The Girl is Not For Christmas - Emma V Leech Page 0,22
else… n-no one else….”
To her horror, the words stuck in her throat and her eyes burned hotter still. Though she’d believed she had no tears left to cry she broke down, sobbing in the middle of the garden with the Earl of Kingston staring at her in utter horror. Good lord, she’d be sent to a madhouse if he had anything to do with it. No doubt it would amuse him greatly. Yet she could not stop. The heavens opened once more and the rain hammered down, but Livvy could not move. Some dam inside her had burst, and all the misery and sadness she’d forced down for so many years exploded out in a disgusting show of emotion that would send any sane man running for the hills.
Except Kingston did not run.
Livvy gasped as he swept her up, strong arms holding her as though she weighed nothing at all, which she knew was not the case. She was too miserable to protest, too worn down to fight. For all she knew, he was going to take her to some dark place and murder her. She couldn’t find the will to care. Instead, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Somewhat to her surprise, he did nothing reprehensible, but carried her to the stables, out of the rain. The horses whickered a greeting, and the scent of hay and leather soothed her jagged edges a little. Kingston set her down on a bench and then sat beside her. He said nothing, only handed her a large white handkerchief.
Livvy took it from him and wiped her face, blew her nose, and took a shuddering breath, trying to find some semblance of calm.
“We’ll go back inside once you feel able to face it. I know you don’t wish me to interfere, but you’ll catch your death if you don’t change out of those wet things.”
She nodded meekly, hardly able to dispute it whilst her limbs trembled so hard.
“Is he such an appalling prospect?”
Livvy blinked and turned her head to regard him in outrage. Curiosity glinted in his dark eyes, but he showed no sign of impatience or condemnation. The earl shrugged.
“Hard to keep a secret when the servants chatter. Walsh heard about it. So… is he? Appalling I mean.”
“Y-Yes,” she managed, wrapping her arms about herself.
He nodded and got to his feet, took off his coat and settled it about her shoulders. The warmth from his body still lingering in the fabric only made her shiver harder, but it was lovely.
“Th-Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We shall call it quits. You’ve seen me at my worst and now I’ve seen you. We’re both human. Who would have thought it?”
Livvy snorted. “A passionate crying fit hardly equates to a lifetime of drink and debauchery, my lord.”
He returned a grave nod. “True. You need a deal more practise. Perhaps you should try hitting me, or throwing things about?”
A sideways glance in his direction showed her a placid expression, but there was laughter in his eyes.
“Are you offering to present yourself as a target? I would be more than willing to try that, believe me.”
He grinned at her then. “There you are. You feel better now you can be unkind to me, don’t you?”
“Hmph. I do. How strange.”
Kingston shook his head and stretched his long legs out before him. “Not strange at all. Like most young ladies, you’ve likely spent much of your life fighting back your feelings and smothering all the things you wish to say when things go awry, but you hold me in contempt, so you need not watch that sharp tongue of yours. You can vilify me to your heart’s content and never feel a moment’s guilt for having done so. Liberating, I should imagine.”
Livvy pursed her lips. “That’s not entirely accurate. Yes, I do enjoy scolding you. It is most satisfying, but the truth is I have always been a deal too free with my opinions. Though that’s only because my brother is—”
She clamped her mouth shut against her words. Charlie might have betrayed her trust, but Kingston was a stranger. She’d not discuss her brother’s shortcomings with him.
“Your brother is a good-hearted fool until he gets himself into deep water, and then he can be a selfish prick.”
Livvy gasped and opened her mouth to remonstrate before thinking better of it.
“Yes,” she said. “Precisely that.”
“I know how you feel.”
“I sincerely doubt it,” Livvy replied, somewhat scathing at the idea they should have the least thing in common.