Page 74 of The Bodyguard Who Came in from the Cold
“Margery,” he whispered her name against her lips, “this is dangerous.”
She pressed kisses to his cheek and chin and neck. “I know. Isn’t it fun?”
He lifted his head and held her away. “But as I left the corridor, I thought I heard?—”
There was a brisk knock at the door. She stared at it, wide-eyed.
“—your brothers,” Gareth whispered.
She nodded frantically toward the window, then followed him to make sure he couldn’t be seen behind the draperies. She took a deep breath, pulled her dressing gown tighter, and marched to the door.
When she opened it up, Reynold and James stood there. They weren’t smiling.
“Might we come in, baby?” Reynold asked.
“Of course, though it is rather late.” She winced at his old nickname for her, and stepped back as they walked past her. She longed to run down the empty corridor, as far away as she could.
But she was stronger now. She was a woman who wanted to play the game of life by a man’s rules—and she was doing it. She found herself wondering how often her brothers had had women in their chambers.
Margery shut the door, then gestured to the chairs before the hearth. As they each sat down, she pulled up another chair from the corner of the room.
James cleared his throat. “Do you know Beaumont’s true purpose for being at Hawksbury?”
She stiffened and thought of poor Gareth listening to this. “You can’t even be civil before you start in with your questions? No ‘how are you, how was your evening?’”
“How are you? How was your evening?” James repeated with a smile.
“Fine and fine.” She got to her feet. “You may both go now.”
Reynold stood up and put his arm around her shoulder. “Baby?—”
“Do not call me that!” she said, pulling away from him. “You’re trying to remind me that I am still your little sister. But I’m a woman now, and have been given the freedom to make my own decisions.”
“We know that,” Reynold said quietly. “And I only call you that name because it has good memories for me.”
“It does for me as well, but I am no longer the same person.”
“We can see that,” James said, leaning back in his chair and stretching out his legs. “But that doesn’t negate our concern. Do you know of Beaumont’s past? If you did, you wouldn’t have him here.”
“I know everything. He is my friend, he has always been my friend. And if he wants to court me, like every other man I meet, then who are you to stop him?”
“But he is so unsuitable!” James said with obvious frustration.
“Did you ever think that might be one of the reasons I like him?” Margery demanded, knowing she only said it to be shocking.
Why did they have to keep insisting that they knew better than she did? For a wild moment, she wanted to rip open the draperies and reveal her forbidden dalliance with Gareth. But it would only be spite on her part, and she couldn’t use Gareth just to make a point.
She longed to have this whole “husband hunt” over with. Yet then she thought of Gareth, and the pleasure of looking forward to her evenings with him. He would leave her after she married, and her nights would be lonely.
The idea of him not being in her life was beginning to hurt.
Reynold stepped between them. “I am sorry we disturbed you, sweetheart,” he said, and hauled James out of his seat. “Maybe we interfere too much. Maybe we should have trusted you all those years ago, instead of sending Gareth to another foster home.”
Margery stared at him, trying to remember to breathe. “You sent him away?” She couldn’t stop herself from glancing at the window in horror. Gareth had saved her life and her brothers had sent him away.Thiswas why Gareth was so bitter toward her family. My God, did he think even she was involved?
“It was my decision,” James said. “Do not blame Reynold.”
“We made it together,” Reynold insisted. “Father had just died, and you were our responsibility.”
