Page 139 of Storm of Bells
‘Careful, Sir, careful!’ I admonished.‘That’s only ten years old and still in mint condi—mmph!’
His lips covered mine, cutting me off,and…oh…
Normally, I hated nothing more than someonetrying to shut me up. Freedom of speech was an indispensable right!But this? I could get used to this. Scratch that. Iwasgoing to get used to this, and go on strike if I didn’t get myregular dose. His hands were everywhere, undoing my laces, pullingaside layer after layer of clothing. And another layer. Andanother. Darn, someone really needed to simplify ladies’ underwear!Meanwhile, my hands were no less busy, sliding down his torso,feeling every hard ridge and valley of his upper body until theyarrived at his trousers and slipped into his side pockets to checkfor—
He stiffened.
Uh-oh…
In a flash, two strong hands were wrappedaround my wrists and tore them out of his ten-year-oldmint-condition trousers. A moment later, my arms were pinned to thebed, and his face was inches away from mine. Cold, hard,immeasurably deep eyes stared straight into mine.
‘What,’ he asked, his voice colder and moredeadly than the tip of a deep-frozen bayonet, ‘are you doing, MissLinton?’
‘Me?’ I blinked up at him innocently.‘Nothing, I, um…I was just…’
Darn, where was a good lie when you neededone?
I cleared my throat. ‘Well…I was going towait to tell you until after…you know. So you’d be in a bettermood.’
His gaze didn’t flicker away from mine for aninstant. ‘Do I look as if my mood is going to improve inforeseeable future, Miss Linton?’
‘Err…no.’
‘I thought as much. Now. What. Were. You.Doing.’
I cleared my throat again. ‘Um…do youremember how you said that nothing could be worse than a house fullladies of the night running rampant?’
‘Yes?’
‘Hold on to that thought. Hold onto itreally, really tight.’
The Wonderful Virtues ofWomen
‘Sahib? Sahib?I heard shouts from up here!What is—?’ The door flew open, and Karim stormed inside—only tocome to an abrupt halt and cover his eyes with both hands.‘Kuthay da puthar!’[30]
‘Actually, I’m a human female,’ I said,pulling a blanket over me. ‘Which, by the way, should have beenpretty much evident. I’m notthatbadly endowed, thank youvery much.’
‘I humbly beg your pardon,Sahib!’Karim groaned, his eyes still covered, and bowed deeply to thebedside table. ‘May my eyes burn! I would never have…if I’dknown…!’
‘You beghispardon?’ My eyesnarrowed. ‘Excuse me! Whose bits exactly were you gawking at? Doesmy dear fiancé have anatomic attributes I haven’t noticed sofar?’
‘Pardon granted, Karim,’ Mr Ambrose answered,completely ignoring me. A familiar muscle in his cheek wastwitching. ‘These are…special circumstances.’
‘Yes,Sahib. I heard shouting fromupstairs and thought…’ He turned his head left and right,apparently convinced he’d be able to detect villainous intrudersmerely with his finely tuned bodyguard ears. ‘Is somethingwrong?’
‘That depends.’ Mr Ambrose sent me a lookthat made me wish for a thicker blanket. Or maybe a rock or two tohide under? ‘Would you call the woman you are intending to bindyourself to for life stabbing you in the back “wrong”?’
‘Oh, get over yourself!’ I waved his wordsaway. ‘I was going to tell you. I was just going to wait until youhad gotten over the, um…well…’
‘…gaggle of prostitutes invading myhome?’
‘Ah, yes. That.’
‘Three prostitutes that you plan to have asyour bridesmaids?’
‘Um…yes.’
Karim’s arms fell limp to his side.
