with that cigar? Go get your father.” She sat and serenely folded her hands. “And then let’s hear the whole story.”
Chapter 6
“ You’ve lost your mind.” Shock prevented Layna from struggling until they were out the door and heading down the sidewalk. Even when she snapped back, the best she could do was gape at him. “Put me down.” She spoke calmly, certain that a raised voice would make things worse. “Put me down, D.C. Get a hold of yourself.”
“It’s for your own good,” he muttered, striding down the sidewalk and staring straight ahead with grim eyes. “If I hadn’t gotten you out of there, the next thing you know you’d be married to some banker named Henry.”
She’d never heard a whisper of a rumor about insanity in the MacGregor family. Then again, she supposed, such things could be hushed up.
“All right, that’s enough.” Children were starting to point at them and giggle. A woman watering the petunias in her window box stopped to stare. “I told you to put me down, and I mean it.”
“You’re not going back there. You have no idea what that old schemer’s got in store for you. First it’ll be, ‘I’d like you to meet my young banker friend, Henry,’ and next you’ll be picking out china patterns. He’s ruthless.”
“I will not be carted down the street like a parcel.” Which, she realized, was exactly what it felt like. He’d marched down two blocks and wasn’t so much as breathing heavily. He had arms, she realized—reluctantly—like steel beams. “Put me down and I’ll forget this ever happened—forget you embarrassed me in front of your family and Aunt Myra, forget the inconvenience and the mortification. Most of all I’ll forget you, you dunderhead.”
“He’s a sly one,” D.C. continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. “Sly and sneaky, and he’s taken an interest in you now. God save you.”
Her temper—and she felt she’d been admirably restrained in that area up to this point—snapped. She punched his shoulder, which did no more than give her sore knuckles. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He did the same thing to my sister. And she’s married with a son already. And my cousins, too. Three of them. Now he’s got delusions of grandeur. Thinks he’s some supermatchmaker. And he’s got his eye on you, baby.”
She hit him again, flat-handed this time on the side of the head. As expected, it was like slapping granite. “Who are you talking about? Damn it, if you don’t put me down—”
“The MacGregor, of course. Here, we’ll talk about it inside.”
“Inside?” She’d barely blinked before he shouldered open a door. “Inside where? I want you to
put me down!
”
“It’s my place. Obviously you don’t see what he’s up to. Thousands wouldn’t. You’ll thank me when we straighten this out.”
“Thank you? Oh, I’ll
thank
you all right, Daniel Campbell MacGregor.” The roaring in her head nearly blocked out the fact that he carried her onto an elevator. An occupied elevator. Hot color spreadup her neck as the tidy middle-aged couple beamed at them.
“Hello, D.C., how are you?”
“Well enough.” He tossed a smile at the woman as the couple stepped out into the lobby. “And you?”
“Just fine. Such a beautiful day.”
Layna simply closed her eyes as the elevator door slid closed. Obviously, she decided, the man made a habit of hauling women bodily up to his apartment. His neighbors were used to it. Why be embarrassed when she was just one of a crowd?
“I think it’s clear that your lifestyle and mine are dramatically opposed.” She heard herself speak in a calm, clear voice, and blocked out the thunderous beat of her heart. “And though we have some family connections and live in the same neighborhood, I don’t think it should be a problem to avoid each other from this point to the end of our lives.”
She drew in a cleansing breath, let it out slowly. “Now I realize I’m repeating myself, but
Chapter 6
“ You’ve lost your mind.” Shock prevented Layna from struggling until they were out the door and heading down the sidewalk. Even when she snapped back, the best she could do was gape at him. “Put me down.” She spoke calmly, certain that a raised voice would make things worse. “Put me down, D.C. Get a hold of yourself.”
“It’s for your own good,” he muttered, striding down the sidewalk and staring straight ahead with grim eyes. “If I hadn’t gotten you out of there, the next thing you know you’d be married to some banker named Henry.”
She’d never heard a whisper of a rumor about insanity in the MacGregor family. Then again, she supposed, such things could be hushed up.
“All right, that’s enough.” Children were starting to point at them and giggle. A woman watering the petunias in her window box stopped to stare. “I told you to put me down, and I mean it.”
“You’re not going back there. You have no idea what that old schemer’s got in store for you. First it’ll be, ‘I’d like you to meet my young banker friend, Henry,’ and next you’ll be picking out china patterns. He’s ruthless.”
“I will not be carted down the street like a parcel.” Which, she realized, was exactly what it felt like. He’d marched down two blocks and wasn’t so much as breathing heavily. He had arms, she realized—reluctantly—like steel beams. “Put me down and I’ll forget this ever happened—forget you embarrassed me in front of your family and Aunt Myra, forget the inconvenience and the mortification. Most of all I’ll forget you, you dunderhead.”
“He’s a sly one,” D.C. continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. “Sly and sneaky, and he’s taken an interest in you now. God save you.”
Her temper—and she felt she’d been admirably restrained in that area up to this point—snapped. She punched his shoulder, which did no more than give her sore knuckles. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“He did the same thing to my sister. And she’s married with a son already. And my cousins, too. Three of them. Now he’s got delusions of grandeur. Thinks he’s some supermatchmaker. And he’s got his eye on you, baby.”
She hit him again, flat-handed this time on the side of the head. As expected, it was like slapping granite. “Who are you talking about? Damn it, if you don’t put me down—”
“The MacGregor, of course. Here, we’ll talk about it inside.”
“Inside?” She’d barely blinked before he shouldered open a door. “Inside where? I want you to
put me down!
”
“It’s my place. Obviously you don’t see what he’s up to. Thousands wouldn’t. You’ll thank me when we straighten this out.”
“Thank you? Oh, I’ll
thank
you all right, Daniel Campbell MacGregor.” The roaring in her head nearly blocked out the fact that he carried her onto an elevator. An occupied elevator. Hot color spreadup her neck as the tidy middle-aged couple beamed at them.
“Hello, D.C., how are you?”
“Well enough.” He tossed a smile at the woman as the couple stepped out into the lobby. “And you?”
“Just fine. Such a beautiful day.”
Layna simply closed her eyes as the elevator door slid closed. Obviously, she decided, the man made a habit of hauling women bodily up to his apartment. His neighbors were used to it. Why be embarrassed when she was just one of a crowd?
“I think it’s clear that your lifestyle and mine are dramatically opposed.” She heard herself speak in a calm, clear voice, and blocked out the thunderous beat of her heart. “And though we have some family connections and live in the same neighborhood, I don’t think it should be a problem to avoid each other from this point to the end of our lives.”
She drew in a cleansing breath, let it out slowly. “Now I realize I’m repeating myself, but
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