back to him, anxious to hide the crimson throbbing in her cheeks. She opened the door and peered out into the hallway.
Sure enough, her shoes were there, freshly polished, and the dress she’d worn the day before was draped over a chair. Melissa snatched up her things and ducked back inside, meaning to make a dash for the bathroom. Instead she collided hard with Quinn, who steadied her by grasping her upper arms in his hands.
“Melissa—”
She reflected on where Quinn had probably spent thenight and why he looked as though he hadn’t slept in a week, and it was all she could do to refrain from kicking him in the shins. “Let me go,” she said coldly.
He made no move to release her. “Not until you listen to me. Melissa, this is all wrong—we can’t spend our lives like this. It just won’t work.”
Suddenly an unexpected terror gripped her, holding her much more tightly than Quinn did. He was about to send her away. He’d probably already had the marriage annulled on the grounds that he had never been intimate with his wife.
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed, staring at him in stricken silence.
His eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “Good Lord, what is it? What’s the matter?”
Melissa’s lower lip wobbled. “I don’t want to go, Quinn. Please don’t send me away.”
He pulled her close and held her, and his lips moved at her temple. “I won’t,” he promised gruffly. “I couldn’t.”
She drew back. “Then what—?”
He cupped his hands on either side of her face and kissed her, very lightly and very briefly, on the mouth. “Melissa,” he began, “I spent last night in hell. Give me a chance to be a normal husband to you—please.”
So that was what he wanted. Melissa stepped back, wounded to the quick but hiding the true state of her feelings as well as any actress could have done. “While you were in hell, Mr. Rafferty, did you say hello to Gillian?”
For a moment Quinn looked as though she’d slapped him. Then he cursed furiously and turned away from her, again running the fingers of his right hand through his hair.
“I haven’t seen Gillian since yesterday afternoon,” he said when at last he faced Melissa again. “After the gracious way you informed her of our marriage, I’ll probably never see her again.”
“Isn’t that a pity?” Melissa crooned, hugging her shoes and her calico dress to her bosom.
Quinn gave her a scalding look and then stormed over to one of the armoires and wrenched out clean trousers, a linenshirt, and a jacket. “I don’t have to put up with this!” he bellowed. “This is my house, damn it, and you’re my wife!”
Melissa would have dodged into the bathroom, but he got to it before she did. She dressed hastily, braided her hair, and wound it atop her head in a coronet, then hurried out. She didn’t have the strength for another nonsensical argument with Quinn.
On the stairs she encountered a maid carrying a tray of food. A folded newspaper lay beside a covered plate, and Melissa appropriated it without a word of explanation.
Downstairs she slipped into a large room filled with books and brass and the scent of pipe smoke, curled up in a chair, and opened the newspaper eagerly.
A drawing of her own face stared at her from the front page of the Seattle Times. Beneath it was a lurid headline .. .
HEIRESS FLEES WEDDING, LEAVES HEARTBROKEN GROOM BEHIND
Melissa gave a cry of annoyance and read on. According to the reporter who had written the story, the Corbin family was desperate to find their “little lost lamb” and willing to pay a reward for her safe return. Jeff was quoted as saying that he and his brothers would leave no stone unturned until they found their sister. Of course, Ajax had had to put his two cents in, too. He attributed his bride’s defection to nerves and feminine instability in general.
Still simmering, Melissa wadded the newspaper into a huge ball and hurled it across the room. They’d made her sound like an
Sure enough, her shoes were there, freshly polished, and the dress she’d worn the day before was draped over a chair. Melissa snatched up her things and ducked back inside, meaning to make a dash for the bathroom. Instead she collided hard with Quinn, who steadied her by grasping her upper arms in his hands.
“Melissa—”
She reflected on where Quinn had probably spent thenight and why he looked as though he hadn’t slept in a week, and it was all she could do to refrain from kicking him in the shins. “Let me go,” she said coldly.
He made no move to release her. “Not until you listen to me. Melissa, this is all wrong—we can’t spend our lives like this. It just won’t work.”
Suddenly an unexpected terror gripped her, holding her much more tightly than Quinn did. He was about to send her away. He’d probably already had the marriage annulled on the grounds that he had never been intimate with his wife.
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed, staring at him in stricken silence.
His eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “Good Lord, what is it? What’s the matter?”
Melissa’s lower lip wobbled. “I don’t want to go, Quinn. Please don’t send me away.”
He pulled her close and held her, and his lips moved at her temple. “I won’t,” he promised gruffly. “I couldn’t.”
She drew back. “Then what—?”
He cupped his hands on either side of her face and kissed her, very lightly and very briefly, on the mouth. “Melissa,” he began, “I spent last night in hell. Give me a chance to be a normal husband to you—please.”
So that was what he wanted. Melissa stepped back, wounded to the quick but hiding the true state of her feelings as well as any actress could have done. “While you were in hell, Mr. Rafferty, did you say hello to Gillian?”
For a moment Quinn looked as though she’d slapped him. Then he cursed furiously and turned away from her, again running the fingers of his right hand through his hair.
“I haven’t seen Gillian since yesterday afternoon,” he said when at last he faced Melissa again. “After the gracious way you informed her of our marriage, I’ll probably never see her again.”
“Isn’t that a pity?” Melissa crooned, hugging her shoes and her calico dress to her bosom.
Quinn gave her a scalding look and then stormed over to one of the armoires and wrenched out clean trousers, a linenshirt, and a jacket. “I don’t have to put up with this!” he bellowed. “This is my house, damn it, and you’re my wife!”
Melissa would have dodged into the bathroom, but he got to it before she did. She dressed hastily, braided her hair, and wound it atop her head in a coronet, then hurried out. She didn’t have the strength for another nonsensical argument with Quinn.
On the stairs she encountered a maid carrying a tray of food. A folded newspaper lay beside a covered plate, and Melissa appropriated it without a word of explanation.
Downstairs she slipped into a large room filled with books and brass and the scent of pipe smoke, curled up in a chair, and opened the newspaper eagerly.
A drawing of her own face stared at her from the front page of the Seattle Times. Beneath it was a lurid headline .. .
HEIRESS FLEES WEDDING, LEAVES HEARTBROKEN GROOM BEHIND
Melissa gave a cry of annoyance and read on. According to the reporter who had written the story, the Corbin family was desperate to find their “little lost lamb” and willing to pay a reward for her safe return. Jeff was quoted as saying that he and his brothers would leave no stone unturned until they found their sister. Of course, Ajax had had to put his two cents in, too. He attributed his bride’s defection to nerves and feminine instability in general.
Still simmering, Melissa wadded the newspaper into a huge ball and hurled it across the room. They’d made her sound like an
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