Truce: The Historic Neighbor from Hell

Chapter 9

Elizabeth ran her eyes over the man standing in front of her. She was not going to faint or scream, she decided as she tried to remain calm. She shoved her hand inside her reticule and pulled out the small piece of paper and opened it while keeping her eyes focused on the small group in front of her, smiling charmingly as she prayed that this was all a mistake. As discreetly as possible, she looked down at the piece of parchment in her hand. She groaned inwardly. On the paper clearly written was the name of Robert Bradford.

This could not be happening.......

Robert’s smile disappeared only to be replaced by a sharp scowl in her direction. She was about to say a few choice words to him when James stepped forward. Good lord, the man was still a sight to behold.

“Lady Elizabeth.” He took her hand and bowed over it. “You’ve grown into a lovely young woman.” She curtsied even as her eyes shot back to Robert. Her face burned with embarrassment just thinking about what they'd done. His scowl intensified when he noted her blush.

“They’re about to begin the supper waltz,” her mother said none-too-subtly, intensifying her mortification when she really hadn’t thought it was possible.

“Ah, Lady Elizabeth!”

Robert looked back and almost laughed. Lord Dumford was coming to claim her. Good. There wasn’t anyone who deserved it more than this woman. It surprised him how quickly she went from being his minx to this horrid woman in his mind. All those memories came flooding back to him. God, he hated her. It didn’t matter that he still wanted her. He hated her and that was all that mattered.

“May I have the pleasure of the supper waltz and then perhaps escort you to supper?” Lord Dumford asked with that damn pompous tone that grated in the worst way.

“I’m sorry, my Lord. I’ve already promised another gentleman to dance and dine with him tonight,” she said sweetly, very kindly actually.

“Who?” Lord Dumford asked rather rudely.

“Me,” James said firmly.

Damn it!

James held out his hand. “I believe this is our dance, Lady Elizabeth,” James said smoothly. Their parents were practically giddy. This was planned! They wanted James and Elizabeth together.

The hell that was going to happen!

He would not stand for it.

Elizabeth had no choice but to accept his offer. Although she wouldn’t mind fulfilling a childhood fantasy by dancing with James, she needed to speak with Robert and get their stories straight. Once that was done, she would happily beat him upside the head with her book, she thought with a smile.

“I believe you’re correct, my Lord,” she said as she took his offered arm, leaving Robert behind to glare after them.

They took their place among the other couples on the dance floor. James smiled down at her. “I must say, Elizabeth, you look nothing like the child I remember.”

“Fourteen years will do that, my Lord,” she said coolly, making him visibly wince.

“Ouch. I suppose I should now apologize for my absence. I did not do it to be cruel, my dear. I had to support my brother and all that.”

“I thought as much. You were always close to my family. I assumed your absence was in support of your brother.”

“Well, you couldn’t blame the boy. You were clearly driving him on the path to Bedlam,” he said with a grin.

She took pride in that. She really shouldn’t, but she did. “He wasn’t such an angel if I recall,” she pointed out just as the waltz began.

He chuckled. “No, he certainly wasn’t. I do recall an incident where he cut off your hair.”

“Yes, I believe someone put tar or some sticky substance on his saddle,” she said innocently.

James laughed heartedly. “Yes, I believe I remember that. He was forced to leave his breeches behind and run to the house, wrapped in an itchy horse blanket.”

She shrugged delicately as they turned. “I still don’t see how he blamed me for someone’s careless placement of such a sticky item.”

His eyes twinkled with merriment. “How ever did he get to you? If my memory is correct, you were both so wary around each other and constantly on guard.”

“I was walking beneath a tree with Mary when he reached down and grabbed my braid. The silly oaf was hanging upside down from a branch. He held on tightly, ignoring Mary’s slaps while he cut my braid off with a dull pocket knife.”

He cringed. “That must have hurt.”

She smiled sweetly. “Not as much as that spanking your father gave Robert later.”

