His Lady Peregrine by Ruth J. Hartman Page B

even contemplated leaving, going to visit
Georgiana, guilt crashed down on him like a clumsy elephant. No. He
must stay, though his heart was breaking.
    Reluctantly, he sat down,
positioning himself as far away from the woman as he could without
falling to the floor.
    She pouted, a most
unbecoming sight. “Why are you so far away? Since my accident, we
have so much time to make up for.” She moved a little closer. He
leaned away.
    “ Miriam, I… that is, we
don’t wish to tire you out, now do we?”
    She moved a few more
inches in his direction. He edged forward on his seat, trying to
escape, hoping to avoid the awkward dance of her delusional
obsession. “I’m not tired.” She reached up and stroked his neck.
“Not at all.”
    Percy swallowed, hating
that the movement pushed against her fingers. He wasn’t wearing a
cravat, to his shame, because she put up a fuss whenever he did.
She’d absconded with the first one. In order for him to retain the
rest, he’d chosen simply not to wear them in her presence. “But the
physician—”
    A slow smile spread on her
thin lips. “Dr. Hervey said I can resume all physical activities.”
She fluttered her stubby lashes. “ All activities.”
    Good heavens, she couldn’t
mean—
    “ I’ve been so terrible
lonely, my love. Picturing you and me together… it’s all I can
think of.”
    Percy recoiled from her,
abruptly standing and stepping away. “Madam, I bet your
pardon?”
    “ Ah, begging? That could
be arranged.”
    His mouth dropped open.
Did she expect him to… for them to… No! “I’m afraid—”
    “ There’s no need to be
afraid. Don’t you remember how it was between us? In
bed?”
    In bed!
    He took another step back,
longing to make a sign with his hands to ward away the evil that
surely was Miriam. The woman was a harridan and a shrew at best.
Vile and evil at worst. The more time he had to spend in her
presence, the more Percy was convinced it was the worst.
    “ Lady, er, Miriam, I
cannot in good conscience—”
    “ I don’t give a rat’s arse
about your conscience. In fact, we’d have so much more fun if you
left that useless thing at the bedroom door.”
    What a despicable, vile
creature.
    Miriam slumped against the
back of the settee. Her loud groan sickened Percy. “Oh… please… I’m
feeling faint.” She held out a limp hand. “Won’t you come and sit
beside me again?”
    Letting out a deep sigh,
Percy once again sat next to her. He had no desire to touch her but
finally took her hand when she flopped it onto his thigh, very near
his—
    “ There now.” Miriam edged
close and laid her head on his shoulder. “Isn’t that
better?”
    Better than what? Being
eaten by a snake? Trampled by a herd of angry oxen? He tried not to
breath in her scent of onions and something worse he couldn’t quite
identify.
    Her fingers slowly but
deftly made a trail from his chest downward. What did she think she
was — Shock rolled through him as her hand came in contact with
his—
    He grabbed her wayward
hand and thrust it safely away from his private area. “Please! Stop
this at once!”
    Her lip pushed out again
in a pout. Did she think she was a child? “But, my love, I’ve
missed you so. I have needs.”
    He leaned forward to
stand, to escape her, and damn the consequences to her mental
stability. Because right at that moment, he would lose his
faculties if she persisted in her efforts to seduce him.
    Apparently, Miriam had
other ideas. With a strength she’d not shown until that moment, she
wrapped her tentacles around his neck, tugging him close. Too
close.
    “ Please, Miriam, you
mustn’t!”
    Her lips, dry and rubbery,
moved against his in a seemingly sensuous dance.
    His internal scream
remained silent as he tried to disengage the suddenly strong woman.
Finally prying her hands off of his neck, Percy jumped up from the
settee and fled the room.
    Once in the hall and around the corner,
Percy allowed himself to finally breathe the