Part 15 (1/2)
”Only way to get a word in edgewise,” he returned.
”Then have your word.”
”Thank you.” He lowered his brow, but leaned forward to catch and hold her eye. ”I am willing to compromise on the matter of you staying within sight at all times, but not on this-you will not, at any time, leave Pallton House grounds.”
She considered that. It wasn't as asinine as his first order. And she had practically given her word that she would adhere to his orders. She had no intention of breaking her promise. But what if the ladies took it into their heads to go out for a picnic in the nearby countryside, or her mother asked her to go into town for a bit of shopping?
She pressed her lips into a line. Partic.i.p.ating in the investigation was becoming more bother than it was worth. ”What if I've need-?”
”No more arguments, Kate,” he cut in for what she thought must be the hundredth time. The aggravating oaf. ”You will will remain on the grounds at all times, or I will inform your brother of your involvement in this mission and let him decide what's to be done with you.” remain on the grounds at all times, or I will inform your brother of your involvement in this mission and let him decide what's to be done with you.”
”Decide what's...?” She gaped at him yet again-just for a moment, just long enough for the waves of insult and indignation to solidify into the far more useful emotion of fury.
”You,” she began coolly, rising from her chair, ”and that ultimatum, may go straight to the devil. that ultimatum, may go straight to the devil. I I shall inform Whit of my involvement, and shall inform Whit of my involvement, and I I shall decide what is to be done with me after that.” She sniffed once and looked down her nose at him. ”I'll leave it to William Fletcher to decide what's to be done with shall decide what is to be done with me after that.” She sniffed once and looked down her nose at him. ”I'll leave it to William Fletcher to decide what's to be done with you you.”
”Holy h.e.l.l, you're stubborn.” His voice was more awed than angry. ”You're quite serious, aren't you? You'll tell Whit yourself.”
”Yes.”
”He's mentioned you can be mule-headed,” he commented in an aren't-you-rather-interesting sort of way that turned the edges of her vision red, ”but this this I hardly expected.” I hardly expected.”
”Apparently, you don't know me as well as you would like to think.”
”Apparently,” he agreed. He leaned forward in his chair and motioned toward the door. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and just a little taunting. ”Go on and tell him, then. It should be interesting to see how he takes the news of your untrustworthy behavior.”
”I beg your pardon?” Her tone was sharp enough to cut gla.s.s.
”You agreed to adhere to my orders.” He sat back against the cus.h.i.+ons of the chair once more. ”You've broken your word.”
Kate took a slow, deep breath through her nose in an effort to control the overwhelming wave of emotions that insult had provoked. Coles never never broke their word, not since her father had pa.s.sed. It was a matter of utmost pride for every member of the family. The accusation that she had failed to uphold that honor infuriated nearly as much as it wounded. broke their word, not since her father had pa.s.sed. It was a matter of utmost pride for every member of the family. The accusation that she had failed to uphold that honor infuriated nearly as much as it wounded.
She didn't speak again until she was certain she could do so in a voice that was confident rather than thready. ”Unlike you, my brother knows me too well to question my integrity. Had you let me explain myself rather than rus.h.i.+ng to a.s.sume the very worst of me, you'd have known I was only looking for clarification of your order, not seeking to excuse myself from a promise.”
His dark eyes searched her face. ”You meant to keep your word?”
”I always always keep my word.” She spun on her heel, headed toward the door, and threw a parting shot over her shoulder. ”And I give you my word that Whit won't cast aspersions on-” keep my word.” She spun on her heel, headed toward the door, and threw a parting shot over her shoulder. ”And I give you my word that Whit won't cast aspersions on-”
”I'm ordering you not to inform your brother of your involvement.”
She stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around. She couldn't. She simply could not look at the man...not without risking doing him a physical injury.
”Not tonight, Kate.” His voice had gentled, a fact that only added fuel to her fury. There was nothing more grating than being enraged and having the object of that rage remain calm and collected. ”You're angry,” he continued. ”It would appear you've some right-”
She turned around for that, and found he'd risen from his chair, his hands clasped behind his back. ”I've ample right,” she bit off.
”Be that as it may, I am ordering you to wait twenty-four hours before making a decision you might regret.”
She'd have given nearly anything in that moment to tell him she would speak to Whit at the time of her choosing, and the devil take his orders. But she couldn't, not without proving him right. Furious, she spun around again, reached the door, and spun back. ”Don't forget to send a footman for Mr. Potsbottom.”
Hunter didn't bother with the footman. His own temper still simmering, he followed Kate at a discreet distance to be certain she made it safely back to her room, then went directly to the music room where he found Potsbottom snoring in the very spot where they'd left him.
Hunter toed him with his boot. ”Get up.”
When that failed to illicit more than a loud gurgle, Hunter stalked over to a vase with cut flowers and stalked back to dump the contents over the boy's head.
Potsbottom lurched violently and flailed his arms as if warding off an attacker. ”Wazzat? Wazzat?”
”Awake now, are we?”
Mr. Potsbottom stared at him, eyes wide and uncomprehending. ”Wazzat?”
Awake, Hunter ascertained, but nowhere near sober. ”Get on your feet. We're going to the stables.”
Mr. Potsbottom required some a.s.sistance in fulfilling that command, which Hunter provided in the form of dragging him up and hauling him out the door. Under normal conditions the walk to the stable took under a minute, but with Mr. Potsbottom's stumbling, lurching, and tripping-all whilst babbling unintelligible nonsense-it was at least five before Hunter pushed through the doors, and then shoved Mr. Potsbottom against the wall of the nearest stall.
His instinct was to follow up that shove with a right jab to the nose, then a left jab to the jaw, and then a serious of blows to the gut, and then...Well, he just wanted to beat the man unconscious.
Pity a man couldn't answer questions when he was unconscious. While Hunter was debating his limited options, Mr. Potsbottom mumbled something about heaven, or possibly lemons, and his eyes began to roll back in his head.
Hunter shoved him again. ”Stay awake, Potsbottom.”
”What?”
That was an improvement, anyway. ”You've questions to answer. Let's begin with why you thought Lady Kate would appreciate your attentions.”
”Lady Kate?” Mr. Potsbottom squeezed his eyes shut on a groan. ”Mistake...Terrible...Sorry...” His head began to loll to the side then snapped back up again when Hunter gave him a hard shake. ”Didn't mean...frighten her...I'd never...”
”You did.”
”Terrible...Said she wanted a kiss...She said...” He blinked owlishly and looked around a little. ”We in the stables?”
”Lady Kate said she wanted a kiss?” He didn't believe that, not for a second.
”Huh?”
Hunter ground his teeth together. ”Did Lady Kate ask you to kiss her?”
”No...No, don't think she wanted...Might have frightened her...Didn't mean...I'd never...” His face suddenly took on a green cast. ”Gonna be sick...”
Hunter let him go and took a step back. Mr. Potsbottom staggered away a few feet and bent at the waist as if to toss up his wine. But rather than ridding his body of the poison, he kept bending forward slowly until he'd finally toppled to the ground headfirst.
Hunter curled his lip in disgust and wondered if it would be worth the effort to drag the sot up again. Probably not. From what he knew of Mr. Potsbottom, and what little-what very very little-the drunken fool had been able to make clear, it was fairly obvious the young man had been drunk, clumsy, and stupid when he'd turned his attentions on Kate, but hadn't intended to harm. little-the drunken fool had been able to make clear, it was fairly obvious the young man had been drunk, clumsy, and stupid when he'd turned his attentions on Kate, but hadn't intended to harm.
He'd have another talk with him in London, a sober one, about limiting his drink. And to make certain he kept his tongue in his head.