appreciate the mistiness in them when I think about Bram being gone. He’s turned everything upside down. From the moment I saw him, I knew I was his and it made me angry with myself.
This isn’t what was supposed to happen. I’m supposed to fulfill my duty without any distractions and now I have a big one. And he’s tall, dark and handsome and smells of leather and bourbon. I jerk when I hit a big knot in my tresses and I shoot myself a furious glare.
