so rude?’ she demanded.
Charles stared and exclaimed, ‘You said Maxton was overbearing in London and when I answer him in the same coin, you find fault with me !’
‘The circumstances were different today; he was a visitor and deserved to be treated with civility unless he behaved to the contrary. He seemed determined to be cordial until piqued by your offensive tone.’
‘I might ask why you find him acceptable now,’ said Charles, nettled.
‘I do not necessarily. I still believe him to be brusque and opinionated in general, but that does not mean you should be discourteous when given no provocation.’
‘I was protecting you!’
‘By being impolite?’ she asked, her cheeks flushed with anger. ‘You only made yourself look churlish! You do not hold sway over my actions, Charles, and I don’t need your interference – please, respect my wishes on this.’
‘Maxton is somehow aware we are betrothed in all but name – I had no need to tell him.’
‘I mentioned it when we met in London,’ admitted Alyssa, biting her lip, ‘I did not intend to.’
‘You speak as if it were something to be ashamed of.’
‘No, I was pointing out I should not have said anything as I have not yet given you my answer.’
‘Well, I’m glad you told him,’ he said, giving a thin smile and puffing out his chest. ‘If he thinks you are spoken for, he may curtail his behaviour. There is no guarantee – as I have said, many who appear gentleman later prove loose in the haft – but to know you are not without protection may deter him. You’re a gently bred girl, by God, not one of the muslin company!’
‘I’m sure he can see as much,’ she murmured, ironically.
‘Hmph! He realizes now I will stand no nonsense. Why, I would happily pelt him in the smeller if he lays one finger on you!’
Laughter rose to Alyssa’s throat at his use of boxing cant, but she quickly stifled it, seeing he was in earnest. ‘Ch-Charles, all this is fustian!’
‘Fustian? I think not. And another thing – if he is a loose fish, he could make himself agreeable to get Hawkscote!’
‘So now he will succumb to the allure of my money rather than my beauty?’
Charles merely scowled; he could not articulate the territorial instincts Giles Maxton had stirred in him on sight.
‘It is lowering to think my attractions come a poor second,’ she continued, amused. ‘Perhaps he will ravish me first, before making himself agreeable. I shall bear it in mind and be on guard for my neighbour’s iniquitous behaviour. However, if he owns a thousand-acre estate, he is already wealthy and has no need to ply me with soft words.’
‘But foremost, he has an eye to business,’ protested Charles. ‘If Hawkscote could be obtained without payment, or at a reduced value, so much the better for him.’
‘Can we leave the subject now, Charles?’ she said drily. ‘No purpose will be served by continuing.’
During the remainder of Charles’s stay, the matter was not raised again although Alyssa knew this was only by considerable effort on his part. Two days later, she was truly thankful he was leaving. Relations between them had deteriorated further. Alyssa was at a loss to understand his surly attitude; Charles, on the other hand, saw it as a reasonable response to Alyssa’s lack of empathy with his view. As he stood by the waiting carriage, he kissed her hand, saying gravely he would return soon and expect an answer. In the meantime, he would write. He climbed in, the equipage rumbled slowly away and Alyssa returned to the house.
Letty was reading, but looked up to see her companion’s despondent expression . ‘I’m glad Charles has gone,’ she said, ‘He has made you unhappy.’
‘His behaviour only arouses my irritation,’ observed Alyssa, rubbing her forehead wearily.
Letty closed her book. ‘Now he has left, what shall we do for the rest of the day?’
‘Ennis is due at eleven o’clock. I’ll suggest he stays for lunch
Charles stared and exclaimed, ‘You said Maxton was overbearing in London and when I answer him in the same coin, you find fault with me !’
‘The circumstances were different today; he was a visitor and deserved to be treated with civility unless he behaved to the contrary. He seemed determined to be cordial until piqued by your offensive tone.’
‘I might ask why you find him acceptable now,’ said Charles, nettled.
‘I do not necessarily. I still believe him to be brusque and opinionated in general, but that does not mean you should be discourteous when given no provocation.’
‘I was protecting you!’
‘By being impolite?’ she asked, her cheeks flushed with anger. ‘You only made yourself look churlish! You do not hold sway over my actions, Charles, and I don’t need your interference – please, respect my wishes on this.’
‘Maxton is somehow aware we are betrothed in all but name – I had no need to tell him.’
‘I mentioned it when we met in London,’ admitted Alyssa, biting her lip, ‘I did not intend to.’
‘You speak as if it were something to be ashamed of.’
‘No, I was pointing out I should not have said anything as I have not yet given you my answer.’
‘Well, I’m glad you told him,’ he said, giving a thin smile and puffing out his chest. ‘If he thinks you are spoken for, he may curtail his behaviour. There is no guarantee – as I have said, many who appear gentleman later prove loose in the haft – but to know you are not without protection may deter him. You’re a gently bred girl, by God, not one of the muslin company!’
‘I’m sure he can see as much,’ she murmured, ironically.
‘Hmph! He realizes now I will stand no nonsense. Why, I would happily pelt him in the smeller if he lays one finger on you!’
Laughter rose to Alyssa’s throat at his use of boxing cant, but she quickly stifled it, seeing he was in earnest. ‘Ch-Charles, all this is fustian!’
‘Fustian? I think not. And another thing – if he is a loose fish, he could make himself agreeable to get Hawkscote!’
‘So now he will succumb to the allure of my money rather than my beauty?’
Charles merely scowled; he could not articulate the territorial instincts Giles Maxton had stirred in him on sight.
‘It is lowering to think my attractions come a poor second,’ she continued, amused. ‘Perhaps he will ravish me first, before making himself agreeable. I shall bear it in mind and be on guard for my neighbour’s iniquitous behaviour. However, if he owns a thousand-acre estate, he is already wealthy and has no need to ply me with soft words.’
‘But foremost, he has an eye to business,’ protested Charles. ‘If Hawkscote could be obtained without payment, or at a reduced value, so much the better for him.’
‘Can we leave the subject now, Charles?’ she said drily. ‘No purpose will be served by continuing.’
During the remainder of Charles’s stay, the matter was not raised again although Alyssa knew this was only by considerable effort on his part. Two days later, she was truly thankful he was leaving. Relations between them had deteriorated further. Alyssa was at a loss to understand his surly attitude; Charles, on the other hand, saw it as a reasonable response to Alyssa’s lack of empathy with his view. As he stood by the waiting carriage, he kissed her hand, saying gravely he would return soon and expect an answer. In the meantime, he would write. He climbed in, the equipage rumbled slowly away and Alyssa returned to the house.
Letty was reading, but looked up to see her companion’s despondent expression . ‘I’m glad Charles has gone,’ she said, ‘He has made you unhappy.’
‘His behaviour only arouses my irritation,’ observed Alyssa, rubbing her forehead wearily.
Letty closed her book. ‘Now he has left, what shall we do for the rest of the day?’
‘Ennis is due at eleven o’clock. I’ll suggest he stays for lunch
Similar Books