“I bet.” He laughed. “You two were awful.”

“I was worse,” she said with a gleam in her eye. He chuckled as he led her around the dance floor.

When the dance ended he led her off the floor towards the supper room. He walked with her to a table by the far wall and held a chair out for her.

“There you are,” Robert said, taking one of the extra seats at their table. He placed a plate overflowing with food and a glass of punch on the table.

“Please do join us,” James said dryly.

“Thank you, I believe I shall,” Robert said cheerfully.

“I’ll get us something to eat,” James said pleasantly to her before he sent a brief glare in Robert’s direction.

Elizabeth watched nervously as James walked away. “Never going to happen,” Robert said around a bite of biscuit.

“What?”

“You and my brother. James will always think of you as the fat little pain in the ass that used to follow him around.”

“And you’ll always be the annoying little boy who used to leave more puddles around the house than my dog.”

His temper flared. “Why you little-”

“Ah, Lady Elizabeth, may I join you?” a man with an eager expression that annoyed Robert, asked.

"No, go away," Robert said, glaring at the man.

The man opened his mouth, but quickly shut it as he scurried away.

"That was rude!" Elizabeth hissed softly.

He merely shrugged as he dug into his food.

“Here you are.” James placed a small plate of food and a glass of punch in front of her.

“Thank you, my Lord.”

“James. Please call me James. Our families are old friends, after all.”

“James, thank you,” she said pleasantly.

Robert rolled his eyes and looked back down at his plate. Damn those biscuits were actually warm and pretty good. Not the norm for ball food. He reached over and snagged the biscuit off her plate. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Elizabeth simple rolled her eyes.

“Robert,” James hissed.

“Oh, very well.” He reached over and snagged his brother’s biscuit as well, couldn’t have improprieties after all.

“Are you enjoying yourself this season, Elizabeth?” James asked, pointedly ignoring him now.

Her eyes shot to Robert. There was that blush again. He rather liked that blush on her. “Yes, thank you.”

“Have you had a chance to see the sights?” James asked.

They both knew that she’d been coming to London every year of her life. James really needed to work on his dinner conversation, Robert decided.

“Not yet,” she said with a polite smile.

“You should really check out the orangeries. They’re very interesting,” Robert said before he could stop himself. Ah, well at least she blushed again.

“What?” James asked, sounding confused as he shifted his gaze between the two of them.

“Nothing,” he mumbled. This woman was his enemy. If he kept saying stupid things, they would be found out and then he would be stuck with her for eternity. He shuddered at the thought. For the rest of the meal he remained quiet, limiting himself to refilling his plate five times instead of his customary ten so that he could keep an eye on her. When they were finished with their meal they met up with their parents. Plans for the rest of the night were quickly made. It was decided that both families were going to his father’s house for a game of cards and a drink.

Robert waited until their parents and James were ahead of them before he grabbed Elizabeth by the arm and dragged her towards the small hallway behind the grand staircase. It was dark and, most importantly, private.

“Get your hands off me!” she demanded.

“We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth.

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“I beg to differ.” He forced himself to ignore her soft warm body pressed up against his. She tried to push past him, but he wasn’t having that. He gently pushed her back against the wall.

“Robert, let me go! They’ll notice our absence.”

“Too bad. I want to know why you tricked me.”

“No one tricked anyone. It was just a mistake, one better off forgotten.”

A mistake? The most passionate night of his life was a mistake? Her first time and that’s what she thought. That grated on him in the worst way. “Is that what you think, Beth?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why, Beth?”

“You know I hate that name.”

“Oh, so sorry, Beth. I do apologize, Beth.” He was being petty and he knew it, but he didn’t give a damn. She’d always brought out the very worst in him.

She reached up and twisted his ear. “Ow!”

“Out of my way, Robert Lemonade,” she said casually, pissing him off in the worst way.

She released his ear just as she stepped back into the foyer after making sure that it was empty. “Good seeing you again, Robert.”