Free Bonds of Matrimony by Carrigan Fox Page A

be men
because their mothers want to keep them like babies forever.”
                “You
think so?” she asked.   He’d done it
again.   She didn’t think he could
possibly be aware of how chauvinistic he sounded.   Truly, this man was an ass.
                “Just
my opinion.”
                “Do
you suppose you’d have the same opinion if your mother had lived to raise you?”
she asked, fighting to keep the anger out of her voice.
                “Probably
not.”
                This
admission made his comment a bit more forgivable.  
                “Tell
me, Cochrane, do you think you’d have turned out to be more masculine if you’d
actually been born a man?” he asked casually.
                “What?”
                With
one swift movement, Webb wrapped both hands around her wrists and shoved her
against the railing.   The cold rail
pressed against her lower back, the only support keeping her from plunging into
the Atlantic.
                “What
are you playing at?” Webb whispered, his face only inches from hers.   His eyes were dark with fury again, and
the muscle in his jaw was twitching on the left side of his face.
                “Wh—what
are you talking about?” she stammered.
                “I’m
talking about Marcus Fairfax being the only son in the family.   I’m talking about his stories of
leaving his two younger sisters behind with his overbearing parents,” he spat.
                People
were staring in their direction, wondering if they should do something to keep the
angry Texan from throwing the young man overboard.   But nobody moved closer to them.   And no one could hear his accusations.
                “How
do you know this?” Chase asked.
                “Fairfax
used to work for me.   He’s one of
my greatest competitors now.   But
before, we were friends.   And he
used to talk about his sisters all the time.”
                “Let
go of me,” she ordered through clenched teeth.
                “What
in the hell do you think you’re doing?   What are you and your brother up to?”
                “Let
go of me now,” she growled.
                “I’ll
let go of you.   Then we’re going to
go to my cabin and have a little chat.”
                Chase
kept her eyes on his as he released her wrists and led the way.   She looked behind them to see if her
grandmother or Reese had come up on the main deck.   But they were nowhere in sight.  
                He
practically dragged her into his room and slammed his door behind him.  
                “My
brother and I aren’t up to anything,” Chase denied angrily.   “Marcus was disowned three years ago,
which you probably already know.   You also mentioned that Marcus told you our parents are
overbearing.   Grandmother felt it
would be best for us to come live with Marcus.   But she wasn’t convinced the passage would be safe for two
young women.   So we decided to
dress as young men.”   For the briefest
moment, she had considered explaining the situation with Stockton and
Booth.   But she wasn’t interested
in giving him that much information.   She was as eager to forget that Stockton was still alive and breathing
in London as she was to get out from under Webb’s hostile glare right then.
                He
towered over her, clearly trying to intimidate her.   “What does this have to do with me?”
                She
scoffed at him, never daring to take her eyes off of his.   “It has nothing to do with you!   You are the singular most arrogant man I’ve ever met in my life.”
                “Arrogant?   What am I supposed to think?   You latch yourself on to me, and I’m
expected to believe it is a coincidence that your brother is my