Midnight (Avon) (2010) by Jenkins Beverly

Author:Jenkins, Beverly [Beverly, Jenkins,]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-01-14T19:13:33.812000+00:00

Chapter 13

Nick was awakened the following morning by the sounds of pounding. Bleary-eyed, he stared around the dim room. It took him a moment or two to realize where he was and why, but once he conquered that the pounding started again. Someone was knocking on the door, he finally deduced. Not happy, he pulled on a shirt and breeches, picked up his pistol, and padded barefoot to the stairs.

The thundering knocks continued to rattle the door. “I’m coming!” he yelled out in sullen response over the din. He hoped that whoever it was had a damn good reason for pulling him out of his warm bed.

He flung open the door and snarled like a bear whose winter nap had been interrupted, “What do you want!”

“I’ve come for Faith.”

It was Ingram Trotter. Nicholas almost slammed the door in his face, but knew Faith wouldn’t approve, so he put the desire aside. “What?”

“I said, I’ve come for Faith. Her father says she’s here. He wants her to return home.”

“Oh he does, does he? So he sent you to get shot instead?”

Trotter’s eyes widened with surprise. Upon noticing the pistol in Nick’s hand they grew even larger and he warily stepped back a pace.

Nick shook his head. “Come in. I’m at my poorest when I’ve not had enough sleep.” Not waiting to see if the man followed him, Nick turned and walked into the parlor and sat. Ingram appeared, and Nick soundlessly gestured him to take a seat.

“Is she here?” Trotter asked.

Nick eyed him balefully. “Yes.”

“May I see her?”

“She’s sleeping. I’d rather she not be disturbed.”

“I demand to see her,” he countered.

Nick had seen ground squirrels taller than Trotter. “You demand?”

“Yes.”

It was obvious that the short man hadn’t any idea what he’d walked into, and Nick felt no obligation to help or to explain. “You don’t enter another man’s home and demand anything.”

“My apologies, but Mr. Kingston’s extremely worried, as am I, and I’m not leaving until I see her.”

“Then I shall have the pleasure of tossing you out before I go back to bed.”

“Nicholas, you will not toss him anywhere,” Faith voiced as she entered the room. Both men got to their feet. Amused, Nicholas held her eyes. She was wearing a gray blouse and skirt, but didn’t look any less disheveled than she had last night. She had a few lightning bolts in her eyes that were directed his way. It was easy for him to see that she’d attempted to do something with her thick black hair before joining them, but in reality only succeeded in resembling a woman who’d just stepped out of her lover’s bed. By the mildly shocked expression on Trotter’s face, he apparently thought the same.

“Good morning, Ingram,” she said coolly, looking away from Nick’s unrepentant gaze. “What brings you here?”

“Your father sent me to fetch you home.”

“See why I wanted to toss him out?” Nicholas explained.

“Behave yourself,” Faith chided him, holding on to her smile before replying to Ingram. “I won’t be returning.”

“May I ask why not?”

“We had an argument; he struck me and asked that I leave, so I did.

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