Page 8 of Dare to Risk it All

“No, he didn’t! Well, not on purpose, and that’s entirely different.”

“How?”

“It just is.”

“Is not.”

“Is so.”

“Oh! Leave me alone,” Greer said, exasperated, and stalked off ahead.

She was thoroughly vexed now, and her twin’s words had the usual effect of making her do the complete opposite of whatever Elspeth wanted her to do.

“My lord,” she called out, hurrying towards the men.

Lord de Ligne turned, and she was unsurprised to see irritation flash in his eyes. Surely, they were violet, not merely blue?

“Miss Cadogan,” he said, his tone as cool as the crisp December air.

“I wish to speak with you.”

“Why?” he demanded with obvious suspicion.

Greer quirked an eyebrow. “Because I have something to say?”

His expression was not encouraging. “Well, I suppose I cannot stop you,” he said, though he looked very much as if he wanted to.

“No, you can’t,” Greer agreed amicably. “And really, we’d best get it over with.”

He frowned. “Get what over with?”

Greer gestured between them. “This. Whatever it is.”

She saw him stiffen, the frosty atmosphere plummeting several more degrees. “I do not know—”

“Oh, yes you do,” Greer said, too annoyed to put up with any dissembling. “You’ve been looking at me like I crawled out of cheese since the moment we met. Yet, you’re not a snob and you’ve been getting on wonderfully well with Mama, so it’s only me you treat with such disregard. Yet you couldn’t keep your eyes off me last night, so… why are you behaving in such an odd manner?”

The baron stared at her, clearly shocked. Greer didn’t blame him. That had been bold and outrageously improper, even for her. She had let her temper get the better of her again and was about to reap the consequence, but it was too late now. She watched as he wrestled with some inner conflict, and awaited the set-down she richly deserved. From his expression, it was obvious there was a large part of him that wanted to tear her off a strip and leave her with her ears burning. The other part, though….

He muttered a curse and stamped his feet on the frozen ground.

“Come on,” he said irritably. “We’re getting left behind.”

Surprised he’d not taken the opportunity to rake her over the coals, Greer hurried after him. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“It’s not the sort of question a proper young lady ought to ask,” he said, giving her a sideways glance. His tone was terse, but she did not think he was annoyed, only trying to be.

“I’m not very good at being a proper young lady,” Greer admitted. “But I suspect you know that.”

Another measuring glance flitted over her, and Greer hurried to keep up with his long strides. He noticed and slowed his pace, proving he had some gentlemanly instincts after all.

“Any young lady with a grain of sense ought to realise to stay as far from me as she can get,” he returned, and there was a grim set to his jaw.

“Is that why you were rude to me? Were you trying to frighten me off?” Greer asked, brightening as she realised it made a good deal of sense. Especially if he’d turned over a new leaf.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “Look, Miss Cadogan. You are lovely and I am sure you’re charming company, but I am not. I am the farthest thing from an appropriate companion that you’re likely to find and, if I were a better man, I’d leave Rowsley and let you and your family enjoy Christmas in peace. However, I am not, and I’ve nowhere else to go, so let us just agree to give each other a wide berth and perhaps we’ll survive the next few weeks.”

“You think I’m lovely?” Greer repeated, grinning at him and disregarding the rest of what he’d said entirely.