When Marrying a Scoundrel by Kathryn Smith Page B

Good. Nice to know she had the same affect on him that he had on her. “I left to make a better life for us.”
    “Well, you certainly made a better one for yourself. When it became apparent that you didn’t want me in that life, I decided to make a better one on my own.”
    “Without me.”
    For a second, she fancied she saw real hurt in his gaze, real anguish, and it cut her to the bone. “Yes.”
    He snorted and looked away, but not before she saw his expression. He looked as though she’d slapped him. What would his reaction be if she told him why she’d left? But there was no reason to tell him except to hurt him, and Sadie couldn’t bring herself to be quite so cruel.
    Instead, she watched as his gaze moved about the space, settling on the display cases and the kitchen beyond. “What are you going to open here?”
    Sadie swallowed. “A tea shop.”
    He turned to her, eyes narrow. “A tea shop.” He madeit sound surreptitious, degenerate somehow. “With a back room for private readings ?”
    He made it sound sordid. There was nothing wrong with her plans. She refused to be made to feel anything different. His opinion didn’t matter, not anymore. She lifted her chin. “That’s right.”
    Jack gave his head a little shake, as though he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “I understand doing it for fun, for charity, but you’re going to stake a business on the dregs in the bottom of a teacup?”
    She tilted her head, a sad smile flirting with her lips. He never had understood. “Yes. I’ve made a very good living from those dregs.”
    Those pretty lips of his twisted in disgust. “I bet you have.”
    “Don’t you dare judge me, Jack Farrington.” This time she used his legitimate name—a reminder of their history. “You don’t have the right.”
    “Don’t I?” He growled the words.
    “No.” Ire pricked, she took a step forward. “You gave that up a long time ago, as did I. Jack Friday and Sadie Moon are business associates and nothing else. Nothing .”
    He glared at her, jaw tight. He looked as though he didn’t know what to do with her.
    You never did , Jacky Boy . As much as she’d loved him—as much as she’d known he loved her—he never understood who she was or what she could do. To be fair, she’d never really understood either, not until left on her own.
    But once, a long time ago, she’d thought he knew her better than anyone. Inside and out.
    “It’s your business that concerns me.” His jaw was still clenched.
    “What of it? I make good money. My rent will be paid promptly and in full, you needn’t worry about that.”
    “What I worry about is having the law breathing down my neck. Did being almost arrested teach you nothing?”
    She had wondered how long it would take him to bring that up. “Besides that, you weren’t above using your grandfather’s name when it suited you? Yes, it taught me that people won’t believe what’s too good to be true.”
    He ignored her. “They could have put us in jail, Sadie. Put you in jail.”
    “For a scheme of your making, Jack.” She couldn’t help but add, “You know, the magistrate’s wife is still one of my best customers. First Thursday of the month, just like clockwork. Surely if I were doing anything underhanded, she’d detect it?”
    At that moment, Jack looked as though he could cheerfully strangle her. Color bloomed high on his cheeks, but he’d always been one of those men who looked good flushed. His eyes were bright, his mouth set in a manner that reminded her of arguments they’d had a lifetime earlier. Thinking of those arguments also reminded her of making up afterward. She smiled at those memories—just a little, but he saw it. And her amusement—at his expense—angered him.
    He whipped his middle finger off his thumb and flickedthe brim of her hat, hard. It jerked on her head, the pin simultaneously digging into her scalp and pulling her hair.
    Sadie scowled at him as she reached up to readjust