Page 28 of The Hellion and the Captain
“A physician once told me it can help with injuries. I’ve tried it a few times. He was right.”
“Are you still upset with me?” she asked, her lips curling up into a hint of that beautiful smile she possessed.
“You lied to me,” he said, nearly cursing as he realized how vulnerable he was with her, allowing her to see why he was annoyed.
“I had to,” she said, blinking. “You would never have allowed me to play.”
“Of course not.”
“And just why should Inot?”
“Because,” he said stupidly, before attempting to provide further eloquence, as she so put it, “you’re a woman.”
“That’s not a reason. I’m just as good as half of those men, Rhys, and you know it.”
“You’re slow.”
“I’m working on it,” she said through gritted teeth, standing now and gathering all of her clothing in a cloth bag. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must be going.”
“Can’t miss teatime,” he couldn’t help but impart as she stormed by him.
As he watched her go, he considered that of all he was feeling, what bothered him the most was his regret.
Emmaline did not last long at home.
After a proper bath, which finally warmed her after the cold had soaked through to her bones, she gingerly dressed with help from her maid, who was absolutely appalled at the bruising on her ribs.
“I fell down the stairs,” Emmaline lied. Her maid nodded, although she didn’t appear to completely believe the excuse.
Emmaline sat in the parlor and tried to read, but stayedthere only a few minutes before she stood up, her eyes falling on her mother’s desk, and she began to work on some of the brochures her mother had left her to help prepare for her next rally. That also failed to keep her attention for more than a few minutes. Upon peering into the gardens to see that the rain had passed by, leaving a slight mist and beautiful rain clouds in its wake, Emmaline found her cloak and decided to go for a stroll.
A stroll that found her heading out of her family’s property toward Lily’s, where she intended to tell her friend all that occurred, specifically how very vexed she was with a certain captain who held far too many opinions.
Ill opinions that she disagreed with.
She walked up the hedgerow-lined front path, a winding trail of vibrant greenery, dotted with colorful flowers and trimmed to perfection. She barely noticed the cozy archway that led to the entrance as she pushed open the front door as Lily had told her to, opening her mouth to air all of her grievances, only to find the cause of such grievances staring back at her from across the front drawing room.
“You,” she said, pointing at him, her lips pursed, her brow furrowed.
If only he hadn’t walked into the changing room. If only he hadn’t been so stubborn in his principles. If only he weren’t so handsome, so attractive, the only man who made her blood sing.
If only.
“Me?” he said incredulously, pointing a finger back at himself. “I have done absolutely nothing, miss deceiver.”
“Pardon me?”
“Hold on a minute,” Colin said, stepping up from the sofa. Emmaline hadn’t even noticed him and Lily sitting together, so focused had she been on Rhys, who she nowrealized had been pacing back and forth. “Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Emmaline, do come in.”
She strode through the room, sitting in the chair across from Lily and Colin. “Well?” she said, looking up at Rhys. “Will you stand there and lord over us all, or will you sit and join us?”
He quirked an eyebrow at her before slowly, methodically, crossing the room and lowering himself into the chair beside hers, not breaking her gaze the entire time.
When he finally sat, she nodded, satisfied.
“Emmaline, Rhys arrived a few minutes before you did and has only had time to tell us of his discovery. It seems,” Colin began tactfully, “that there have been some… secrets kept.”
“Deception,” Rhys interjected before he pushed himself to sit upright, his eyes narrowed on Colin. “Tell me you didn’t know about this.”
