Page 116 of Outrageous
“Of course he knows! What kind of villain do you think I am?”
He raised his hands. “All right, all right. That was a dumb question.”
“You’re full of them.”
He didn’t argue. Instead he said, “What about Lord Visel?”
The name clanged in the small room. Eva gave him a grim look. “What about him?”
James’s face was practically glowing. “Does he know? Well, I mean, he’s the da, right?”
Eva put her hands on her hips. “So?”
James made a choked, gurgling sound. “It’s just, er, he said he wanted to marry you—I mean, I can’t believe he would shab off. He seemed like an honorable man.”
“Oh, he’s honorable, all right.”
“Well then, what in the name of Pete is the trouble?”
“He never said he wanted to marry me, you dunce.”
James scratched his head, opened his mouth, and then closed it.
“Out with it.”
“Er, well, wouldn’t he have to marry you now? I mean, given the circumstances?”
She gave a bitter laugh. “Oh, I’m sure he’d willingly fall on his sword.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s not complicated: Visel would be forced to marry me, while Tommy wants to marry me.”
“Um, er, but—” He looked as though he was in actual pain.
“What?”
“Well, aren’t you being forced to marry Lord Byer?”
Eva blinked, trying to recall whether those were the words she had used. “Perhaps I phrased it incorrectly.”
“Can I just ask one more question without you punchin’ me or yelling?”
“Have I punched you or yelled at you, yet?”
“No, that’s why I asked. I figure it’s past time as you rarely restrain yourself this long.”
She rolled her eyes. “Ask.”
“Who do you want to marry, my lady?”
It was Eva’s turn to stare with her mouth open.
“It’s just—well, you must have liked him? Lord Visel, that is,” James said after a long moment.
“What makes you think that?”
He gave her an openly confused look. “Well—you wouldn’t have—” He jerked his head toward the stalls they’d just left.
