His Jilted Bride (Historical Regency Romance) by Rose Gordon Read Free Book Online Page B

water?”
    “ They might water, but he does not cry.”
    She twisted her lips and crossed her
arms. “Is there a difference?”
    “ Yes.”
    “ I fail to see it,” she said, giving her head a slight shake.
“Tears are tears.”
    “ Then I suppose every time a man's eyes water when he yawns or
sneezes you think he's crying?”
    “ Well no,” she allowed. “But I'm certain Philip was crying
when he lost his horse.”
    “ If you say so,” he grumbled.
    “ It's still pain, Elijah. It might not be the same kind of
pain you felt when Henry hit you with the mallet, but I'm sure it
hurt him all the same.”
    Elijah lifted his hands in defeat.
“All right, you win.”
    “ Ha! I knew it, men do cry.”
    “ No, I was just acknowledging that Philip cried about his
horse,” he teased.
    She laughed. “All right; but since you
said I won, I demand you still allow me my boon.”
    “ I wouldn't dream of denying it from you.”
    ***
    Not that he'd ever dreamed her boon
would be so...so...infuriating, he amended as his jaw clenched in
agitation.
    “ I beg your pardon?”
    “ I said, I'd like a separate room,” Amelia repeated as if she
was announcing what she'd like for luncheon.
    Despite the heat crawling up his face,
Elijah turned to the innkeeper of the little inn just outside of
London they'd stopped at for the evening. “We'll be back in just a
moment. Amelia, can we talk a moment?”
    Amelia followed him over to the little
corner. “Yes?”
    “ What are you about?”
    She shrugged. “I won a boon, didn't
I?”
    “ Yes,” he said slowly. “But I thought you'd want a book or a
shawl or some sort of other bauble.”
    “ No. I think my own room tonight should do.”
    Well, it wouldn't do for Elijah. He'd
missed his opportunity to bed her last night and this morning. He
didn't want to waste another chance. “You do realize when we reach
Watson Estate we'll have to share the same bedchamber?”
    She frowned. “I thought there were
more than sixty guest bedchambers. Surely Alex's wife isn't
planning to invite that many people, is she?”
    “ No,” he allowed. “But neither do I intend to take my new
bride to live in the main house. Alex has a hunting cabin just a
half a mile or so away from the main house. We'll be staying
there.”
    Her frown deepened. “You want us to
walk half a mile back and forth each day to get to their
house?”
    With any luck, they wouldn't be going
to Caroline's house party every day. “No, we can ride a horse, if
you'd rather. Or I can even order the carriage to transport us.”
Whatever it took to please her, he'd do. Almost. He did have his
limits, and right now, she was testing them.
    “ We can talk about this later. For now, I just want my own
room for the night.”
    He scowled. “Why?”
    “ Because I won a boon,” she said, lifting her chin a
notch.
    To her left two burly looking fellows
had stopped their conversation and were now watching Amelia and
Elijah with unmasked curiosity. Elijah twisted his lips. It was
becoming clear that if he didn't wish to have such a private matter
discussed publicly, he'd better just agree to let her have her own
room. “Fine. You can have your own room tonight. But don't think
for one minute you'll get your way tomorrow night.”
    “ I will if I win another boon,” she said; that old, familiar
spark in her grey eyes.
    “ I wouldn't spend too much time counting on such an
occurrence.” He took a step closer to her and dropped his voice. “I
have no desire to allow you another win.”
    She took a step in his direction, and
matching his tone, said, “You won't have to let me win. I'll win
all on my own.”
    Elijah had the strangest urge to wipe
that smug smile straight from her lips, preferably with a kiss—the
kind from yesterday at their wedding, not one similar to the
travesty this morning; but instead, he just nodded and walked off.
Now wasn't the time to push her. If she reacted so horribly to him
while they were alone, God could