"Amelia . . ." He stepped forward, intending to make amends for his hasty words, but even as he held out a hand she was whirling on her heel and storming toward the door. He could follow, of course. She could not outrun him. She could not hide. But for the moment, he realized it would be futile. There was no doubt that she was being devilishly stubborn. And more than reckless.
Still, he could not lay the entire blame upon her shoulders. She did not truly understand the danger. She could not possibly realize that the shadow she sought was a legendary vampire that could brutally kill her before she could blink. Until she knew the truth, she would rush blindly into danger and risk everything for her blasted brother. "Bloody hell."
Not surprisingly, Amelia returned home in a foul mood.
The man was an impossible, arrogant, overbearing beast, she told herself as she stormed to her home and slammed the door with a force that made her teeth rattle.
He had no right to order her about as if she were a child. For heaven's sake, she had boldly established her own life, her own household, and taken on the care of her brother. She had far more responsibilities than most females twice her age.
And she had been plodding along quite well without the interference of Mr. Sebastian St. Ives, she reassured herself grumpily.
Quite, quite well.
But as the day passed, her wounded pride had slowly given way to common sense.
Sebastian St. Ives had no right to give her orders, or even to question her decisions. He had been highhanded and utterly out of line. But despite his harsh words, she sensed that it had not been mere arrogance that had caused his annoying behavior.
Instead she sensed that his anger had come from a very genuine concern for her welfare, a concern that had been absent from her life for so long that she round it difficult to accept.
Ruefully, she began to realize that perhaps she had overreacted. She was so accustomed to battling for her right to defend and protect her brother that she had instinctively lashed out. It was now so deeply ingrained that she did not always realize when her heart was overruling her common sense.
And, too, if she were being completely honest with herself, she had to admit that a portion of her prickly reaction had been pure self-preservation.
She might not fully understand why her blood tingled and her heart raced when she was near Sebastian. Or even why he lingered in her thoughts when she had far more important matters to ponder. But she was wise enough to realize that her awareness made her wish for dangerous things. Feelings and sensations better left forgotten.
She was still pacing aimlessly when a noise from the garden had her moving toward the window. Just for a moment, her heart stopped and she feared what she might discover prowling in the dark. A shadow. A killer. A monster.
Instead, her eyes caught sight of the sleek, black cat that prowled haughtily across the garden, knocking over a crumbling statue and a forgotten bucket as he slowly strolled toward the nearby hedge.
Her momentary fear shifted to annoyance. The noise the cat was making was certain to wake William. Gads, it might wake the entire neighborhood. And when he discovered his beloved pet missing, nothing would keep him from going in search.
Blast, blast, blast.
How could she risk having her brother out of the house? Not only did she worry that the madman might return, but she could not deny a lingering fear that Mr. Ryan might be lurking about the neighborhood, hoping to capture her brother the moment he appeared.
The answer, of course, was that she could not.
With a heavy sigh, Amelia reluctantly made her way through the silent house and into the garden. Although she had boastfully stated she would do whatever necessary to protect William, she was not completely witless, no matter what Sebastian might claim. Indeed, she was quite intelligent enough to feel a measure of unease as she pursued the demon-spawned cat across the garden and around the narrow town house.
She would not go far, she promised herself silently. No further than the end of the block. After that, the stupid cat would be on its own.
Almost as if sensing her determination, the stray hovered a moment at the edge of the narrow street before streaking across the pavement to the tall hedge. From the leafy concealment, two shining eyes regarded Amelia, as if daring her to come and rescue him.
Muttering a string of curses wholly unfit for a proper young maiden, Amelia marched across the street and bent down to attempt to recover the beast. One day she would discover precisely how the cat continued to find its way from the house, and then she would bring a firm end to these midnight outings. A very firm end.
Intent upon her efforts to force her arms through the hedge and still uttering words fit only for a stable hand, Amelia took little note of the odd chill that suddenly seemed to fill the air. Not even when a rash of goose bumps feathered over her skin.
"Ah. A most peculiar, if rather delightful, sight."
Amelia nearly leaped from her skin at the sound of the faintly mocking voice. With a small squeak she abruptly straightened to discover a handsome gentleman with golden curls and elegant attire standing mere inches from her.
"Oh."
"Did I startle you? Forgive me—that certainly was not my intention."
The stranger smiled, but Amelia was unnervingly aware that it did not quite reach the hard, dark eyes. She took an instinctive step backward. Despite the aristocratic features and refined manners, there was something about this gentleman she did not trust.
"I fear that I did not hear you approach."