Page 10 of A Deal with the Broken Duke
Lord Stickland frowned. “You ought to showmesome respect.”
Apparently, Juliet didn’t think so. “I’ll come and find you later, perhaps,” she insisted. “Right now, I want to finish this conversation with my brother.”
“I don’t think youwillcome and find me later,” Lord Stickland said mulishly. “You walked off the dance floor in the middle of our dance.”
“I did nothing of the sort. The dance was at an end. You wanted me for a second dance.”
“Well, you must admit that’s customary! And you agreed to the first one! I think you owe me a second dance, Lady Juliet.”
Juliet looked deeply frustrated. “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she murmured. “I suppose you and I will have to talk later.”
Of course, they had hardly been talking at all. Harry had noticed that. He wondered if this Lord Stickland had noticed it too.
“It’s all right,” Daniel said, raising his eyebrows. “I’ll be here.”
Juliet allowed Lord Stickland to take her arm and lead her away.
“She doesn’t seem very fond of him,” Harry noted, watching them go.
“No, she isn’t,” Daniel agreed. He turned to accept a couple of wine glasses from a passing servant. “Lord Stickland has been following her around like the Pied Piper ever since last season. I think she’s made it perfectly clear that she isn’t interested.”
“It was clear tome, and I only saw them together for a few seconds.” Harry shook his head. “If he hasn’t figured it out, it’s only because he’s not willing to see what’s right in front of his face.”
“Yes, that sums him up well.” Daniel nodded. “He’s making a right fool of himself, in my opinion, but I suppose if that’s the way he wants to behave, it’s his business.”
Harry was still watching Lord Stickland and Juliet.
Lord Stickland hadn’t led her to the dance floor the way he had suggested he would. Instead, they had reached a door that Harry knew led out to a small patio, and as he watched, Lord Stickland pulled Juliet through it.
Perhaps he was imagining things, but he could have sworn she looked like she was trying to pull away from him.
He set his drink down. “Excuse me,” he said to Daniel and made his way across the dance floor towards the patio, determined to find out for himself what was going on.
CHAPTERTHREE
“Ithought we were going to dance,” Juliet protested. “What is this, Lord Stickland?”
“You wanted to have a conversation, not a dance,” Lord Stickland retorted. “I would have thought you would be happy with this, Lady Juliet.”
“The conversation I wanted to have was with my brother,” Juliet snapped. “If you were trying to make me happy, you would have left me in his company.”
Lord Stickland frowned at her. “You’ve been awfully rude this evening,” he said. “It really is most unlike you. You’re fortunate that I’m so forgiving. I know how emotional young ladies can be. You needn’t worry, I won’t think any less of you once you come back to your senses.”
“I don’t believe I’ve taken leave of my senses,” Juliet said angrily.
Lord Stickland tugged at her elbow. “Come over here.”
“What? Where are you taking me?”
“Just out along the patio a little way.”
“I’m not going with you.” She pulled her arm free and started to go back towards the door, but he caught her by the wrist and held her in place.
She had been irritated by Lord Stickland before. She had never liked him, but this was the first time she had felt frightened by him. Being held against her will like this made her feel trapped and unsafe, and she wanted nothing more than to be released and to run back into the house.
She tried to pull away again, but this time she found herself unable to do so. His grip on her was too tight.
“I just want totalkto you.” His earnest expression and innocent tone did not at all match the way he was treating her. “What’s so awful about that?”
