Page 39 of Storm of Bells
Ella nodded vigorously. ‘So distinguished. Soself-possessed.’
Mr Ambrose’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally.‘Three,’ he said.
‘The way he says that!’ Eve shivered. ‘Nowonder she fell for him! Do you think they’ve got any more like himwhere they made him?’
Ella jabbed Eve in the ribs. ‘Eve! Controlyourself.’
‘Yes, yes, I know, but…’ Eve gave a dreamysigh.
‘Two,’ Mr Ambrose said.
‘Why is he counting down?’ Eve whispered.
‘No idea. Maybe we should ask and—’
‘One.’
Without waiting for any reaction, Mr Ambrosemarched past the two startled ladies.
‘W-where is he going?’ Eve demanded.
I glanced after him, a loving smile playingaround my lips. ‘I assume he’s gone in search of someone who cancommunicate in short sentences composed mainly of monosyllabicwords to plan the wedding with.’
‘But…but the only person like that in thishouse is Uncle Bufford!’
‘Yes.’
Ella paled, abject horror written all overher face.
‘He’s going to try toplan your weddingtogether withUncle Bufford?’
‘Apparently.’
‘Move!’ Grabbing Eve and me by the hands,Ella dashed after Mr Ambrose. ‘This is an emergency! Mr Ambrose! MrAmbrose, don’t go! I’ve got things to discuss with you!’
He was already halfway up the stairs by thetime she caught up with him. Leaping forward, she clung to his armlike a limpet.
‘Won’t you come down into the drawing room,Mr Ambrose? You can sit down there and make yourself comfortableand…’
‘No.’
‘Well, you can also stand, of course, if youprefer. Just come away from those draughty stairs. There’s nothinginteresting up there. Nothing whatsoever.’
‘No?’
‘No! Definitely not. Come. Down thisway.’
She tugged at him with all her might—and hedidn’t move an inch. Instead, he turned his head and sent a look myway.
I nodded, and sent an encouraging smile hisway.
He responded with an icy stare. Poor man!
With a long-suffering lack of expression onhis face, he let himself be led into the drawing room. When Ellatried to pull him to a comfortable sofa, however, he freed himselffrom her grip and took up a position in a corner of the room, hisback to the wall, his intense eyes focused on the two girls eyeinghim apprehensively. I could understand their feelings. Seeing himlike this, this powerful, beautiful man, there was some small partof me that couldn’t help but whisper:Is he really mine? Is thisall a dream?
Of course, there was also that other, moreprominent part of me, which went:Whoopee! Yes, yes, yessssss!I’ve got him!
Ella cleared her throat.
