grasp a few of the finer points." He spun to Sarah Carstairs. "Pack your bags and get out of my house."
There was a stunned inhalation of breath from everyone, but no one was brave enough to speak against his harsh command, save for his brother.
"Jamie!" Jack chided, a hint of warning in his voice.
"Be silent, Jack," Jamie barked.
Sarah Carstairs peeked over to where Jack lurked like a berserker. A glance flickered between them that Jamie didn't comprehend. Then she curtsied politely.
"As you wish, Lord Gladstone."
If she was frightened about being tossed out without a penny, she gave no sign.
Insolently, she strolled by him, and as she passed, Jamie said, "Jack, before she departs, search her. Make sure she doesn't take anything of mine."
She scoffed. "Don't worry. I wouldn't sully myself."
He recognized that he was being a beast, but he couldn't remember when he'd last been so angry, and he couldn't stop lashing out.
He'd been ready to marry Anne Carstairs, to make her Countess of Gladstone, one of the most respected and wealthy women in the land. He'd been ready to provide for Sarah Carstairs—a female who wasn't even a blood relation—merely so Anne would be happy.
He'd never exhibited such kindness to anyone prior, yet the two sisters had flung his generosity in his face as if it had no value.
They were a pair of ungrateful, thankless curs!
Regal as a queen, Sarah sauntered out, but Jamie ignored her, and instead, stared at Percy, Ophelia, and Edith. They'd observed how Anne had humiliated him, and when he was surrounded by the Merricks he was standing in a nest of vipers. He couldn't let them see the smallest weakness.
"The rest of you will go, first thing in the morning."
Percy frowned, oozing feigned sincerity. "But you wanted us to attend the wedding."
"There will be no wedding."
"I could locate Anne for you," he cajoled. "I could talk to her again."
"There's no need," Jamie said. "She will be cast out, as her sister has been."
Ophelia piped up. "But Jamie, you can't mean to be rid of me. I thought..."
"Thought what?" His eyes were cold and hard.
"Wouldn't it be beneficial if I remained to aid you in the transition?"
"All of you are to go." He swept his hand, indicating mother, brother, and sister. "By tomorrow noon at the very latest."
He stormed into the hall and headed for the front door. Sarah Carstairs was in the foyer, huddled with Jack and whispering animatedly.
"Where are you off to?" Jack asked.
"I'm going to fetch Anne back to Gladstone."
"I thought you didn't know where she is."
"Oh, I know where she is, all right."
"And where is that?"
"The time is eleven forty. Do you see the vicar anywhere? He was supposed to arrive an hour ago to perform the ceremony."
"She's at the church?"
As Jack posed the question, Sarah trembled, proving that Jamie's deduction was correct.
"If not there, then somewhere close by."
"Would you like me to accompany you?"
"No. Stay here and escort Miss Carstairs off the property."
"Can't she at least wait for her sister?"
By arguing with a direct order, Jack was risking much. They were brothers, but captain and first mate, too. Usually, Jack was aware of what parts they were playing.
Apparently, Sarah Carstairs had rattled his wits—as Anne had rattled Jamie's.
"No. She had her chance to revel in my largesse, and she wasn't interested."
"But—"
"Just do it, Jack," Jamie snapped, "and be quick about it or you can return to the ship immediately. If you can't assist me in my endeavors here, then what good are you?"
"They're simply two anxious, poverty-stricken women who need your help."
"No, they don't. They've been very clear, and it's bad enough to have one of them plaguing me. I won't have two. I want her gone."
He marched out, and behind him, Sarah spoke to Jack.
"Will he hurt her?" she said.
"I don't know," Jack replied. "I've never seen him so enraged."
Jamie smirked, wondering himself what he might do. If Anne had been a man, he'd be
There was a stunned inhalation of breath from everyone, but no one was brave enough to speak against his harsh command, save for his brother.
"Jamie!" Jack chided, a hint of warning in his voice.
"Be silent, Jack," Jamie barked.
Sarah Carstairs peeked over to where Jack lurked like a berserker. A glance flickered between them that Jamie didn't comprehend. Then she curtsied politely.
"As you wish, Lord Gladstone."
If she was frightened about being tossed out without a penny, she gave no sign.
Insolently, she strolled by him, and as she passed, Jamie said, "Jack, before she departs, search her. Make sure she doesn't take anything of mine."
She scoffed. "Don't worry. I wouldn't sully myself."
He recognized that he was being a beast, but he couldn't remember when he'd last been so angry, and he couldn't stop lashing out.
He'd been ready to marry Anne Carstairs, to make her Countess of Gladstone, one of the most respected and wealthy women in the land. He'd been ready to provide for Sarah Carstairs—a female who wasn't even a blood relation—merely so Anne would be happy.
He'd never exhibited such kindness to anyone prior, yet the two sisters had flung his generosity in his face as if it had no value.
They were a pair of ungrateful, thankless curs!
Regal as a queen, Sarah sauntered out, but Jamie ignored her, and instead, stared at Percy, Ophelia, and Edith. They'd observed how Anne had humiliated him, and when he was surrounded by the Merricks he was standing in a nest of vipers. He couldn't let them see the smallest weakness.
"The rest of you will go, first thing in the morning."
Percy frowned, oozing feigned sincerity. "But you wanted us to attend the wedding."
"There will be no wedding."
"I could locate Anne for you," he cajoled. "I could talk to her again."
"There's no need," Jamie said. "She will be cast out, as her sister has been."
Ophelia piped up. "But Jamie, you can't mean to be rid of me. I thought..."
"Thought what?" His eyes were cold and hard.
"Wouldn't it be beneficial if I remained to aid you in the transition?"
"All of you are to go." He swept his hand, indicating mother, brother, and sister. "By tomorrow noon at the very latest."
He stormed into the hall and headed for the front door. Sarah Carstairs was in the foyer, huddled with Jack and whispering animatedly.
"Where are you off to?" Jack asked.
"I'm going to fetch Anne back to Gladstone."
"I thought you didn't know where she is."
"Oh, I know where she is, all right."
"And where is that?"
"The time is eleven forty. Do you see the vicar anywhere? He was supposed to arrive an hour ago to perform the ceremony."
"She's at the church?"
As Jack posed the question, Sarah trembled, proving that Jamie's deduction was correct.
"If not there, then somewhere close by."
"Would you like me to accompany you?"
"No. Stay here and escort Miss Carstairs off the property."
"Can't she at least wait for her sister?"
By arguing with a direct order, Jack was risking much. They were brothers, but captain and first mate, too. Usually, Jack was aware of what parts they were playing.
Apparently, Sarah Carstairs had rattled his wits—as Anne had rattled Jamie's.
"No. She had her chance to revel in my largesse, and she wasn't interested."
"But—"
"Just do it, Jack," Jamie snapped, "and be quick about it or you can return to the ship immediately. If you can't assist me in my endeavors here, then what good are you?"
"They're simply two anxious, poverty-stricken women who need your help."
"No, they don't. They've been very clear, and it's bad enough to have one of them plaguing me. I won't have two. I want her gone."
He marched out, and behind him, Sarah spoke to Jack.
"Will he hurt her?" she said.
"I don't know," Jack replied. "I've never seen him so enraged."
Jamie smirked, wondering himself what he might do. If Anne had been a man, he'd be
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