21
" I'm the bride," Rebecca said from the doorway,bringing the room to momentary silence.
Her remark brought every eye in the room to her, inculding Rupert's. "You forgot to say lucky bride, didn't you?" Rupert asked in a low voice as he stood beside her.
That was the usual response of a new bride, she supposed,but it definitely didn't apply to her. "No,I didn't," she whispered back with a false smile. "But I managed to withhold the 'unlucky' that was on the tip of my tongue. You can thank me later. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
23
" But your habits undergo no change in this pretense? Or do you think anyone was fooled yesterday by your so-called 'appointment' last night? That is what you told your mother, correct? That you had an appointment?"
His eyes came back to hers. "Are we showing signs of jealousy again?"
"I'm asking a pertinent question," she said stiffly. "If you think this pretense is going to only be one-sided, then it ends now."
Incredibly,his humor returned abruptly, his grin quite wide. "Before you start turning green, I suppose I must admit that appointment wasn't a good word for it, since it wasn't a scheduled meeting. I merely went to see my solicitor,and,no, he doesn't wear skirts."
She ignored that ridiculous attempt at a joke. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
25
" They had a nice,if not private, reunion before Rupert joined them. He didn't exactly ruin it, but if he insisted on enacting their pretense tonight, even for her mother,it surely would. Unfortunately, he entered the room wearing a horribly bright lime-green dinner jacket that had his mother immediately scowling at him. So even after that kiss upstairs, he'd decided on an evening of humorously baiting his mother again. Bad timing, with her own mother there, or maybe not.At least it kept Rebecca's own mood light for the moment, since she knew why he did it.
Nor did Julie hold her tongue, remarking in disgust, "I see your taste is still beyond flamboyant. You're a bloody peacock, Rue."
He actually looked behind him as he replied, "I thought I had my feathers tucked away nicely. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
26
" She'd barely sat down when he reminded her of that kiss: "Couldn't find any mud?" He said it so casually, she couldn't tell if he was teasing.
"Behave," she hissed at him.
"Never." He grinned at her.
That brought on a slight blush, which in turn brought back her earlier frustration. "If trying to punish me by making me want you,I won't fall for that again," she warned him.
"Do you want me?"
What a ridiculous question. How could she not want him? But she wasn't telling him that. For him to even ask proved his intent was wicked in some form.
"Be at ease,Becca." Then he completely ruined that by adding, "I'm not going to ravish you here at the table, though I confess,I'll probably be thinking about nothing else."
She could have melted off the chair right to the floor, and not just from the scalding blush that flew up her cheeks. She was seeing him in her mind making love to her on the table! She couldn't look down at the table without seeing it now! Oh,God...
She had no iea how she got through that meal. She barely heard a word around her. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
28
" Are you ready to discuss what you're doing here?"
"Certainly-with your daughter." He suddenly swept Rebecca into his arms and carried her out of the room.
"Now just a minute!" Lilly protested behind the,.
Rupert didn't stop,in fact, he as nearly running up the stairs to the second floor. Incredulous,Rebecca pointed out, "She might follow us."
"She won't," he replied with typical male confidencec. "I suppose I'll have to try each of these doors to find out which one is yours,just as you did at my house."
He was doing just that,but she said, "Or you could ask."
He glanced down at her. "And you'd tell me?"
"Why don't you try that one." She nodded toward the door he'd been about to open. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
32
" When will you be returning?"
"Not as soon as I'd like to. I'm going to have to waste a couple days finding an....acceptable...wife."
Her eyes widened. "You're going to France to get married?"
He didn't answer immediately; he was in fact giving her such a thoughtful look that it began to make her distinctly uncomfortable.
But he finally answered, "Not a'tall. While that might delight my mother, I think even she would prefer an English daughter-in-law. Fortunately, I'm in no hurry to delight her. It's not a real wife I need, just a woman to play the role for a few days."
"A fake wife?"
He smiled enigmatically.
"Exactly."
"Whatever for?"
"If you're offering to play the part, we can discuss it further. Otherwise, it's none of your business."
She snorted and had to wrestle with her curiosity a bit before she could tell him, "Real or fake, I find marriage to you so detestable that my answer isn't just no,it's a resounding no. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
33
" I was honest with her."
"You gave her your version-or mine?"
She flushed with angry color. How short that truce was! He expected her to play the role of the happy bride when he couldn't keep his insults to himself?
"I gave her facts,not assumptions. And this isn't going to work if you're going to continue to deliberately provoke me at every turn!"
He raked an exasperated hand through his long hair. "I'm sorry,that was unintentional. I will make every effort to guard my tongue in mixed company."
She narrowed her eyes on him, guessing, "But not when we're alone?"
"The pretense is for others, not ourselves. Neither of us is delusional."
"Of course not,far be it for me to think there's any reality in this. But if you think I can portray genuine smiles and bubbly happiness while around others when I'm so furious that I'm plotting your demise,well, think again! "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
34
" Then I guess the only thing left is for you to prove that you're up to the challenge. Give me a smile that isn't a sneer."
He wasn't expecting that, to go by his sudden surprise. But it was a reasonable request. She wasn't going to carry the entire charade on her shoulders alone. He had to do his share.
But she wasn't expecting one of those amazing smiles he'd dazzled her with before that fateful night she'd spent in his bed. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her heart started to thump loudly. Good God,how could he still do this to her?
"You don't need to be that convincing!" she snapped, and swung around to get her eyes off him. "Save your seductive smiles for you legion of conquests. I won't be one of those,so a decent smile will do,thank you."
He actually laughed. "That was normal smile, Becca. If you don't believe me,turn around and I'll show you the difference."
