Montgomery 11 - The Heiress by Jude Deveraux

Author:Jude Deveraux [Deveraux, Jude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-03-09T21:17:11+00:00

Dropping Axia's arm, Jamie smiled knowingly. "You, my innocent friend, do not know her. I saw you," he said to Axia, "come through the kitchens and I saw your anger. Tell my poor, naive friend what is on your mind."

With a smug expression, Jamie looked at Lachlan as he waited for Axia to speak.

Axia well knew what Jamie was doing. Taking a deep breath, she tightened her lips. She was not going to hide what she was! "Waste is what I saw," she said, looking Lachlan Teversham in the eyes. "Food thrown to the dogs, trampled in the floor, too many people, filth everywhere." She took a step toward him. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself for the way this place is run. Look at it! Dirt everywhere, your children with the discipline of puppies. You should be ashamed of yourself."

She was advancing on him now, warming to her subject. She had no idea what a scene she presented; though she was rumpled and dirty, her body was small and trim within her pretty, big-eyed face and her hair like a lush curtain. With her hands on her hips, she faced Lachlan, as big as a bear but looking at her with an expression as though he were a schoolboy being chastised by his teacher.

"And your wife should be doubly ashamed of herself. How can she show her face with such mismanagement? You should be running this place with half the expense. Have you no care for your future? Are you so rich that you can waste what other people need? Are you—?"

She stopped because Jamie had taken her by the upper arms and was pulling her back from his friend. There was a look on Jamie's face that said, See what I mean?

But Lachlan was staring at Axia in wonder, as were his sons behind him.

Then, suddenly, Lachlan grabbed Axia's face in his hands and gave her a hard kiss on the mouth.

Everyone in the hall, all of whom (except Frances) had stopped eating and were watching the scene in the middle of the room as though it were the most fascinating play they'd ever seen, blinked in wonder at Lachlan's reaction. But no one was more surprised than Jamie.

"I have no wife," Lachlan said when he released Axia. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Axia said at once. "I'd like that."

"You will not!" Jamie roared, startling everyone out of their motionlessness.

"I most certainly will," Axia said, turning on him. "I can marry whom I wish. It is no concern of yours."

"Your father—"

She well knew that he thought her father was Frances's father. "Died last year," she said quickly.

"I thought he was alive," Jamie said, confused, trying to think.

"You never asked. Plague. Body buried in a pit. Dissolved in lime. I never even said good-bye."

"Wait!" Rhys said, coming around the tables to join the group in the middle of the room. "I have some land from my father. I am not rich, but I too would like to marry you. If you will consider me.

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