to give her a chance to heal.”
“Precious?” Her heart melted.
He shrugged and cradled the kitten in his big palm, stroking beneath her jaw with the finger of his other hand. “What did you think I was doing?”
Remembering how she had boldly stormed into his room, Genny flushed. “I was not certain. It looked like you were trying to sneak something into your room.”
“Oh, I was. The housekeeper, Mrs. Morris, believes that pets might carry vermin and does not allow any in the house. So I had to wrap her in my jacket to avoid discovery.” He raised a brow at her. “Given your poor opinion of me, I wager you thought I was up to something reprehensible.”
“I thought . . . that is . . . you had . . .” She flushed beet red. “I apologize, Mr. Ready. I believed you might be stealing something from the Baileys.”
“Stealing from them?” His expression darkening, he got to his feet, holding the kitten against his chest. “Do you make a habit of maligning a man’s character every time you speak?”
“Of course not! I did apologize.”
“Yet that does not stop you from looking at me as if I would attack you at any moment.”
“I know you will not.”
“Do you?” He eyed her with that hot, dark gaze. “From your reactions to my simple request to wait a few moments before attempting to open the door, I believe that is exactly what you were thinking.”
“Do you think yourself so irresistible?” She stood up, uncomfortably aware that her slighter height did not gain her any advantage. But at least she was on her feet and not cowering like a frightened girl.
“I am simply reacting to your own behavior. What am I to think about a young woman who charges into a man’s bedchamber? You know you should not be here. It could be very dangerous for you.”
His voice had deepened, vibrating straight to her belly. She moved away from her precarious position between the bed and the man, hating that he was right. “Come now, John Ready. You and I both know I am perfectly safe in your company.”
“Now that is a switch. Just this afternoon you accused me of trying to romance Annabelle to further my social position. Either I am socially ambitious or I am not. You need to make up your mind, Miss Wallington-Willis.”
“You make a lot of demands for a . . . a . . .”
“A what?”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “A . . . coachman.”
“You forget, I am no longer a coachman.” He set the kitten down on the bed. “I am a man, and I have some years of experience compared to yours. When I see someone like you, I simply cannot walk away.”
“What do you mean, someone like me?” When he remained silent, she prodded, “Prickly? Stiff-rumped?” Her voice caught on the last word.
He regarded her with a regret that soothed her shredding composure. “I should not have said those things.”
“Why not? They were the truth.” She shrugged and turned away. “I am sorry to have disturbed you.”
“Wait.” He reached out and caught her arm, his touch warm and fleeting before he dropped his hand away. “Please accept my apologies.”
“Not for telling the truth.” She hesitated, struggling to hide the misery that even now welled inside her.
“It was cruel of me. I was angry.” He gave her a self-deprecating grin that made her heart melt in her chest. “You were only looking out for Annabelle. You had no idea I was teaching her to defend herself.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Once more, she turned to leave. Suddenly something flew into her skirts. She squealed and spun around, trying to see what had snagged her clothing.
John burst out laughing and came toward her. “Stop, stop. I will get her.”
Genny craned her head to see over her shoulder. The little kitten hung by its front paws from the dangling end of the large bow on the back of her skirt. “Oh, no! John, get her before she falls.”
“She will not fall, will you, Precious?” He snagged the kitten by the
“Precious?” Her heart melted.
He shrugged and cradled the kitten in his big palm, stroking beneath her jaw with the finger of his other hand. “What did you think I was doing?”
Remembering how she had boldly stormed into his room, Genny flushed. “I was not certain. It looked like you were trying to sneak something into your room.”
“Oh, I was. The housekeeper, Mrs. Morris, believes that pets might carry vermin and does not allow any in the house. So I had to wrap her in my jacket to avoid discovery.” He raised a brow at her. “Given your poor opinion of me, I wager you thought I was up to something reprehensible.”
“I thought . . . that is . . . you had . . .” She flushed beet red. “I apologize, Mr. Ready. I believed you might be stealing something from the Baileys.”
“Stealing from them?” His expression darkening, he got to his feet, holding the kitten against his chest. “Do you make a habit of maligning a man’s character every time you speak?”
“Of course not! I did apologize.”
“Yet that does not stop you from looking at me as if I would attack you at any moment.”
“I know you will not.”
“Do you?” He eyed her with that hot, dark gaze. “From your reactions to my simple request to wait a few moments before attempting to open the door, I believe that is exactly what you were thinking.”
“Do you think yourself so irresistible?” She stood up, uncomfortably aware that her slighter height did not gain her any advantage. But at least she was on her feet and not cowering like a frightened girl.
“I am simply reacting to your own behavior. What am I to think about a young woman who charges into a man’s bedchamber? You know you should not be here. It could be very dangerous for you.”
His voice had deepened, vibrating straight to her belly. She moved away from her precarious position between the bed and the man, hating that he was right. “Come now, John Ready. You and I both know I am perfectly safe in your company.”
“Now that is a switch. Just this afternoon you accused me of trying to romance Annabelle to further my social position. Either I am socially ambitious or I am not. You need to make up your mind, Miss Wallington-Willis.”
“You make a lot of demands for a . . . a . . .”
“A what?”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “A . . . coachman.”
“You forget, I am no longer a coachman.” He set the kitten down on the bed. “I am a man, and I have some years of experience compared to yours. When I see someone like you, I simply cannot walk away.”
“What do you mean, someone like me?” When he remained silent, she prodded, “Prickly? Stiff-rumped?” Her voice caught on the last word.
He regarded her with a regret that soothed her shredding composure. “I should not have said those things.”
“Why not? They were the truth.” She shrugged and turned away. “I am sorry to have disturbed you.”
“Wait.” He reached out and caught her arm, his touch warm and fleeting before he dropped his hand away. “Please accept my apologies.”
“Not for telling the truth.” She hesitated, struggling to hide the misery that even now welled inside her.
“It was cruel of me. I was angry.” He gave her a self-deprecating grin that made her heart melt in her chest. “You were only looking out for Annabelle. You had no idea I was teaching her to defend herself.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Once more, she turned to leave. Suddenly something flew into her skirts. She squealed and spun around, trying to see what had snagged her clothing.
John burst out laughing and came toward her. “Stop, stop. I will get her.”
Genny craned her head to see over her shoulder. The little kitten hung by its front paws from the dangling end of the large bow on the back of her skirt. “Oh, no! John, get her before she falls.”
“She will not fall, will you, Precious?” He snagged the kitten by the
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