Lover Be Mine A Legendary Lovers Novel - By Nicole Jordan Page 0,59
Sophie ground her teeth, he carried her inside and roused the innkeeper from his bed. The elderly Frenchman raised his eyebrows but chose not to comment on the odd ways of the British Quality. Jack could tell Sophie was considering pleading for help, but she must have decided the effort would be futile.
When he requested a room and ordered their bags and supper brought up, they were shown upstairs by lantern light to a pleasantly appointed bedchamber. The innkeeper lit a lamp on the mantel and started a fire in the hearth to take the slight chill off the room, then left with a promise of swift service to follow.
Only when they were alone with the door shut did Jack finally set Sophie on her feet. Her blue eyes sparked dangerously as she faced him, but rather than speaking, she spun on her heel and stalked to the window, where she parted the curtain and stood staring out at the dark night, her back rigid.
Jack propped a shoulder against the door frame and watched her, trying to judge the extent of her anger. He had wanted Sophie to become more rebellious, but not with him.
Their bags were delivered a few moments later. Sophie ignored their presence, although she did seem grateful for the pitcher of warm water to wash with.
“I should like some privacy,” she told Jack in chill tones.
“Very well. I will step outside until supper arrives.”
“Do you mean to lock me in?”
No, he would not go so far. Sophie was right about that. The searing memories of his own captivity as a child were still painfully fresh in his mind, even two dozen years later. He wasn’t about to do the same to her, even if he had threatened it.
“Can I trust you not to attempt an escape?” he countered.
“Certainly not.”
“Then I will have to stand guard outside the room.”
Sophie’s lovely mouth tightened. “I wonder if your sister and cousin would be pleased to learn how low you have sunk, abducting helpless women.”
Jack heaved an exasperated sigh. “You are hardly helpless.”
“No? I am in a strange country, in the middle of nowhere, being held prisoner, completely defenseless.”
“Here, you may have my dagger.”
Again she looked taken aback when he pulled the knife from his coat and handed it to her.
“You should be gratified. I rarely let that knife out of my sight.”
She recovered from her momentary speechlessness in short order. “The only thing that will gratify me is being set free and driven back to Paris. But evidently there is no point in trying to appeal to your better nature, since you haven’t one.”
Jack ignored her gibe and crossed the bedchamber to the door. “You may lock the door behind me.”
“Most assuredly I shall.”
She had the last word. And when Jack let himself out, he heard the bolt shoot home with decided force.
He gave Sophie the privacy she’d asked for and took the opportunity to use the outdoor privy before returning upstairs to wait in the corridor. Some ten minutes later, the innkeeper and his wife delivered trays with their supper of hot mutton stew and thick brown bread.
When Jack knocked on the door, he was rather surprised that Sophie not only opened it to him but willingly allowed him back inside.
She had removed her cloak, he noted. She also voluntarily sat at the small table across from him and picked up her fork.
Her ire evidently had calmed a measure, for she attempted a civil conversation. “I still see no reason for my presence in Navartania, Jack. You could go on your own just as well.”
“There are very good reasons. The decision to claim the throne will affect you as much as me. I also require someone to prevent me from throttling my father.”
She sent him a penetrating glance. “Are you likely to come to blows?”
Jack shrugged. There was sure to be bitterness and antagonism between them, if not actual violence.
Strangely, Sophie’s expression softened, whether out of curiosity or sympathy, he wasn’t certain. “Surely you could have asked one of your family to go with you.”
Indeed, he could have, Jack knew, thinking back to the days following the house party, directly after learning of Sophie’s betrothal. Skye had insisted on calling a family council in London in hopes of salvaging his legendary lovers romance. She, Quinn, and Kate had all volunteered to make the visit to Navartania with him, but Jack had declined their offers of help. He didn’t want his intrusive family tagging along on so private a