Page 39 of His Wicked Charm

“Of course not. I don’t always take my maid.”

“I see. So it’s just with me, then.” He started to turn back to the window. “Damn it, Lilah!” Somehow he couldn’t make himself ignore it, couldn’t stop the words from leaping out of his mouth. “Why the devil do you dislike me so much? Why am I so repugnant to you?”

She gaped at him. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Lilah turned away, but Con circled around to stand in front of her again. “I’m not. It’s clear. You aren’t rude to anyone else. You don’t take Alex’s head off if he makes a joke.”

“I don’t do that to you.”

“Oh, yes, sometimes you’ll laugh, as if it’s been torn out of you against your will. You’ll smile, but then you turn away, as you just did. You appear to like everyone else in my family. You’re sweet as honey when you speak to my father. But you’re an ice queen with me.”

“Your father is a wonderful man.”

“Yes, he is. That’s not the point.”

“What is the point?” Lilah’s eyes were snapping now, which gave him some satisfaction. She might disdain him, but he could always break her calm.

“You’re polite to others. Not friendly of course, but you’re pleasant. You don’t question their every statement, don’t argue about each last thing. So what is it that makes you disdain me so? I am usually considered a pretty good fellow. Women don’t flee from me.”

“They’re all mad for you, I’m sure.”

“I didn’t say—”

“You obviously have a very high opinion of yourself. No doubt the fact that I don’t pursue you like all the others wounds your pride.” She clenched her fists, her arms stiff at her side, and moved away again. This time he did not follow. “No. I refuse to let you draw me. I will not let you goad me into creating a scene.”

“Why not? Maybe it would do you good to set yourself free for once and stop being so bloody straitlaced.”

She whipped back around, eyes blazing, cheeks flushed, and even in the midst of his anger, Con could not help but think how glorious she looked. “Very well. You want to know why I am not taken by your charms? I’ll tell you.”

Con had a sudden doubt—perhaps he didn’t really want to know, but he set his jaw and waited for her cannonade.

“You’re like all the other wealthy, aimless young men who waste their lives on idiotic pursuits, pulling silly stunts, playing pointless jokes. You’re part of Hetherton’s set—not a care for the gossip you create or your effect on other people.”

“You’re blaming me for what other men do? You’re judging me by Freddy Hetherton? The fact that I have talked to them or laughed with them doesn’t make me part of that set.”

“You’re charming. You’re all flirtation and meaningless compliments and stolen kisses in the moonlight.”

“So now my sin is being charming.”

“It’s that you fly from one young lady to the next, never staying, never caring.”

“You think it would be better if I avidly pursued a girl, opening her up to gossip and speculation?”

“I think it would be better if you showed some steadfastness! Some depth of feeling. You’re forever dissembling, adopting disguises, lying for this reason or that or, apparently, just for fun. I don’t know whether anything about you is true.”

“You don’t trust me?” Her words hit him like a blow.

“How could anyone? You make jest of everything. You’re impulsive. Chasing down a rumor of ghosts or pursuing some insane theory that the world is about to end. You have no dignity at all. It’s an embarrassment to your family.”

“My family doesn’t give a flip about dignity. They aren’t embarrassed. It’s only you who is.”

“I would be if I cared.” She lifted her chin pugnaciously.

A fierce white heat speared him. “I’m well aware that you don’t care for me. But you sure as hell have a lot of opinions about someone you don’t even know. How could you know about my feelings or my loyalty or that precious ‘steadfastness’ of yours when you avoid me like the plague?”

“I avoid you? That’s rich.” She took a step forward. “You are the one who jumps up and leaves the room whenever I come in. The one who wouldn’t even sleep in his own house because I was staying there.”

Con flushed, knowing that he had indeed done those things during the weeks before the wedding, when Lilah had been constantly around. “I was trying to maintain harmony in the house. I thought you would appreciate my absence, given your dislike of me.”