The Bride Price by Elizabeth Hunter

Author:Elizabeth Hunter
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780373020324
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1974-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

'I HATE you, Julian Fairburn! You have no right to order me about!'

Celia's voice broke as she remembered how recently she had

thought he had every right to do just that. 'I can manage very well

without your help!'

'That's what you think!' he said easily. 'If you want something to

do you can start thinking up a good story as to why you left

Mombasa without my permission. After that, you won't only hate

me, you'll be as frightened of me as you are of this horse!'

'I'm not afraid of him!' she denied. 'Besides, someone had to school

him—'

'But not you. A few hours' sleep and a good meal is what you need,

my girl, not standing there picking a quarrel with me! When I've

finished with the horse, I'll start on your schooling before you get

the idea that you can ever run out on me again. Meanwhile, I'd

rather you didn't bother your head about your grandfather's affairs.

I'm here, and I'll see that everything is carried out in the way he

would have wished. Okay?'

'That doesn't give you the right to order me about,' she protested

with a lift of her head. 'Does it?'

'Every right,' he replied. 'Your grandfather wished it, and that's the

way it's going to be!'

'But what about my wishes? Don't they count at all?'

'We'll see what sort of an explanation you produce for running

away,' Julian went on evenly. 'Right now I have my hands full

coping with your grandfather's wishes - and this blasted horse! Go

to bed, my girl, and stop worrying about everything. I shan't do

anything drastic about your future in the next few hours and it will

give you time to think up a good story. It was bad enough having

to come after you last night, without finding this mess here in the

morning.' His expression was impassive. 'I suppose you did have a

reason for running away. Was it anything to do with a kiss?'

'I'm surprised you can ask—' she began.

'Oh, I can ask!' he assured her. 'And what's more, I intend to have

an answer! But right now I'm going to teach this beast a lesson he

won't forget in a hurry and you're going to take yourself off to

bed!'

He sat the horse as easily as if Mephistopheles had been no more

of a handful than Celia's own mare. Celia watched him walk the

horse away from her with a burning resentment in her eyes. How

dared he ask her why she had left Mombasa? Hadn't he practically

told her to go?

'I sent for Anthea to come!' she called out after him.

He lifted a hand and shrugged his shoulders. 'I'm glad you two are

getting on so well,' he said sardonically, and then he was gone,

urging Mephistopheles forward with a relentless hand.

Celia felt better when she had eaten bacon and eggs and had

demolished the greater part of a loaf of bread making herself toast

and marmalade. Her eyes felt dry with lack of sleep and she longed

for her bed. She took a quick shower, allowing the cold water to

play over her body while she tried to think of what she would say

to Julian. The less she said the better, she told herself.

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