your
sister after all."
"Oh,
oh, I cannot hold on—"
Stephen
planted his feet apart, enough to brace himself for the fall. The impact of the
trunk had been nothing compared to the bang of the woman against his chest. He
was slammed to the ground as if he had been knocked down by three of his
brothers.
"Mr.
Fennington ... you saved me."
The
breathless words were said with such insanity and love that Stephen wanted to
box the girl's ears.
"I
am not Mr. Fennington, madam. And if you would kindly roll off my chest, I
could begin to breathe again."
Elizabeth
jumped up and stood with her back against the tree, watching in shock as two
glittering eyes glared back at her. She gathered her traveling dress, ripped at
the shoulder, and stared back in dismay.
She
could not quite see the man's face because he was still sitting in the shadows,
but the sheen of the moon illuminated that angry gaze as if it belonged to a
sleek black panther she’d seen drawings of in her Papa’s library books. A
sudden shiver swept through her as the man uttered an oath and stood.
She
pressed a hand to her mouth when he stepped into the moonlight. "It's
you!" It was the man from the stables, but he didn't seem to hear her.
"That
was the most dangerous, stupid, idiotic act I have ever seen in my life!"
Elizabeth
lifted her chin, but inwardly her heart was beating like that of a mouse
cornered by a cat.
She
remembered all too well the athletic-looking man in the stables with his wavy
chestnut hair and warm brown gaze. But it wasn't warm now. It was as cold as
the icicles outside her window in the winter. He brushed a hand through his
dark locks, and memories of his kiss lingered in her mind.
She
swallowed as his large form shadowed over her, blocking her view. "I will,
er, reimburse you for your clothing, sir."
Dark
eyes flashed as he pulled the torn jacket from his shoulders. "You think
your intended would allow you to pay for a gentleman's clothing? How
half-witted do you think I am?"
His
words were said with such contempt she felt the insult all the way down to her
toes. Why, he had no idea they had met before. Her mouth opened and closed as
she pushed her back into the tree, feeling its bark scratching against her
spine.
Yet, to
be quite honest, it was this man's casual elegance that unnerved her. He was a
lord. She knew that from Odette's previous rendezvous with him. But there were
no brass buttons, no waterfall cravats, no ornate jewelry. His clothes seemed
simple and clean—before she had knocked him down, that is. Moreover, there was
something about the way he wore them that set him apart from the other gentlemen.
He emitted a certain masculine charm that turned her knees to jelly.
Regarding
him, she could see that he was much more muscular than Mr. Fennington.
Humiliation welled up inside her. How could she have mistaken him for her
fiancé?
His eyes
gleamed with humor and a sparkle of recognition as he continued to stare at
her. "The girl from the stables, I see."
He
remembered her, did he? She might not be as pretty as Odette, but at least Mr.
Fennington wanted her. She lifted a haughty brow. "My fiancé will not mind
clothing a man in need, sir."
The
man's face became taut, and for the first time Elizabeth noticed Milli standing
in front of her trunk, watching the exchange with wide innocent eyes.
Elizabeth
bit her lip, regretting her outburst instantly. Why, she had never treated
anyone so outrageously. This man had saved her life, and he had every right to
be riled after her idiotic descent from the window.
"Sorry
to disappoint you, my dear, but I will not need your assistance in my choice of
wardrobe. I regret I am to marry soon."
Her
cheeks burned. "That is not what I meant, and you know it." He
laughed then, a deep resounding rumble from his chest, making him look even
more handsome than he had in the stables.
"You
think this funny?" she asked, shaking her free fist at him while the other
fist held her gown
sister after all."
"Oh,
oh, I cannot hold on—"
Stephen
planted his feet apart, enough to brace himself for the fall. The impact of the
trunk had been nothing compared to the bang of the woman against his chest. He
was slammed to the ground as if he had been knocked down by three of his
brothers.
"Mr.
Fennington ... you saved me."
The
breathless words were said with such insanity and love that Stephen wanted to
box the girl's ears.
"I
am not Mr. Fennington, madam. And if you would kindly roll off my chest, I
could begin to breathe again."
Elizabeth
jumped up and stood with her back against the tree, watching in shock as two
glittering eyes glared back at her. She gathered her traveling dress, ripped at
the shoulder, and stared back in dismay.
She
could not quite see the man's face because he was still sitting in the shadows,
but the sheen of the moon illuminated that angry gaze as if it belonged to a
sleek black panther she’d seen drawings of in her Papa’s library books. A
sudden shiver swept through her as the man uttered an oath and stood.
She
pressed a hand to her mouth when he stepped into the moonlight. "It's
you!" It was the man from the stables, but he didn't seem to hear her.
"That
was the most dangerous, stupid, idiotic act I have ever seen in my life!"
Elizabeth
lifted her chin, but inwardly her heart was beating like that of a mouse
cornered by a cat.
She
remembered all too well the athletic-looking man in the stables with his wavy
chestnut hair and warm brown gaze. But it wasn't warm now. It was as cold as
the icicles outside her window in the winter. He brushed a hand through his
dark locks, and memories of his kiss lingered in her mind.
She
swallowed as his large form shadowed over her, blocking her view. "I will,
er, reimburse you for your clothing, sir."
Dark
eyes flashed as he pulled the torn jacket from his shoulders. "You think
your intended would allow you to pay for a gentleman's clothing? How
half-witted do you think I am?"
His
words were said with such contempt she felt the insult all the way down to her
toes. Why, he had no idea they had met before. Her mouth opened and closed as
she pushed her back into the tree, feeling its bark scratching against her
spine.
Yet, to
be quite honest, it was this man's casual elegance that unnerved her. He was a
lord. She knew that from Odette's previous rendezvous with him. But there were
no brass buttons, no waterfall cravats, no ornate jewelry. His clothes seemed
simple and clean—before she had knocked him down, that is. Moreover, there was
something about the way he wore them that set him apart from the other gentlemen.
He emitted a certain masculine charm that turned her knees to jelly.
Regarding
him, she could see that he was much more muscular than Mr. Fennington.
Humiliation welled up inside her. How could she have mistaken him for her
fiancé?
His eyes
gleamed with humor and a sparkle of recognition as he continued to stare at
her. "The girl from the stables, I see."
He
remembered her, did he? She might not be as pretty as Odette, but at least Mr.
Fennington wanted her. She lifted a haughty brow. "My fiancé will not mind
clothing a man in need, sir."
The
man's face became taut, and for the first time Elizabeth noticed Milli standing
in front of her trunk, watching the exchange with wide innocent eyes.
Elizabeth
bit her lip, regretting her outburst instantly. Why, she had never treated
anyone so outrageously. This man had saved her life, and he had every right to
be riled after her idiotic descent from the window.
"Sorry
to disappoint you, my dear, but I will not need your assistance in my choice of
wardrobe. I regret I am to marry soon."
Her
cheeks burned. "That is not what I meant, and you know it." He
laughed then, a deep resounding rumble from his chest, making him look even
more handsome than he had in the stables.
"You
think this funny?" she asked, shaking her free fist at him while the other
fist held her gown
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