she fixed her eyes on Jewel. “And if you think that you will ever be accepted by this family, let alone anyone else—”
“But I mean to see to that, too, mama,” the earl purred.
And at that, the countess turned on her heel and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind her.
IV
The earl’s eyes returned to rest almost ruefully on Jewel. “Well, girl, I hope you are equal to this because now we’re for it. I mean to see to it that you become worthy of us.” He smiled faintly. “It will be a challenge, won’t it, rather like turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse? I wonder if it can be done.”
“Yer bloody insultin’, did ya know that? Who ya callin’ a sow’s ear? I’m a person, I am, jes’ as good as ya, or that highfalutin’ ma of yers.” This insult on top of all the others was too much for her temper. Jewel sprang from the chair and stood glaring at the earl, her hands clenched in fists at her side. The blanket slipped, giving him an unrestricted view of her attire—and the body it covered. Jewel felt his eyes on her, and shivered. There was only the most detached kind of interest in his look, as if she were a tarnished piece of brass he was wondering whether it would be worth the effort to have shined up. But still it made her aware of herself as a woman in a way she had never been before.
“That dress is an abomination,” he said as his eyes ran over the soaked red silk. Jewel looked down at the gown that she still thought looked mighty fine despite its wetting as he continued. “It’s something a whore would wear. Are you … Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”
“No, I ain’t no ’ore!” Jewel bellowed, taking a hasty step forward as her fists came up to waist level. She wasn’t taking any more insults, earl or no earl!
“Sit down,” he said, the words barely audible. Something about his eyes gave them more force than her loudest shriek. Jewel surprised herself again by obediently sitting, but saved face by glaring at him even more fiercely than before.
“The first thing you will learn is to moderate your voice when you speak. I will not be shouted at. Is that clear?” Those blue eyes met hers, and instead of celestial heavens the color reminded Jewel of cold blue steel. She scowled, opened her mouth for a sassy reply, met those eyes again, and muttered, “Ayeh.”
He sighed. “I assume that is an affirmative. In future, when addressing me, you will say ‘Yes, my lord,’ or ‘No, my lord.’ Can you remember that, do you think?”
“I ain’t a bleedin’ idiot.”
Jewel’s resentful murmur brought a brisk “Excellent!” in reply. The earl got to his feet, and while she watched him with some trepidation moved with sinewy grace around the desk to tower over her as she sat in the chair. Looking up at him, she felt suddenly very small, and she didn’t like the sensation at all. When his hand came out, catching her under the chin, she flinched. His skin was so warm—just feeling his hand on her made her go all shivery inside. Cor, he was a very good-looking gentleman….
But such thoughts did her no good at all, she told herself even as her hand shot out to knock his away. Before she could make contact he caught her by the wrist, imprisoning her hand in midair. His fingers were surprisingly strong, she noticed with a return of the shivery feeling. They tightened their grip and her eyes widened as she stared up at him. It occurred to her that this too beautiful lord could break her arm with no trouble at all, like snapping a sparrow’s bone.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, and Jewel realized with a quick flush of embarrassment that he must have felt her shiver. She was thankful he had misinterpreted it. “I just want to look at you. All right?”
This first evidence that he regarded her as something other than an object to be ordered about mollified Jewel somewhat. She gave a jerky nod. He released her wrist, and turned her face up again
“But I mean to see to that, too, mama,” the earl purred.
And at that, the countess turned on her heel and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind her.
IV
The earl’s eyes returned to rest almost ruefully on Jewel. “Well, girl, I hope you are equal to this because now we’re for it. I mean to see to it that you become worthy of us.” He smiled faintly. “It will be a challenge, won’t it, rather like turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse? I wonder if it can be done.”
“Yer bloody insultin’, did ya know that? Who ya callin’ a sow’s ear? I’m a person, I am, jes’ as good as ya, or that highfalutin’ ma of yers.” This insult on top of all the others was too much for her temper. Jewel sprang from the chair and stood glaring at the earl, her hands clenched in fists at her side. The blanket slipped, giving him an unrestricted view of her attire—and the body it covered. Jewel felt his eyes on her, and shivered. There was only the most detached kind of interest in his look, as if she were a tarnished piece of brass he was wondering whether it would be worth the effort to have shined up. But still it made her aware of herself as a woman in a way she had never been before.
“That dress is an abomination,” he said as his eyes ran over the soaked red silk. Jewel looked down at the gown that she still thought looked mighty fine despite its wetting as he continued. “It’s something a whore would wear. Are you … Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”
“No, I ain’t no ’ore!” Jewel bellowed, taking a hasty step forward as her fists came up to waist level. She wasn’t taking any more insults, earl or no earl!
“Sit down,” he said, the words barely audible. Something about his eyes gave them more force than her loudest shriek. Jewel surprised herself again by obediently sitting, but saved face by glaring at him even more fiercely than before.
“The first thing you will learn is to moderate your voice when you speak. I will not be shouted at. Is that clear?” Those blue eyes met hers, and instead of celestial heavens the color reminded Jewel of cold blue steel. She scowled, opened her mouth for a sassy reply, met those eyes again, and muttered, “Ayeh.”
He sighed. “I assume that is an affirmative. In future, when addressing me, you will say ‘Yes, my lord,’ or ‘No, my lord.’ Can you remember that, do you think?”
“I ain’t a bleedin’ idiot.”
Jewel’s resentful murmur brought a brisk “Excellent!” in reply. The earl got to his feet, and while she watched him with some trepidation moved with sinewy grace around the desk to tower over her as she sat in the chair. Looking up at him, she felt suddenly very small, and she didn’t like the sensation at all. When his hand came out, catching her under the chin, she flinched. His skin was so warm—just feeling his hand on her made her go all shivery inside. Cor, he was a very good-looking gentleman….
But such thoughts did her no good at all, she told herself even as her hand shot out to knock his away. Before she could make contact he caught her by the wrist, imprisoning her hand in midair. His fingers were surprisingly strong, she noticed with a return of the shivery feeling. They tightened their grip and her eyes widened as she stared up at him. It occurred to her that this too beautiful lord could break her arm with no trouble at all, like snapping a sparrow’s bone.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, and Jewel realized with a quick flush of embarrassment that he must have felt her shiver. She was thankful he had misinterpreted it. “I just want to look at you. All right?”
This first evidence that he regarded her as something other than an object to be ordered about mollified Jewel somewhat. She gave a jerky nod. He released her wrist, and turned her face up again
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