“And what makes you imagine that I would want to mar
ry him?”
“If Pa wanted to marry you, he would! But it won’t come to that. You’re young, see? And you own half the SD. You’re a titled English girl. That’s all Pa can see for now. Would you enjoy being my stepmother?”
I couldn’t help laughing. “Heavens, no! If I was to be so foolish, I’m sure you’d do your best to make my life as miserable as I could make yours. Except that I’m a trifle cleverer and more subtle than you are!”
She gasped, her hands clenching into fists, and I said soothingly, “Why don’t you grow up? Although I think you hate me at this moment, if you start thinking a little more clearly you should realize that you have more to gain by pretending, at least, to be my friend!”
“Oh! I thought at first that you were stupid. But you’re horrible! You’re hard—”
“Oh, goodness! Must you dramatize things so? I’m merely being realistic. Whether you realize it or not, I’m trying to help you.” I looked her in the eye. “Your stepfather wants to marry me. Oh, yes, he’s already suggested it. But I have no intention of doing so. I like my independence. If we cannot be friends, don’t you think we might at least be allies, since we have a common cause?”
She stared at me, wide-eyed.
“I believe you’re really serious! You mean you don’t want to marry Pa?”
“Of course not,” I said crossly. “Why should I? I don’t want to be married to anyone, to tell you the truth.”
“But you don’t know my stepfather! If he wants something—”
“You’ve said that before,” I reminded her. “He may think he wants me, but he’s going to find out I’m not a plaything he can pick up at will. My father stood up to him, and I will too, if I have to.”
Flo looked at me suspiciously. “Are you going to tell him what I said? Not that I care if you do, but…”
“You’re the one who’s afraid of him, not I!” I said reasonably. “Why can’t we both be sensible about this? I’ll admit your stepfather is a very dominating man, but I don’t intend to go as far as marrying him. You don’t want to see him with another wife either, do you? Perhaps there’ll come a time when we need each other’s help.”
“Maybe.” I could see she was half convinced, struggling between her dislike of me and her instinctive sense of self-preservation.
“Well?”
I shrugged at my reflection in the mirror. “Shall we go downstairs then?”
Downstairs, to my annoyance, Todd claimed me again for a dance.
“Shouldn’t I dance with someone else?” I objected reasonably. “Your guests are going to think…”
“Let them think! They might as well get used to the idea.” His eyes, more green than blue in the light of the chandeliers, seemed predatory as they looked into mine. I felt him trying to hypnotize me with all the force of his will. “An’ who did you want to dance with?” he growled.
“Mark,” I said quickly, seizing on the first name that came into my mind. “I think I should dance with Mark. He brought me here, did he not? And I don’t like the way you try to bully me. I won’t be dominated, you know. You’re not going to manipulate me, as you do other people.” I made my voice deliberately cold. “You build too many presumptions on a few stolen kisses, Todd Shannon!”
“You’re a stubborn spitfire!”
“I won’t be crowded and—and stifled!” I retorted. We glared at each other in silence for a few beats of the music, and then he shrugged his massive shoulders.
“I’ll give you your head for a while longer, if that’s what you need. Go dance with Mark, then. Want me to send him to you? Mark may imagine he’s in love with you, but he ain’t about to go up against me!”
The contemptuous way he could dismiss Mark, the way he spoke as if he was already sure of me, flicked me on the raw. I had come here with some idea of dazzling him, of putting him at a disadvantage, but he had contrived, in some fashion, to turn the tables on me, as he had done before. And in spite of all my protests, he persisted in treating me as if I was a pet kitten showing my claws, but already half tamed in spite of it.
“When your eyes get all narrow like that I can guess you’re thinking up new ways to fight me!”
“How very discerning you are sometimes!” I snapped, and pulled away from him as the music stopped.
“When are you going to lay down an’ start purring for me, little hellcat?” he asked softly as he led me back to where some of the ladies were sitting fanning themselves.
“For you? Never!” I whispered back emphatically.
He only raised a mocking eyebrow at me, and after bowing in an exaggeratedly polite fashion, he walked away whistling. He looked far too pleased with himself.