about to do.
“ Just so we’re all in agreement,” she started, casting cold eyes on his lordship, “I have not spoken to your girls since the day I watched them in my cottage, which, as you know, was before you spoke to my father about a betrothal.”
“ Yes, yes, I know that,” Lord Presumptuous said with a shrug of indifference.
“ Nor did I instruct your butler to say anything to them,” she continued just to cover any loopholes there might be by pursuing this means to prove her point.
“ Fine.” Lord Presumptuous shot her a smug look of his own, and added, “Not that it would matter if you did. Links is as loyal as they come.”
She shrugged and looked down at her little row of troops. She’d thought it odd when not a one of them had uttered as much as a syllable in the carriage. Now she was glad they’d been so quiet. It added credibility to what she was about to do. Clearing her throat, she made eye contact with their insufferable father and said, “Girls, do you remember the day you came to play at my cottage?”
“ Yes,” all three chorused in happy unison.
“ And, do you by any chance remember what I told you that you may call me?”
“ Have you forgotten your name?” Kate asked, her tone full of wonder and disbelief.
Juliet smiled down at the little girl. “No, I haven’t, but your father has. Care to inform him?”
“ Her name is Juliet Ramsey, Lady Drakely,” Helena proclaimed loud and clear.
A triumphant feeling washed over Juliet, and Lord Presumptuous turned white as a sheet.
“ I just don’t believe it,” he whispered while literally falling back into his chair.
Chapter 7
“ Believe it,” came five quiet, uneven voices.
Patrick’s brain commanded the muscles in the lower half of his face to close his mouth. Unfortunately, they weren’t strong enough to keep it held shut. How could he have been wrong? His eyes moved from one set of eyes to the next, looking for some weakness. Some sort of sign that he’d not just made the biggest ass of himself all day long as he was beginning to believe.
“ You mean…”
“ What we mean, my lord,” Juliet―his wife, the one he’d actually betrothed himself to, married and treated lower than dirt―began calmly, “is while you seem to have difficulty believing yourself capable of making an error, you have and you’ve just been caught.”
Patrick stared at her. That was all he could do. For the life of him he couldn’t think of a single coherent thought to voice. He’d been mistaken! He’d really been the one in the wrong! Clearing his throat, he took to his unsteady feet and schooled his features as best he could to keep his face as impassive as possible. “Mr. Hughes,” he began roughly before clearing his throat once again. “I apologize for my earlier statements. Please disregard everything I’ve said today. As agreed before, the loan is forgiven.”
Hughes, who had at some point taken out his snowy white handkerchief and was vigorously dabbing his damp forehead, haphazardly shoved his folded linen in his pocket and stood up, straightening his coat at the same time.
Casting what could only be considered a sympathetic glance at his daughter, the man nodded his agreement and took slow steps in the direction of the door.
Next to Patrick, Juliet whispered something to his daughters. He dropped his gaze just in time to see her use the edge of one of her sleeves to wipe Kate’s eyes before giving her a quick hug and scurrying off to catch Mr. Hughes before he crossed the threshold.
“ We’ll be waiting for you here,” Patrick said inanely.
Juliet’s head whipped around to face him so fast he was certain she was going to have a kink in her neck for the rest of the day. “Pardon me?” she asked frigidly, her hands hastily pushing her spectacles back into place.
“ Once you’ve seen your family out, return here,” he returned casually.
“ I think not.”
“ Oh, and where do you
“ Just so we’re all in agreement,” she started, casting cold eyes on his lordship, “I have not spoken to your girls since the day I watched them in my cottage, which, as you know, was before you spoke to my father about a betrothal.”
“ Yes, yes, I know that,” Lord Presumptuous said with a shrug of indifference.
“ Nor did I instruct your butler to say anything to them,” she continued just to cover any loopholes there might be by pursuing this means to prove her point.
“ Fine.” Lord Presumptuous shot her a smug look of his own, and added, “Not that it would matter if you did. Links is as loyal as they come.”
She shrugged and looked down at her little row of troops. She’d thought it odd when not a one of them had uttered as much as a syllable in the carriage. Now she was glad they’d been so quiet. It added credibility to what she was about to do. Clearing her throat, she made eye contact with their insufferable father and said, “Girls, do you remember the day you came to play at my cottage?”
“ Yes,” all three chorused in happy unison.
“ And, do you by any chance remember what I told you that you may call me?”
“ Have you forgotten your name?” Kate asked, her tone full of wonder and disbelief.
Juliet smiled down at the little girl. “No, I haven’t, but your father has. Care to inform him?”
“ Her name is Juliet Ramsey, Lady Drakely,” Helena proclaimed loud and clear.
A triumphant feeling washed over Juliet, and Lord Presumptuous turned white as a sheet.
“ I just don’t believe it,” he whispered while literally falling back into his chair.
Chapter 7
“ Believe it,” came five quiet, uneven voices.
Patrick’s brain commanded the muscles in the lower half of his face to close his mouth. Unfortunately, they weren’t strong enough to keep it held shut. How could he have been wrong? His eyes moved from one set of eyes to the next, looking for some weakness. Some sort of sign that he’d not just made the biggest ass of himself all day long as he was beginning to believe.
“ You mean…”
“ What we mean, my lord,” Juliet―his wife, the one he’d actually betrothed himself to, married and treated lower than dirt―began calmly, “is while you seem to have difficulty believing yourself capable of making an error, you have and you’ve just been caught.”
Patrick stared at her. That was all he could do. For the life of him he couldn’t think of a single coherent thought to voice. He’d been mistaken! He’d really been the one in the wrong! Clearing his throat, he took to his unsteady feet and schooled his features as best he could to keep his face as impassive as possible. “Mr. Hughes,” he began roughly before clearing his throat once again. “I apologize for my earlier statements. Please disregard everything I’ve said today. As agreed before, the loan is forgiven.”
Hughes, who had at some point taken out his snowy white handkerchief and was vigorously dabbing his damp forehead, haphazardly shoved his folded linen in his pocket and stood up, straightening his coat at the same time.
Casting what could only be considered a sympathetic glance at his daughter, the man nodded his agreement and took slow steps in the direction of the door.
Next to Patrick, Juliet whispered something to his daughters. He dropped his gaze just in time to see her use the edge of one of her sleeves to wipe Kate’s eyes before giving her a quick hug and scurrying off to catch Mr. Hughes before he crossed the threshold.
“ We’ll be waiting for you here,” Patrick said inanely.
Juliet’s head whipped around to face him so fast he was certain she was going to have a kink in her neck for the rest of the day. “Pardon me?” she asked frigidly, her hands hastily pushing her spectacles back into place.
“ Once you’ve seen your family out, return here,” he returned casually.
“ I think not.”
“ Oh, and where do you
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