"No! Seducing me isn't part of this bargain."
"Of course not.For now,this happy marriage is for show only and I have already promised to keep my hands off you, haven't I?"
"Then henceforth keep your lips off me, too," she said on her way out the door. "There's to be no more accidental kisses."
She heard him laugh again before she closed the door behind her. Good Lord, what had she just agreed to? This was never going to work! "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
35
" Rebecca,why haven't you burned his wardrobe yet?"
Rebecca turned to see what had provoked that question, then just stared. Her husband was wearing one of those horribly bright satin coats better suited to a costume ball, this one in a ghastly orange, with excesive lace at the wrists and the throat. With his long black hair and his soft cheeks so smoothly shaved,it made him look somewhat effeminate when she knew he was anything but.
But he actually looked to be trying not to laugh when he said to his mother, "She'll do nothing of the sort. She likes my taste in clothes. It reminds her of when we first met."
Rebecca continued to just stare, her mind in a whirl. It sounded as if he was just teasing, but she couldn't be sure. To imply that she had fond memories of their first meeting wasn't even remotely amusing. She had nothing of the sort.
"You can't seriously intend to take your wife out wearing something like that?" Julie continued.
"What's wrong with what she's wearing?"
"Not her,you fool.You! You're married now. Your old taste in clothes-"
"Marriage has nothing to do with taste, Mother," Rupert cut in. "Well, perhaps a little,at least in women, but nothing a'tall to do with one's wardrobe.Shall we go, m'dear?"
The last was added for Rebecca as he put an arm around her to lead her out of the room. His hand on her hip was all she could think about.
But his mother refused to be dismissed so easily. Julie actually shouted at him, "Find a new tailor! You're mortifying your wife! "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
36
" In the same vein, Rupert knew that he'd found his own ideal match,too. He just couldn't imagine how he was going to convince her of it.
But that wasn't what he was thinking about on the ride home. Unable to take his eyes off of his wife,he said, "There's something about riding in a coach with you that drives me crazy."
Rebecca's dark blue eyes flared, but she didn't protest when he moved across to her seat and gathered her into his arms. Catching his wife off guard did have its advantages, which was fortunate, because she really did inflame his passions without even trying. One heady taste of her and most of his control was gone.
"Could it be because we nearly made love in this coach before?" he said against her lips. "Or could it be because I suspect you were sitting here earlier tonight thinking of me with my breeches off?"
Rebecca gasped but he just thrust his tongue deeply inside her until she no longer seemed to feel like upbraiding him for that teasing remark. He loved teasing her. It was too bad she was rarely in a mood for it.
Unfortunately,she didn't let his remark go unanswered, though they were nearly home before she pulled away from his arms to say breathlessly, "I was doing nothing of the sort. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
38
" The servant wasn't amused. He still looked stern and suspicious, but Rupert had given his improvised explanation while walking toward the man and was within reach by the last word. He tried a punch first, grabbing the servant's shirtfront as he did so the man wouldn't land out in the hall. If that didn't work,he wasn't sure what would. He certainly didn't want to seriously harm the fellow,just knock him out and dump him out the window for the time being.
Half of that plan worked. The man did drop immediately and Rupert's hold on him kept him from falling loudly to the floor. He even got him to the window with ease, but the plan ended there. Priceless. The window frame was nailed shut for the cold months to minimize drafts. Bloody hell,it wasn't that cold yet. There were no large pieces of furniture to stick the man behind either. As a last resort, he dragged him back to the hall wall and just laid him down alongside it, so he'd be less noticeable to anyone passing by the room "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
39
" Rupert yanked Rebecca off her seat to the floor! If that weren't bad enough, he dropped down on top of her, not with his full weight,, but enough to make it uncomfortable.
Rebecca had,of course, heard the gunfire that had prompted Rupert's actions. She wasn't deaf. Still, annoyed, she asked, "Do you really think a shot is going to get through the back panel of a coach this sturdily built? And fired from a moving vehicle? Anyone aiming isn't likely to hit us a'tall."
"They're on horseback," was all he said.
"Even worse.Have you ever hit what you aimed at while racing along on a horse?"
"Yes."
She snorted,but believing him at all. "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
40
" Highwaymen?" she asked, and couldn't hide the hopeful note from her tone.
"In the middle of the day?"
"So they're desperate."
Being robbed wouldn't be pleasant, but it would actually be preferable compared to an angry criminal running them down from his stolen property.
"That would be the logical assumption, Becca,if we didn't just leave the house of a confirmed mass murderer."
"So you did find the evidence you were after?"
"It's in the book I asked you to smuggle out. Considering how quickly we left,my guess would be that Mary Pearson immediately mentioned to her husband that she'd put you in their bedroom, and that I entered it as well. Samuel would have gone straight upstairs in that case to check on the imcriminating ledger he'd carelessly left lying on the desk."
"And found it gone," she said with a resigned sigh.
"Don't sound so aggrieved. We'll be fine."
She could have screamed at him like a harpy for that ridiculous assessment. With two more shots fired at them, her fear was rising fast. It had been the same back at the Pearson house. The moment Rupert had warned that he'd disabled one of the servants,meaning they could be found out at any moment, her nausea had abruptly ended. Incredible. Did the sudden rush of fear do that? Not that she was going to seek out things to frighten her just to get through this pregnancy a little easier, but it as an interesting side effect. She could at least test the theory at home by having Flora try to startle her or...what the deuce was she doing thinking about things that might never happen when she could end up dead in minutes? "
― Johanna Lindsey , A Rogue of My Own (Reid Family, #3)
