I would be pleased to participate in this conversation to a greater degree," he drawled, "except that you have not seen fit to share with me of the details of your life."
"It was not an oversight on my part."
He clucked disapprovingly. "So hostile."
Her eyes bugged out. "You abducted me-"
Coerced," he reminded her.
"Do you me to hit you?"
"I wouldn't mind it," he said mildly. "And besides, now that you're here, was it really so very terrible that I browbeat you into coming? You like my family, don't you?"
"Yes,but-"
"And they treat you fairly, right?"
"Yes,but-"
"Then what," he asked, his tone most supercilious, "is the problem?"
Sophie almost lost her temper. She almost jumped to her feet and grabbed his shoulders and shook and shook and shook, but at the last moment she realized that that was exactly what he wanted her to do.And so instead she merely sniffed and said, "If you cannot recognize the problem, there is no way that I could explain it to you."
He laughed,damn the man. "My goodness," he said, "that was an expert sidestep."
She picked up her book and opened it. "I'm reading."
"Trying,at least," he murmured.
She flipped a page, even though she hadn't read that last two paragraphs. She was really just trying to make a show of ignoring him, and besides, she could always go back and read them later, after he left.
"Your book is upside down," he pointed out. Sophie gasped and looked down. "It is not!"
He smiled slyly. "But you still had to look to be sure, didn't you?"
She stood up and announced, "I'm going inside."
He stood immediately. "And leave the splendid spring air?"
"And leave ," she retorted, even though his gesture of respect was not lost on her. Gentleman did not ordinarily stand for mere servants.
"Pity," he murmured. "I was having such fun."
Sophie wondered how much injury he'd sustain if she threw the book at him. Probably not enough to make up for the loss to her dignity.
"It was not an oversight on my part."
He clucked disapprovingly. "So hostile."
Her eyes bugged out. "You abducted me-"
Coerced," he reminded her.
"Do you me to hit you?"
"I wouldn't mind it," he said mildly. "And besides, now that you're here, was it really so very terrible that I browbeat you into coming? You like my family, don't you?"
"Yes,but-"
"And they treat you fairly, right?"
"Yes,but-"
"Then what," he asked, his tone most supercilious, "is the problem?"
Sophie almost lost her temper. She almost jumped to her feet and grabbed his shoulders and shook and shook and shook, but at the last moment she realized that that was exactly what he wanted her to do.And so instead she merely sniffed and said, "If you cannot recognize the problem, there is no way that I could explain it to you."
He laughed,damn the man. "My goodness," he said, "that was an expert sidestep."
She picked up her book and opened it. "I'm reading."
"Trying,at least," he murmured.
She flipped a page, even though she hadn't read that last two paragraphs. She was really just trying to make a show of ignoring him, and besides, she could always go back and read them later, after he left.
"Your book is upside down," he pointed out. Sophie gasped and looked down. "It is not!"
He smiled slyly. "But you still had to look to be sure, didn't you?"
She stood up and announced, "I'm going inside."
He stood immediately. "And leave the splendid spring air?"
"And leave ," she retorted, even though his gesture of respect was not lost on her. Gentleman did not ordinarily stand for mere servants.
"Pity," he murmured. "I was having such fun."
Sophie wondered how much injury he'd sustain if she threw the book at him. Probably not enough to make up for the loss to her dignity.
( Julia Quinn )
[ An Offer From a Gentleman ]
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