Page 184 of Storm of Bells
‘Yes, Sir!’
‘You, too, Miss Linton!’
‘My ankle is twisted, don’t you remember?’ Ibatted my eyelashes up at him. ‘I’m a helpless little damsel.Perhaps someone should carry me.’
‘Hm.’ Mr Ambrose stroked his chin. ‘Yes,perhaps you are correct.’
Beaming, I leaned back against him.Sometimes, taking a holiday from feminism could be worth it.
‘Karim! Come over here! I need you to carrysome baggage for me.’
Scratch that!
‘What’ I hissed, ‘did you say?’
‘What?’ Karim croaked.‘Sahib…you can’t…I couldn’t…’
‘Oh yes, you can. Here.’ Reaching out, MrAmbrose handed the bodyguard his staff and a bag. ‘I’ll need myhands free for this.’ And, bending down, he swept out my legs fromunder me, pulling me up into his arms. My mouth, which had justbeen about to open to spout insults at him, fell open even fartherfor entirely different reasons.
‘You…you devious son of a bachelor!’
‘Indeed.’ Bending down, he pressed a lightkiss to my forehead. ‘Let’s go, shall we? Or else you might twistsomething else, my helpless little damsel.’
‘I’ll twist you into knots, you arrogant,chauvinistic—’
‘—man you agreed to marry?’
Well, he had me there, blast him!
Turning, he tucked me more tightly into hischest and strode off into the forest, followed by an excited youngstable boy and a bodyguard murmuring something about shocks andnear heart failure in Punjabi.
‘To the carriage, everyone!’
‘…ko'i vicara nahi?, asathira kama karana di'a?sathiti'a?—yes,Sahib! Right away,Sahib!’[33]
We moved through the forest, Mr Ambrosemarching at the head, holding me tight. Deep under the shadows ofthe trees, he leaned down towards me until his lips caressed myear.
‘So, what did you find?’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘What did I find? Youdidn’t even askifI found something.’
Reaching out, he captured my chin in onehand. One thumb gently stroked across my cheek. ‘Because I knowyou. Results. Now.’
‘You’re so sweet to your injured love, youknow?’
‘Results, Miss Linton. I’m waiting.’
I told him all about the documents I hadstashed away beneath my clothes. Eyes sparkling, Mr Ambrose’s coldgaze wandered over me.
‘Miss Linton?’
‘Yes, Sir?’
‘Never have I felt such an intense desire totear your clothes off this very instant.’
My mouth quirked up in a smile. ‘I’m not surewhether I should consider that a compliment or an insult.’
‘Both, I would say.’
