looked at her again. “I think not, Ala beth, especially as I do not intend to take up a great deal of your precious time.”
Her cheeks were hot as she felt forced to give way, nodding to Sanderson that he was dismissed. Clasping her hands in her lap, she looked coldly at Piers. “Well?”
Still smiling, he rested one boot on the seat beside her, leaning forward to look down into her angry eyes. “How very lovely you look, as pretty as a picture in your blue gown, surrounded by spring flowers.”
“Please come to the point, sir.”
“Are you always as stormy as this, Alabeth?”
“ Lady Alabeth.”
His eyebrow was raised. “So formal? I recall a time when I was Piers to you.”
“Those times are long since gone, sir.”
“So it seems. Which brings me to the reason for my visit. Am I to take it that your conduct yesterday in Hyde Park was a sample of how you mean to go on?”
“It is, for I certainly do not think you merit anything more.”
“Then shame on you, Alabeth Manvers, for your bad manners verged on the vulgar.”
Quivering with anger, she rose from the seat. “Don’t presume to comment upon my conduct, sirrah,” she breathed furiously.
“I will comment as I see fit, madam, for you appear to believe that you may behave as you wish. Well you may not, as I am here to inform you. It was inexcusable yester day to have issued a dinner invitation to Charles Allister and to have excluded me so pointedly. As a lady of quality, of rank, and fashion, you should have known better, Ala beth. Correctly you should have waited, written the invita tion to him and had it delivered, thus avoided the embarrassment of what actually happened. I did not think it would ever fall to me to have to point out the errors of your way, but it has—and here I am.”
“How dare you! How dare you come here and insult me!”
“On the contrary, madam, I came here because you in sulted me. I have no intention at all of being subjected to such a dismal display of pettiness again.”
She hardly trusted herself to speak. “Please leave,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Not until I have a guarantee that from now on the summer will proceed with a little more decorum from you.”
“I will not give you any such guarantee.”
“Very well, then I must issue a warning to you.”
“A warning?”
“That I shall not meekly accept whatever affront you see fit to toss at me.”
“I conduct myself in the only way possible, given what has happened in the past.”
He searched her face for a moment. “You may give thanks that you are a woman, Alabeth, for I would not endure such churlishness from a man.”
“It is hardly churlishness.”
“Oh, but it is, and I think you know it.”
She looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. “Please leave,” she said again.
“You still refuse to moderate your behavior toward me in public?”
“I do,” she replied, feeling very hot and uncomfortable before his steady eyes.
“Oh, how challenging you are, Alabeth,” he said softly, “and I was never a man to refuse a challenge. Consider the gauntlet picked up and be on your guard from now on, for I no longer promise to turn the other cheek to your insults.”
“What you do is immaterial to me.”
“Is that really so?” He smiled a little. “I think not; I think it matters very much to you what I do and where I am.”
“You flatter yourself.”
“No, Alabeth. I just know you very well indeed.”
“You may have known me once, sir. That is certainly no longer the case.” She turned away sharply. “I have asked you to leave.”
“So you have, but there is one thing more….”
“Yes?”
“Have you seen Zaleski yet?”
Baffled by this sudden change of subject, she turned back to face him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Count Adam Zaleski, have you seen him yet?”
“No. Why?”
“Because I think you may be in for something of a shock, Alabeth.”
She stared at him. “I don’t
Her cheeks were hot as she felt forced to give way, nodding to Sanderson that he was dismissed. Clasping her hands in her lap, she looked coldly at Piers. “Well?”
Still smiling, he rested one boot on the seat beside her, leaning forward to look down into her angry eyes. “How very lovely you look, as pretty as a picture in your blue gown, surrounded by spring flowers.”
“Please come to the point, sir.”
“Are you always as stormy as this, Alabeth?”
“ Lady Alabeth.”
His eyebrow was raised. “So formal? I recall a time when I was Piers to you.”
“Those times are long since gone, sir.”
“So it seems. Which brings me to the reason for my visit. Am I to take it that your conduct yesterday in Hyde Park was a sample of how you mean to go on?”
“It is, for I certainly do not think you merit anything more.”
“Then shame on you, Alabeth Manvers, for your bad manners verged on the vulgar.”
Quivering with anger, she rose from the seat. “Don’t presume to comment upon my conduct, sirrah,” she breathed furiously.
“I will comment as I see fit, madam, for you appear to believe that you may behave as you wish. Well you may not, as I am here to inform you. It was inexcusable yester day to have issued a dinner invitation to Charles Allister and to have excluded me so pointedly. As a lady of quality, of rank, and fashion, you should have known better, Ala beth. Correctly you should have waited, written the invita tion to him and had it delivered, thus avoided the embarrassment of what actually happened. I did not think it would ever fall to me to have to point out the errors of your way, but it has—and here I am.”
“How dare you! How dare you come here and insult me!”
“On the contrary, madam, I came here because you in sulted me. I have no intention at all of being subjected to such a dismal display of pettiness again.”
She hardly trusted herself to speak. “Please leave,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Not until I have a guarantee that from now on the summer will proceed with a little more decorum from you.”
“I will not give you any such guarantee.”
“Very well, then I must issue a warning to you.”
“A warning?”
“That I shall not meekly accept whatever affront you see fit to toss at me.”
“I conduct myself in the only way possible, given what has happened in the past.”
He searched her face for a moment. “You may give thanks that you are a woman, Alabeth, for I would not endure such churlishness from a man.”
“It is hardly churlishness.”
“Oh, but it is, and I think you know it.”
She looked away, unable to meet his piercing gaze. “Please leave,” she said again.
“You still refuse to moderate your behavior toward me in public?”
“I do,” she replied, feeling very hot and uncomfortable before his steady eyes.
“Oh, how challenging you are, Alabeth,” he said softly, “and I was never a man to refuse a challenge. Consider the gauntlet picked up and be on your guard from now on, for I no longer promise to turn the other cheek to your insults.”
“What you do is immaterial to me.”
“Is that really so?” He smiled a little. “I think not; I think it matters very much to you what I do and where I am.”
“You flatter yourself.”
“No, Alabeth. I just know you very well indeed.”
“You may have known me once, sir. That is certainly no longer the case.” She turned away sharply. “I have asked you to leave.”
“So you have, but there is one thing more….”
“Yes?”
“Have you seen Zaleski yet?”
Baffled by this sudden change of subject, she turned back to face him. “I beg your pardon?”
“Count Adam Zaleski, have you seen him yet?”
“No. Why?”
“Because I think you may be in for something of a shock, Alabeth.”
She stared at him. “I don’t
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