Free Gentleman's Guide 02 - His Contrary Bride) by Jane Charles

recall,” Sabrina insisted when she stepped into the
room.
    Marius looked her up and down, noticing the
change in dress. This one was soft lavender, which complimented her
coloring beautifully. “You changed your dress.”
    “I ripped the other one.”
    His smile faded. “That wouldn’t have
happened if you wouldn’t have gotten the foolish idea in your
head.”
    “It was not foolish.” She planted her hands
on her hips as if she were ready to argue, not about to back down
and admit she could have been hurt.
    Marius gritted his teeth in aggravation.
“Lady Sabrina, do you realize that since I picked you up on the
side of the road, you have argued with me over almost
everything?”
    “I have not.” She folded her arms in front
of her and tapped her foot.
    “You have. You are the most argumentative
female I have ever met.”
    “I am not argumentative.”
    “See.” Marius offered with a triumphant
grin. “You just proved my point. To think I would have bet you
didn’t have a disagreeable thought in your mind when I met you at
the academy.”
    Sabrina opened her mouth to argue back, but
must have thought better of it and closed her mouth.
    “What do you mean about picking her up on
the side of the road?”
    Sabrina turned from Marius. She took a step
back. “Ramsey?”

Chapter 7

    “It is me, Sabrina. It is good to see you
after all of these years.”
    “Oh, Ramsey. It’s good to see you too.” She
looked at the woman beside him. “Is this your wife?”
    “Yes, Juliet.” Ramsey took his wife’s arm.
“This is my cousin, Sabrina.”
    Sabrina could only smile at them. Pleased
and overwhelmed to see her cousin after all the years. Slowly it
began to dawn on her that she shouldn’t be seeing him at all and
wondered why they were here. What had they learned? Luckily she had
the dresses from Phoebe’s sister so at least her clothing supported
the story she had led him to believe these last years.
    Marius stepped forward to answer Ramsey’s
question. “I did meet your cousin at the academy. I picked her up
on the side of the road as she was walking to London.”
    Sabrina clenched her jaw and balled her
fists behind her back. She knew her eyes widened at his statement
and she wanted to strangle Marius. She wished to explain Ramsey in
her own way, without Ramsey becoming suspicious of what had really
transpired these last few years.
    “Surely you could have taken a coach,
Sabrina,” Ramsey suggested. “Or sent a note to me? I could have had
my coach retrieve you.”
    Her face heated and she turned away from her
cousin. She hated to lie, but it was for the best. “It was a sudden
decision, and I didn’t think it was necessary to spend the
funds.”
    “It was kind of you to give her
transportation, Parker.”
    “It was a pleasure.” Marius quirked an
eyebrow at Sabrina then added, “Despite her disposition.”
    She gasped. “You are one to talk. You were
quite disagreeable that morning we were leaving the inn.”
    Taylor and Ramsey both raised a speculative
eyebrow at Marius, while Phoebe bit her bottom lip, her eyes a bit
wide, as if she were amused. “Do you know that he actually struck
the innkeeper, though I still don’t understand what the man
meant?”
    “Enough Sabrina,” Marius bit out. “I am sure
they understand.”
    “I didn’t know you had stopped at an inn
with my cousin, Parker. Apparently, you didn’t tell me everything
regarding my cousin and the time you spent with her.”
    Sabrina sighed with relief. Thank goodness
Marius had kept his promise not to tell him of her reduced
circumstances.
    “I can assure you my behavior was honorable,
and I never intentionally touched her, except to examine her foot
and carry her down the stairs.”
    Ramsey stiffened and Sabrina wanted to
groan. Her cousin didn’t need to protect her from anything or
anyone, especially Mr. Parker. But, Ramsey wasn’t looking at her.
He was looking at Marius, his posture erect, all humor gone from
his