Page 5 of Miss Ellis Unleashed

But he gasped as the tiny Ellis town house came into view, astonished to see that every window was brightly lit at this late hour. “What the devil is going on here?”

“I thought that would be obvious,” Daisy said, rudely shoving him back into his seat to exit the carriage first. “It’s my birthday.”

She shrieked and ran up the stairs like a little girl without a hint of propriety. He followed, irritated by her enthusiasm for running and for leaving him behind, too.

The birthday festivities he’d planned meticulously for her were not meant to start until luncheon tomorrow. He had it all organized, and the servants assured him everything was in order for a leisurely luncheon, followed by a night at the opera, about which he’d sworn her closest friends to secrecy.

But now, hours too early, the town house was abuzz with activity that he did not approve of. He stormed inside, cross at finding that, despite the late hour, servants rushed to and fro moving things about, and some even went out to the street—their arms full of objects he belatedly recognized as his own.

“Why is my writing slope being put into our carriage?” He rushed to the door after them and yelled, “Bring that back immediately.”

“They won’t listen. The servants no longer answer to you, Throsby,” Daisy called out. “It’s my birthday, and that means you don’t have any authority here. Not over the servants and certainly not over me.”

“The guardianship ends tomorrow,” he reminded her.

“The guardianship papers say, strictly speaking, that you are my guardian until my twentieth birthday. That means at the stroke of midnight—the time of my birth, by the way—you can only be a visitor to this household, and your time is up.”

He gaped at her.

“As you’ve always stressed, details are so important. A woman must guard her reputation against gentlemen who overstay their welcome. I’m sure you understand my position.”

He narrowed his eyes. “This was what you were planning all night!”

“All month, actually. I had a little chat with the family solicitor and my friends, and they interpret the guardianship the way I do. And a particularly unpleasant discovery was finding out that, despite what you insinuated to me and others, there was never any requirement for my guardian to move into this house with me. In fact, there were a great many embellishments to the guardianship enacted by you that were unnecessary.”

He gulped. “Damn that solicitor. He was trouble from the start.”

“Because he was honest?”

“Ha,” Max exclaimed. “That’s laughable. First, he dipped handsomely into your father’s pocket for years, depleting the estate by degrees, overcharging, and then inviting himself round for tea, only to stay for dinner too. Leech.”

Daisy gaped. “That’s not true. He’s my friend.”

“Has he spoken of his plans to marry you yet? I’m sure he will broach the subject as soon as I’m gone. I’ve already refused his suit once.”

Daisy set her hands on her hips and glared at him. “He is just a friend. More than you have ever tried to be. You must leave this house immediately, lest my reputation be compromised and I have to marry someone as dull and rule-bound as you.”

He growled low in his throat at the order, and took a menacing step toward her. “I can assure you the last thing I would ever do is marry someone as silly and vain as you turned out to be.”

Daisy glared back, all appearance of the meek and mild debutant society knew finally vanishing from her face. “I’m glad we understand each other.”

“Oh, we do indeed.”

Miss Ellis smoothed down her skirts and curtsied.

But Max was too offended by the manner of his dismissal to offer her the same courtesy and bow. He’d had some idea she’d despised him, but not this much. To turn him out in the middle of the night was a slap in the face, especially after all the work he’d done to improve her fortune. But clearly in her eyes, he’d overstayed his pitiful welcome already.

So much for the special birthday celebration he’d planned for tomorrow to celebrate the end of the guardianship. At his expense, no less. Well, he’d celebrate it with his friends instead—and celebrate well into the night without her now.

He turned away and headed for the door.

“Goodbye, Lord Throsby,” she called. “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out,” she added softly. “I would hate to have you tumble down the stairs and break something.”

He heard her glee. Her transparent desire for a misfortune to befall him as he left.

Max stopped dead in his tracks, almost across the threshold. They’d always rubbed each other the wrong way, and he’d bit his tongue every single time they’d argued to spare himself her tears and flying vases. However, given the manner of his dismissal, he could not let further insult to his honor stand.

She ought to be taken down a peg or two—but not publicly, of course. That would never do, because she might retaliate in kind and damage her reputation. Besides, he would be more than happy to give her a private set down. He had a litany of complaints to unburden himself of.