Page 16 of A Midwinter Wager

“Little idiot, you’ll burn yourself!”

She danced away from him, the flaming paper dangling between two fingers. “I’m not afraid,” she sang out, waving it at him. “Oh dear, I’ve dropped it!”

He was there in an instant, stamping on the burning paper, but when he lifted his riding boot, there was nothing beneath it but blackened fragments and ash.

“Viper!” he growled. “What did it say? Did you read it?”

“I’m not telling you. Unless you change your mind and start courting me. You might as well, as you don’t know where Cesca’s gone.”

“But you do.” He advanced on her, drawing himself up to his full height. “And now you’re going to tell me.”

“Oh, no, I’m not,” she squeaked, circling toward the ice house door. She was enjoying taunting him, and the urge to throttle her almost overwhelmed him.

He paused. It would be better to try persuasion rather than threaten her. More softly, he said, "Please, Alicia. You have nothing to gain by withholding her whereabouts. You will lose your sister's goodwill as well as mine. Is it worth it? You know I'll never marry you."

"Oh, but you will! Papa wants us to be engaged, and I'm going to tell everyone. So, you'll have to marry me." She hovered by the doorway now, the warm candle-light illuminating her features. He took in the sight for a moment. She looked so pretty, so innocent, so fresh—any man would be proud to have such a bride at his side. But only if he knew nothing of her true nature. There was a canker on this English rose. Selfishness, cunning, and greed were her prime characteristics, and he already knew about the temper tantrums she was wont to throw if her wishes were ignored.

He stood completely still and answered her with a single word. “Never.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't stop me. You'll be in France or Flanders, and I'll have sown the seed in everyone’s mind by the time you come back again. I very much want to become a countess.”

“You’d be wasting your time,” he answered, trying to keep the lid on his fury. “You can’t keep me and Cesca apart.”

“No, you’d be wasting yours.” She stepped out through the doorway. “Because Cesca’s note to you didn’t say where she was going. It just said ‘goodbye’. So, you see, I’m the only one who cares for you now.”

Before he could react, she’d scurried up the drive and into the house, slamming the front door behind her.

In a daze, he left the ice house, walked over to Hector and mounted up as jerkily as a badly-manipulated puppet, fumbling with the reins. Alicia was lying. She had to be. Cesca would never have despaired so soon, and she would never have abandoned him with just a note of farewell.

Would she?