“I expected you to come and explain, not only why you came back but what on earth you think you are doing?”
He looked at her intently and then held out his hand toward her.
“Come over here.”
“No!” She stayed where she was. The last thing her equilibrium needed was to go anywhere near a naked Will in the dark. “I simply want my questions answered, and then I will leave,” she said tersely.
Will dropped his arm and leaned back against the bedhead. The sheet slipped downwards as he moved up the bed, and she quickly looked away. By the time she looked back, he had put it back snugly around his waist.
“Very well,” he said. “Light the candle.”
“I don’t need that either.”
“I refuse to talk to a shadow in the dark, so either you light it, or I will get out of bed, and I will.” Even in the gloom, she could see his amused expression, which only added to her fury. She knew he would do it too. She put out a hand.
“Very well.” She found the flint and tender and lit one of the candles on the dressing table so that it cast a faint orange glow in the room. Being in the room in the dark with him was bad enough; this romantic half-light was worse.Focus Roseshe told herself. She was very aware of him perusing her nightgown, and when he raised his eyes back to hers, his were dancing.
“Pray tell me what is vexing you,” he said as if she were a foolish woman upset by something trivial. She stared at him incredulously.
“What on earth do you think is vexing me?”
When he just stared at her enigmatically and didn’t answer, she said, “You left here, engaged to be married. I have no news from youin days. Then you send a brief note, without even explaining what transpired. Upon yourdelayedreturn, you spend your entire evening encouraging my marriage to Ernest.”
“I did not!”
“Well, you agreed to arrange everything in a day and insisted you were an expert in the process.”
He just stared at her again, his head slightly to one side, seemingly unperturbed by her tone.
“Rose,” he said finally. “Do you not think that the time for marriage has arrived? You can’t procrastinate forever.”
Rose reeled at his words. Was he ready for this moment? To see her marry someone else? Again?
“I believe there is no rush to cement the nuptials.”
“Perhaps the groom feels otherwise,” he said, holding her gaze.
“And are you an expert on what the groom requires?” she demanded.
“I like to think so, yes.”
“Is that why you agreed to arrange everything in a hurry? Because you and Ernest are so close now that you know if you help him in this, he will put even more money into your business?”
“You must think me very shallow!”
“I would say there is a shallow streak at work Mr. Browning if you can sit there, handing him the entire dreams ofourwedding by the river.”
Will shrugged. “The Duke was merely eliciting my opinion of a perfect wedding. You already knew it.”
“Well, you didn’t have to tell him,” she half-shouted.
“Do you believe it would have made any difference if I hadn’t?”
He was sitting there so calmly while she felt hot and discomforted, and she was so incensed with his tone and manner that she felt like she might burst.
“I do not feel the time is right to marry Ernest,” she stated.
“Do you truly think it will ever be?” he asked, his expression becoming even more intent.