COLE AWOKE TO A BLINDING light and a soft sheet beneath him. With a groan, he rolled to the side to avoid the offending sun. Gently he pried his eyes open, but found himself in his room rather than his study where he had fallen asleep last night. Confused how he got there in the first place Cole sits up and was confronted with the strangest thing ever.
As a young boy who had loved his room. Cole had gladly maintained it when he grew up and became an adult and would like to think he would recognize it anytime, anywhere. However, looking at the decor before him Cole felt like he had just stepped into another room.
In pale blue paint and floral patterns of dark blue, orange, and brown, the room outrageously feminine. Not a room he would have dreamed of finding himself in.
With a curse, Cole swung off the bed and ran a hand over his thick black mane. What the hell was this? Had the servants made a mistake in placing hi
“Gentlemen, what say you to this, she asked with an expectant smile on her face.Emily had returned and was now standing in front of the guest with her hands planted akimbo. She turned and gave her husband one last look. Emerald green eyes met stormy ones and instantly her lips twitched to the side. Almost as if she was proud of herself. At that moment a bittered Cole who had been observing everything with quiet displeasure had the sinking feeling that had his wife been in a possession of a hand fan, she would have gladly been laughing behind it. An observation he wasn't keen on making.His mouth ached from clenching his jaw and as Cole watched. Several men offered a polite excuse and started towards him. Their decisions obvious. His dark brows furrowed and Cole looked away, but not before he saw George Bertram with his black sleeked back hair and a big grin on his face leading the line.The man was enjoying
COOL HAZEL EYES summed up the situation up ahead. From where he stood and watched, the duchess of Hanton tactically dissuades her mother from joining the men.Seeing there was nothing else to be done. Cole swirled around and headed towards the stable, the gentlemen falling in place behind him.Soon thereafter, a pattern was easily established. With Cole several feet away from the men, not too far as they cannot make out his form in the distance and not too near that, he was directly in front of them.With the men behind him, Cole had only his thoughts as a companion and it wasn't anything pleasant. For one, he kept thinking of how Sebastian had ruined his plans and then the matter of his wife, she was too much for him to handle. If he hadn't thought before, now he did. Her present actions bore oh so testament to that. He had to admit the truth if not to anybody, then at least to himself. And he hated that he had to
“Bullocks! I say this is a pretty darn place you have here, lord Tonfield. It's a wonder you don't invite anyone about, Tiverton said as soon as he swung down his horse.“Fishing for another invitation, Tiverton?”“I thought you would never ask.”Cole almost smiled. Instead, he collected the box of the pistol from his footman placed it on top of his horse, and laid it open.So far, his greatest fear since his wife announced this unexpected expedition had not happened. He had thought the men would be a nuisance, a thorn in his side. But so far they had conducted themselves with dignity. Now that he thought of it, his anger had steamed from discovering what Emily had done to his chambers and then that matter of taking the decision from his hand by proposing the shooting game. Perhaps he had been too quick to leap to a conclusion.Lifting the silver pistol, Cole tasted the weight in his hand, turned an
As Cole stepped forward to peer at the target, he discovered he wasn't the only one who wanted to have a look at it. And the deuced man who shot the damn thing didn't even try to look. That irritated Cole. The idea that the man was nonchalant enough to feign disinterest. His actions bore all too testament of pride. Cole's lips compressed into a tight line.The footman brought the bull's eye handing over to Cole. Several heads joined in at once. Two bullets had hit straight in the centre and the remaining one. Judging from the hole, was at least half into the white. Cole swallowed and looked to Sebastian. But his friend gave him 'I told you look' and silently dismissed him from his sight.Cole gritted his teeth and looked away. He dare not look at Lucas.The aftermath of Lucas's shot still left a lingering smell of gunpowder in the air, ruining the fresh air Cole had so admired earlier.“Hell's bell. That
IN COLE'S OPINION, the shooting game had been a disaster. A disaster he could have avoided. He didn't know what bothered him the most, that he had lost several times to Lucas, or he had gloated so much Cole almost felt like snapping at the man. Either way, he felt wretched, and he didn't like it.“You know if you continue frowning like this, the guest would think they are not welcomed, Sebastian said, jarring Cole away from his helpless thoughts.Blinking, he raised his head. He hadn't been aware he had been frowning. He paused and took steady breaths, and tried to relax his face. But he wasn't successful.“I can only imagine what you were thinking, Sebastian chuckled.Surreptitiously, Cole's eyes drifted to where Lucas was standing, a brandy. Snifter in his hand and talking to someone.Following Cole's line of sight, Sebastian grinned. “I thought so.”Cole sighed. “Does he look lik
A Spot near the fire was where Emily was working furiously through a kerchief with her needle. Her husband had been gone all morning, and she hadn't the faintest idea where he could be. After the shooting at the woods, he had taken to avoiding her. Waking up even before she thought to wake. And coming to bed only when he knew she was asleep. Emily frowned, worrying her lower lips, and thought of what her next to do because this right here wasn't working. She can't have him avoiding her as if she were a plague. “Good lord,” Emily cried as she pricked her finger. In her absent-mindless, she put the offending thing into her mouth, brought it out and continued her work, making sure not to drift off.So far, all her previous plans had worked accordingly. Cole had taken her bait and giving her the most satisfying reactions. Reactions which still made her smile whenever she remembered them. Emily strived to irritate Cole, to annoy him. And if possible, to teach him a lesso
EMILY WISHED the ground would open and swallow her. She was dying of embarrassment and was half tempted to lie there on the ground and never get up again. But she made the courageous decision to stand up. Sitting on the ground, she dusted her body off dirt and leaves while trying to avert her eyes from her husband's naked torso. So far he hadn't said a word, and Emily was painfully aware of the silence which surrounded them.“Ahem.” He cleared his throat and her eyes flew to his face. His darkened perceptibly.“What the devil are you doing here, Emily?” He growled slowly.It was such a simple question, one little question that required such a simple answer, but somehow the answer got lodged in her throat. While she was still thinking of the perfect excuse to give. He extended his hand and helped her up. Instantly, Emily bent her head, pretending to dust off the dirt from her dress. Her way of avoiding his question.
SECONDS LATER, a young man arrived with a woman in tow. Emily didn't have to look twice to know who it was. 'Twas her brother Lucas. Behind her, she felt her husband stiffen. And that wasn't the only thing stiffened. She could feel the hard part of him pressing on her lower back. And because of their position and the state of their clothes. It felt as if it was on her naked back. Hot and firm, pushing at her skin. And it didn't help his hand was on her abdomen, trapped between her stomach and her thigh, which had been drawn up to her breast. Because she was sitting between his thigh. Emily felt all these things and more. Blushing, she faced forward, glad he couldn't see her face. “Why have you brought me here," the young woman with Lucas said, turning to face Lucas and Emily realized with a jolt it was Marjorie? Her mouth snapped open.Whatever happened to, 'her brother would have my head?' Did Lucas realize what he was doing?Chuckling, Lucas drew Marjorie closer. One hand resting