Free Amanda Scott by Reivers Bride

concern you, sir,” she said, raising her chin.
    “Suppose I should prove to be even less of a gentleman than your brief acquaintance with me has already suggested?”
    A shiver raced up her spine at his grim tone, but she suppressed it, saying in her usual calm way, “I am an excellent judge
     of character, Sir Christopher. I believe I can trust you to see me safely home.”
    “You can trust me,” he agreed, “but you are a fool to trust your instincts in such a case, lass, and if you were my daughter
     or sister—”
    “Have you got a daughter or sister?” she asked curiously.
    “No, but that is not the point.”
    “That is precisely
my
point,” she said. “You have no authority to scold me, sir, and none to force me to your will. We should do far better, I
     think, to discuss a matter of greater importance that does concern you.”
    “What matter is that?”
    “Why, my cousin, of course. Since you are betrothed to her—”
    “The devil I am!”
    Anne swiftly crossed herself. “There is no need to swear. Surely, you must know that you are betrothed to Fiona Carmichael.
     Indeed, I am sure that you do, because I saw how you reacted when I first spoke my aunt’s name.”
    “It is true that I was apparently betrothed to Mistress Carmichael at one time,” he said. “My astonishment is due to the fact
     that you seem able still to consider her betrothed to a man that everyone hereabouts believes is dead.”
    “But you
were
betrothed,” Anne insisted.
    “My father certainly wrote to inform me of some such arrangement,” he said. “But that was over eighteen months ago, and I
     never replied to his letter, so how anyone can have thought—”
    “But what kind of son fails to reply to such a letter?”
    “You should not interrupt me,” he said. “Surely, your parents taught you better manners than that.”
    “They did,” she admitted, “but I grow impatient when I want to know something and the other party persists in … ”
    “In what?”
    His tone seemed ominous, but she replied calmly, “Well, in truth, I was going to say ‘prevaricating,’ but I have no evidence
     that you are doing that, so perhaps I should say when the other party appears to be avoiding a direct answer. If your father
     informed you of your betrothal… ” She paused tactfully.
    “If you must know, he commanded me to return so that the matter could be formally completed, or to understand that he would
     attend to the details by proxy.”
    “You did not come home, however.”
    “No, because circumstances intervened that were beyond my control. I have been unable to return until now.”
    “Nonetheless, the arrangement between your father and my aunt was a legal one, was it not?”
    “One must suppose so, although I was scarcely a minor at the time. Nor did I ever sign anything.”
    “Still, your father, as head of your family, had full authority to act as proxy, I should think. My aunt and my cousin certainly
     believe the betrothal was legal.”
    “You appear to be well versed in the matter,” he said.
    She did not miss the undertone of sarcasm but said tartly nonetheless, “Do you think women cannot understand complex matters,
     sir?”
    “I never said that. I warrant you must be of greater age than I first judged you, however.”
    “I am nearly nineteen,” she said. “My birthday is two days after Christmas.”
    “Then I wonder that you are not yet married with a family of your own,” he said. “You certainly seem eligible enough, and
     despite your tartness when you misunderstood me, you do not seem to possess a shrewish disposition.”
    “I apologize if my tone seemed disrespectful,” she said sincerely. “I cannot think what made me speak as sharply as I did.
     As to my single state, my father was indulgent enough to allow me to reject suitors that presented themselves if they did
     not appeal to me. None did.”
    “Indulgent, indeed,” he agreed. “I wish that my father had been so indulgent.