Free The Lady Seals Her Fate (The Langley Sisters #5) by Wendy Vella

held it high so she could not reach it. Hannah was not short, but he was taller by a goodly amount.
    “No.” Hannah folded her arms, refusing to make a fool of herself by lunging at him. Alex was just teasing her; he was a gentleman and would never invade her privacy by reading her private correspondence.
    “Hannah, I will read this if you do not tell me what it says.”
    She watched in horror as he pulled the note out and began to unfold it.
    “Alex!” She couldn’t think of a lie; her usually agile mind was suddenly blank. “Please don’t do this.”
    “I don’t want to, Hannah, but—”
    She launched herself at him, her hands reaching for the note. She grasped the paper and then felt them both falling. Alex twisted; she did not. Seconds later, she was in the water, her hand still clenched around the note.
    “Hannah!”
    “Miss Wooller!”
    Mary’s shriek was the last sound Hannah heard as she went under. The cold robbed her breath. Arms flailing, she surged upward until her head cleared the water. “Stop!” she shrieked as Alex prepared to dive in. “I can swim!”
    He stopped, arms flapping as he fought to keep his balance, looking like a large ungainly bird. Hannah screwed the note into a ball then released it into the water before she maneuvered herself toward the bank, which was only a few feet away.
    “Give me your hand!”
    She did, and Alex pulled her out seconds later, lowering her to the grass.
    “What the hell is the matter with you!” he roared as she lay like a landed trout, gasping for air. Her skirts were stuck to her legs, her bonnet covering her eyes and her bodice molded to her body. “Of all the bloody, idiotic, stupid things to do!” He continued to rant at her, calling her a great many words; some she knew, others surprisingly she didn’t. “You could have drowned, woman!”
    As he roared at her, Hannah attempted to remove her sodden gloves, then worked on the silk ribbons at her throat. She was cold, but the sun was high and she was in little danger of a chill. She feared if she were seen it would be the absolute last straw for her reputation, and she would never be able to walk in society again. The thought of those women who had wanted Alex to view the flowers seeing her made Hannah feel ill.
    “Oh, Miss Wooller, what have you done?” Mary said from beside Alex. Her head was nodding as she agreed with his words. Hannah shut her up with a sharp glance, Alex needed no encouragement in his condemnation of her.
    “Your father should simply lock you in your room and throw the bloody key away!” He slapped her hands aside and wrestled with the ribbons at her throat, removing her sodden bonnet and hurling it to the ground. Hannah retrieved it before he could stomp on it.
    “Alex, I’m cold and humiliated; I have no wish to listen to you blistering my ears in my current state. Therefore, if you could refrain until I am once again dry, I should be grateful.”
    She had never seen him this angry before. A muscle ticked in his jaw and his mouth opened and closed several times. He looked mean and capable of throttling her with his bare hands, however what he did was take off his jacket and place it around her shoulders.
    “There is a gate there,” he snarled, pointing to a fence behind which deer grazed. “I will bring my carriage to there. If you can endeavor to stay out of harm’s way, I shall return shortly.”
    “I thought to do a few more laps.” Hannah could not resist, but wished she had as he lowered his head and glared at her.
    “Be warned, Hannah, you will push me only so far before you regret it.” The words were spoken softly before he was gone, and only then was Hannah able to breathe deeply.
    “You will surely catch your death, Miss Wooller,” Mary said kneeling beside her.
    “There is no need to be dramatic, Mary. The weather is warm, I am in no danger.”
    Alex was extremely angry, and Hannah decided to apologize to him when he returned. It was only fair;