Rebecca's Refusal by Amanda Grange Page B
Authors: Amanda Grange
me only last night that her own house had been burgled just before Christmas, and now our house has been attacked. I don't know what is happening to the world these days. It was never like this when I was a girl.'
Behind her, Rebecca heard Charles calling for the footmen as he gathered a party together and went outside in order to search for the miscreants.
And then she felt Joshua put his arm round her shoulder and steer her away from the window. As he did so his arm grazed her skin where, above her long white evening gloves and beneath the short, puffed sleeves of her gown, it was bare. She felt a shiver run up her arm and spread throughout her body. Instinctively she turned to look at him, lips parted, and he, feeling her reaction to his touch, turned towards her, eyes smouldering. There was a look of desire on his face that set her pulses racing. A desire that, alarmingly, was matched by an equally fierce desire of her own.
How had it happened? How had she found herself desiring the most stubborn man she had ever met? The most ruthless and the most perverse? A man who would relegate her to the fireside if she gave him a chance? Who would deny her the right to take an interest in her inheritance? And who, as the final straw, expected her to enter into a loveless marriage for the sake of her reputation? It was of all things the most contrary.
'London grows more dangerous by the day,' sighed Hetty.
Rebecca heard the words through a haze. She could barely hear, let alone think, with Joshua so close by. His presence seemed to be robbing her of an awareness of everything but him; his strongly-moulded features, his mane of hair, his full lips and his penetrating eyes.
With an effort she brought her wandering thoughts back under control.
She could tell that Joshua was making a similar effort. Although his eyes remained locked on hers, he replied to Hetty's remark.
These things happen,' he said.
He had obviously made an effort to speak lightly, but even so his voice came out huskily. The sound of it made Rebecca feel weak.
Making an effort to control her powerful reactions to Joshua, she wrenched her eyes away from his and fastened them once more on the street outside.
T)o . . . ' She stopped. Her voice was weak and trembling. She tried once more. T)o you think it will happen again?' This time, her voice came out almost normally, with only the slightest hint of a quaver.
1 hope not,' said Hetty anxiously.
Fortunately, although she had looked at Rebecca sympathetically when Rebecca's voice had trembled, she seemed to think it was nervousness on Rebecca's part because of the stone flying through the window and nothing more.
*But it might,' said Joshua, who was once more in control of himself. Taking care not to touch Rebecca, he guided her back to the table. 1 suggest we stay away from the windows,' he said.
Rebecca nodded. It was a wise precaution, under the circumstances.
Joshua turned his attention to the table. Reaching out his hand he took the stone from his half- eaten bowl of soup. The bowl had been cracked by the force of the stone, and soup was seeping out onto the damask cloth.
'Oh, no!' exclaimed Hetty, suddenly noticing what a mess it was making.
She rang the bell, and a minute or two later she began directing the servants, instructing them to sweep up the broken china and glass, for the table was covered in fragments from the broken window.
The table will have to be completely cleared,' she told the servants as she superintended their activities.
Joshua turned the stone in his hand, feeling the jagged edges.
Rebecca looked at the stone, then took it out of his hand. She shuddered. It was large and heavy, and the edges were extremely sharp.
Joshua reclaimed it. 'Better not to dwell on it,' he said. 'Come and sit by the fire. You've had a shock.'
'No,' said Rebecca, pulling her shawl more closely around her. 1 must see if Hetty needs any help.'
'No, thank you, my dear, the servants have everything
Behind her, Rebecca heard Charles calling for the footmen as he gathered a party together and went outside in order to search for the miscreants.
And then she felt Joshua put his arm round her shoulder and steer her away from the window. As he did so his arm grazed her skin where, above her long white evening gloves and beneath the short, puffed sleeves of her gown, it was bare. She felt a shiver run up her arm and spread throughout her body. Instinctively she turned to look at him, lips parted, and he, feeling her reaction to his touch, turned towards her, eyes smouldering. There was a look of desire on his face that set her pulses racing. A desire that, alarmingly, was matched by an equally fierce desire of her own.
How had it happened? How had she found herself desiring the most stubborn man she had ever met? The most ruthless and the most perverse? A man who would relegate her to the fireside if she gave him a chance? Who would deny her the right to take an interest in her inheritance? And who, as the final straw, expected her to enter into a loveless marriage for the sake of her reputation? It was of all things the most contrary.
'London grows more dangerous by the day,' sighed Hetty.
Rebecca heard the words through a haze. She could barely hear, let alone think, with Joshua so close by. His presence seemed to be robbing her of an awareness of everything but him; his strongly-moulded features, his mane of hair, his full lips and his penetrating eyes.
With an effort she brought her wandering thoughts back under control.
She could tell that Joshua was making a similar effort. Although his eyes remained locked on hers, he replied to Hetty's remark.
These things happen,' he said.
He had obviously made an effort to speak lightly, but even so his voice came out huskily. The sound of it made Rebecca feel weak.
Making an effort to control her powerful reactions to Joshua, she wrenched her eyes away from his and fastened them once more on the street outside.
T)o . . . ' She stopped. Her voice was weak and trembling. She tried once more. T)o you think it will happen again?' This time, her voice came out almost normally, with only the slightest hint of a quaver.
1 hope not,' said Hetty anxiously.
Fortunately, although she had looked at Rebecca sympathetically when Rebecca's voice had trembled, she seemed to think it was nervousness on Rebecca's part because of the stone flying through the window and nothing more.
*But it might,' said Joshua, who was once more in control of himself. Taking care not to touch Rebecca, he guided her back to the table. 1 suggest we stay away from the windows,' he said.
Rebecca nodded. It was a wise precaution, under the circumstances.
Joshua turned his attention to the table. Reaching out his hand he took the stone from his half- eaten bowl of soup. The bowl had been cracked by the force of the stone, and soup was seeping out onto the damask cloth.
'Oh, no!' exclaimed Hetty, suddenly noticing what a mess it was making.
She rang the bell, and a minute or two later she began directing the servants, instructing them to sweep up the broken china and glass, for the table was covered in fragments from the broken window.
The table will have to be completely cleared,' she told the servants as she superintended their activities.
Joshua turned the stone in his hand, feeling the jagged edges.
Rebecca looked at the stone, then took it out of his hand. She shuddered. It was large and heavy, and the edges were extremely sharp.
Joshua reclaimed it. 'Better not to dwell on it,' he said. 'Come and sit by the fire. You've had a shock.'
'No,' said Rebecca, pulling her shawl more closely around her. 1 must see if Hetty needs any help.'
'No, thank you, my dear, the servants have everything
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