A Most Peculiar Circumstance by Jen Turano Read Free Book Online

what he hoped was a somewhat pleasant expression. “Yes?”
    “If your attitude is going to continue to be disagreeable, Mr. Wilder, we should part ways right now.”
    “If only that were a viable choice.”
    Miss Beckett assumed an expression that was downright alarming. She shook off his arm and pulled Miss James into motion. “Come, Miss James. The train station is just in sight, and I for one am desperate to use their washroom.” She didn’tbother to see if he was following her but began to stomp away on her one remaining shoe.
    She was beyond aggravating, a nightmare of a lady with a pushy attitude that was certain to haunt him for quite some time.
    Why then did he feel compelled to go after her?

 4 
    I t had been one of the strangest weeks of Arabella’s life.
    Not only had she almost been forced into a life of ill repute and been arrested, she’d also been forced to spend five days with the most unpleasant Mr. Wilder. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’d been left to deal with a disheartened Miss James after the young lady had fallen head over heels in infatuation with Mr. Wilder on their long train ride to Chicago.
    To give Mr. Wilder his due, he had not actually encouraged Miss James, but there just seemed to be something about him that made him irresistible to most ladies.
    She did not see his appeal.
    He was very set in his way of thinking, especially in regard to women, and although he’d been completely charming, in a rather distant way, to Miss James, he’d been abrupt and downright cantankerous with her.
    He’d also expected her to deal with Miss James once they’d returned the lady to her parents. She’d been required to listen as the lady bemoaned the sad state of affairs resulting from Mr. Wilder not returning her affections. She’d tried tobe sympathetic, but after an hour of sobbing, pleading, and downright silliness, she’d finally lost patience. She’d told Miss James in no uncertain terms that she needed to reevaluate her priorities, bid a very appreciative Mrs. James goodbye, and then made a mad dash for the door. She’d been less than amused when she’d found Mr. Wilder sleeping in the carriage as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
    Once she’d shaken him awake, the irritating gentleman had not even given her a thank-you for extracting him from Miss James’s misplaced affections. He seemed to take it for granted that she’d deal with what he’d called “lady business” and had even had the audacity to suggest that Miss James’s infatuation had been Arabella’s fault in the first place.
    The quality of their time together since then had rapidly gone downhill.
    They couldn’t seem to spend five minutes in each other’s company without trading barbs, and quite frankly she was relieved they were almost to New York. She knew it was only a matter of time until the gentleman said something that would send her over the edge, and she was rather afraid that when he did, she might be tempted to do something to him that would put her back behind bars.
    Arabella lowered the newspaper she’d been attempting to read and rolled her eyes at the sight of Theodore sleeping soundly once again, his head lolling against the window of the train car as his mouth gaped open.
    She hated to admit it, but he was actually somewhat appealing when he was asleep . . . mostly because he wasn’t speaking.
    That thought had a grin teasing her lips.
    It really was rather unfortunate that he was a gentleman who held such archaic views. He did seem to be intelligent, if misguided, and it would be interesting, if he would engage in conversation with her, to see if she could change some of his less-than-acceptable ideas.
    She glanced at the small watch she’d attached to her reticule, saw that they still had at least an hour until they reached New York, and felt her grin widen. There was still time to change him, but she would need him to wake up.
    She rattled the newspaper, and then rattled it