A Perfectly Scandalous Proposal by Tanya Anne Crosby

Author:Tanya Anne Crosby
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2018-08-30T18:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

Margaret was brooding.

It was all Gabriel could do not to chuckle with pleasure over the fact. Unconscionable though it might seem, he was quite satisfied with the reaction he’d wrought from her. She sat before him now, looking entirely bemused, with her thoughts whirling behind those delightfully bewitching eyes. At the instant, he felt as giddy as he had that damned day before she’d said her goodbyes; he was once again that boy, dashing toward the hill, pasteboard in hand to show her.

He realized only then how bloody disappointed he’d been that he’d never even shown her his silly pasteboard. More than anything, he’d craved the sound of her laughter—as he did so right now.

But, of course, as it was on that fateful day, not all would go as he’d hoped: They’d gone directly to the inn, and hoping to procure a single room as husband and wife, Gabriel bribed the clerk to deny them two. Unscrupulous though it might be, he couldn’t muster any remorse. At any rate, it wasn’t as though he intended to force her, but he’d hoped that a certain proximity would soften her mood—so, yes, perhaps he had meant to seduce her.

Alas, though, Margaret refused the arrangement out of hand, opting to make the return journey to Blackwood—forcing them to ride another four bloody hours back to Blackwood.

No matter. Gabriel could wait. He’d waited a lifetime already, and the rewards to be reaped were well worth his patience.

Unfortunately, the return journey was far more tedious than anyone anticipated, every bump and bend in the road a bother. All the while, Margaret kept her silence, barely deigning to look at him, and Gabriel realized she was dealing with confusing emotions. He gave her the quietude she needed, and just at the point when he began to fear she was regretting their bargain, she breached the silence.

“That man was dyspeptic!”

She didn’t bother to look at him.

“You think so?” he asked conversationally.

“Quite,” she said, clearly annoyed. “He was ill-tempered, bigoted, and rude, to say the least.”

“He was also smashed.”

She turned to look at him, finally, and Gabriel sucked in a breath at the incredible loveliness of her face. “Smashed?” Illumined by the bloodless moon, her cheeks seemed overly pale, her eyes incandescent green. The everlasting journey was beginning to take a toll on her.

“Soused,” he explained. “Drunk.”

“Yes, well, I don’t believe there was any need to reward him for it. Do you? How much did you give him?”

He very wisely refrained from pointing out that she, in truth, had needled the man, and disclosed, “Double what he required.”

“I thought so. I do hope you’re not so quick to spend the stipend I’ll provide, because there won’t be any more once it’s gone.”

“I don’t need your money, Margaret.”

“Don’t you?” she asked.

I do not,” he assured. “Money was never my primary concern.”

She tilted him a dubious glance, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me again; what was your primary concern?”

Gabriel smiled patiently, diverting the subject. “My timepiece revealed one quarter past the midnight hour as we exchanged vows.

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