Page 129 of Outrageous

“I should think that was obvious.”

Her fingers stopped. “You don’t think they are going to try to take us all the way to the border?”

“I have no idea.” He hesitated and then said, “I do know that your James wrote Andrew to tell him you were engaged to marry— in a few days, if I recall correctly.” As if the date isn’t emblazoned on your brain, Godric.

“You read Andrew’s mail?” she asked in horror.

“Not on purpose.” He grimaced. “Hell, that’s a lie. He left it in my pile of correspondence and I’d read a quarter of it before I realized it wasn’t for me.”

“So then you read the rest of it.”

“Have your laugh; I’m sure you’ve never invaded anyone’s privacy.” Again her hands stopped. “Are you actually getting anywhere back there?” he asked.

“Perhaps you wish to untie it yourself,” she snapped, falling for his diversionary tactics just like a baby rabbit wandering into a snare. “And what did you mean with your snide reference to invasions of privacy?”

So, not a baby rabbit, after all.

Godric sighed. Why keep lying? Being in this carriage with her is a bloody gift—even if it feels like ripping a bandage off a still raw wound.

“I know you were listening at the door in the inn that day.”

This time her hands disappeared entirely, as did the warmth of her body. Godric turned to find her back on her seat, her face flaming before she grabbed the drapes and yanked them shut, plunging the carriage back into near darkness.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because I regretted saying the words I said as soon as they left my mouth that day.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me and apologize?”

He ground his teeth. “Because I thought I was doing the best thing for you—giving you a gift by getting you away from me.”

Bitter laugher filled the darkened space. “You have an odd sense of what constitutes a gift, Godric.”

“I was a bloody fool, and when I read about your marriage to Byer—well, I behaved like an even bigger fool.”

“Explain.”

He was grateful for the darkness, because his face must look like a flaming torch. “I did not do well after I returned to Cross Hall. Andrew was concerned for me. He brought in a doctor—”

“Were you ill?”

Was that concern he heard? A glimmer?

“Godric, please don’t make me drag this out of you piecemeal.”

“I was drinking so that I could sleep; I was drinking so I could forget. I wanted to forget you, Eva.”

Small hands landed on his chest and shoved him back against the seat. “Why are you telling me this now? Do you think I’m so stupid as to believe you’ve had a miraculous turnabout? Who told you, Godric? Is that why you’re here? Is this all some elaborate prank?”

Godric inhaled her scent deeply into his lungs. “Told me?” he repeated stupidly.

She shoved him hard enough to make his head smack against the wood above the squabs.

“Ow! Dammit, Eva.”

“Who told you?”

“Told me what?”