Standing at the window overlooking the lawn, Jordan and Alexandra Townsende watched the couple heading toward them. "If you'd asked me to name the last man on earth I would have expected to fall head over heels for a slip of a girl, it would have been Ian Thornton," he told her.
His wife heard that with a sidewise look of extreme amusement. "If been asked, I rather think I would have named "
"I'm sure you would have," he said, grinning. He saw her smile fade, and he put his arm around her waist, instantly concerned that her pregnancy was causing her discomfort. "Is it the babe, darling?"
She burst out laughing and shook her head, but she sobered again almost instantly. "Do you think," she asked pensively, "he can be trusted not to hurt her? He's done so much damage that I-I just cannot like him, Jordan. He's handsome, I'll grant you that, extraordinarily handsome-"
"Not handsome," Jordan said, stung. And this time Alexandra dissolved in mirth. Turning, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "Actually, he rather reminds me of you," she said, "in his coloring and height and build."
"I hope that hasn't anything to do with why you can't like him," her husband teased.
"Jordan, do stop. I'm worried, really I am. He's-well, he almost frightens me. Even though he seems very civilized on the surface, there's a forcefulness, maybe even a ruthlessness beneath his polished manners. And he stops at nothing when he wants something. I saw that yesterday when he came to the house and persuaded Elizabeth to agree to marry him."
Turning, Jordan looked at her with a mixture of intent interest, surprise, and amusement. "Go on," he said.
"Well, at this particular moment he wants Elizabeth, and I can't help fearing it's a whim."
"You wouldn't have thought that if you'd seen his face blanch the other night when he realized she was going to try to brave society without his help."
"Really? You're certain?"
"Positive."
"Are you certain you know him well enough to judge him?"
"Absolutely certain," he averred.
"How well do you know him?"
"Ian," Jordan said with a grin, "is my sixth cousin."
"Your what? You're joking! Why didn't you tell me before?
His wife heard that with a sidewise look of extreme amusement. "If been asked, I rather think I would have named "
"I'm sure you would have," he said, grinning. He saw her smile fade, and he put his arm around her waist, instantly concerned that her pregnancy was causing her discomfort. "Is it the babe, darling?"
She burst out laughing and shook her head, but she sobered again almost instantly. "Do you think," she asked pensively, "he can be trusted not to hurt her? He's done so much damage that I-I just cannot like him, Jordan. He's handsome, I'll grant you that, extraordinarily handsome-"
"Not handsome," Jordan said, stung. And this time Alexandra dissolved in mirth. Turning, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly. "Actually, he rather reminds me of you," she said, "in his coloring and height and build."
"I hope that hasn't anything to do with why you can't like him," her husband teased.
"Jordan, do stop. I'm worried, really I am. He's-well, he almost frightens me. Even though he seems very civilized on the surface, there's a forcefulness, maybe even a ruthlessness beneath his polished manners. And he stops at nothing when he wants something. I saw that yesterday when he came to the house and persuaded Elizabeth to agree to marry him."
Turning, Jordan looked at her with a mixture of intent interest, surprise, and amusement. "Go on," he said.
"Well, at this particular moment he wants Elizabeth, and I can't help fearing it's a whim."
"You wouldn't have thought that if you'd seen his face blanch the other night when he realized she was going to try to brave society without his help."
"Really? You're certain?"
"Positive."
"Are you certain you know him well enough to judge him?"
"Absolutely certain," he averred.
"How well do you know him?"
"Ian," Jordan said with a grin, "is my sixth cousin."
"Your what? You're joking! Why didn't you tell me before?
( Judith McNaught )
[ Almost Heaven ]
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