if not contemptible!"
She struggled for composure. She'd fallen right into his trap. It was another method of tormenting her, that was all. He'd discovered that she was vulnerable to him, and now he was going to use that against her.
"Your opinion of me will not keep me awake, sir," she said with as much pride as she could manage.
"Your hunger for me will," he shot right back. He smiled slowly, mockingly. "Have you been kissed, Amelia, by anyone who knew how?"
"You are impertinent," she bit off.
He moved imperceptibly closer, so that she could almost feel the tips of her breasts under the taffeta brushing his suit coat. "I have a knowledge of women that would shock you," he replied quietly. "And of a certainty, you would allow me to kiss you. In fact," he said, breathing, letting his gaze wander to her trembling mouth, "you ache for it!"
She had never expected this kind of blatant cruelty from him. She should have known that it was inevitable. Like her father, he was adept at torture.
With a soft cry, she whirled away from him, hurting her wrist as she dragged it from the steely grip of his fingers. She made a path toward Ted, her expression more revealing than she knew in her shaken state.
"You poor thing," Ted exclaimed when she reached him. "Here, I'm sorry it took so long." He handed her the punch and watched solicitously as she held it with trembling hands to her mouth. Some spilled on her immaculate white gloves, and she knew that they would be stained. Stained, like her mind from King's harsh words, his humiliating accusations. She finished the punch and looked around for Enid.
The older woman saw and recognized her desperation. With a puzzled frown she excused herself from her friends and went to see about Amelia.
"It is rather late," Enid said gently. "Are you tired, Amelia? Would you like to leave?"
"Oh, yes, please," Amelia said shakily. "I'm sorry, Ted, I'm having a wonderful time, really I am. I'm just very weary."
"And unused to such late hours, I suspect," Enid said with a smile, although her eyes were watchful. "I'll find King and ask him to get the surrey. Will you stay with Amelia, Ted?"
"Of course!" he said at once, beaming at her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Amelia saw King speaking to his mother. He shot a cold glance in her direction and abruptly turned on his heel and left the room.
"He isn't pleased to be dragged away from Miss Valverde, I see," Ted mused. "I'm sorry, Amelia. I should have offered to drive you and Enid home…"
"That's all right," she assured him. "After all, he can return if he wishes, can he not?"
"Certainly. Would you like some more punch?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine. Really."
Â
But she wasn't. Her mind was whirling with new terrors. She didn't want to go home with King. She didn't want her father to return. She wanted to run away, fly away, escape, flee… !
"My dear, you look very strange," Enid said, suddenly interrupting her thoughts. "Come along. We can wait for King on the porch. Perhaps the cool air will refresh you. Come with us, won't you, Ted?"
"I'd be delighted, Mrs. Culhane. As I told Miss Howard, I should like very much to call on her when her father returns from his hunting trip."
Enid stared at him warily. She knew of King's antagonism for the man and her own husband's distaste for him. On the other hand, she had no right to forbid Amelia to see anyone.
"I have told Mr. Simpson that it will have to wait until my father returns," Amelia said quickly, sensing Enid's discomfort. "My father is extremely strict about my callers."
"I see. Then we must both adhere to her father's wishes, Mr. Simpson," Enid said with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure you understand that I am responsible for her welfare while her father is away."
"I do understand," Ted said with a slow smile.
Enid laughed. "Well, then."
He escorted them onto the porch, where they talked idly until a disgruntled King returned with the surrey. Ted helped the women into the
She struggled for composure. She'd fallen right into his trap. It was another method of tormenting her, that was all. He'd discovered that she was vulnerable to him, and now he was going to use that against her.
"Your opinion of me will not keep me awake, sir," she said with as much pride as she could manage.
"Your hunger for me will," he shot right back. He smiled slowly, mockingly. "Have you been kissed, Amelia, by anyone who knew how?"
"You are impertinent," she bit off.
He moved imperceptibly closer, so that she could almost feel the tips of her breasts under the taffeta brushing his suit coat. "I have a knowledge of women that would shock you," he replied quietly. "And of a certainty, you would allow me to kiss you. In fact," he said, breathing, letting his gaze wander to her trembling mouth, "you ache for it!"
She had never expected this kind of blatant cruelty from him. She should have known that it was inevitable. Like her father, he was adept at torture.
With a soft cry, she whirled away from him, hurting her wrist as she dragged it from the steely grip of his fingers. She made a path toward Ted, her expression more revealing than she knew in her shaken state.
"You poor thing," Ted exclaimed when she reached him. "Here, I'm sorry it took so long." He handed her the punch and watched solicitously as she held it with trembling hands to her mouth. Some spilled on her immaculate white gloves, and she knew that they would be stained. Stained, like her mind from King's harsh words, his humiliating accusations. She finished the punch and looked around for Enid.
The older woman saw and recognized her desperation. With a puzzled frown she excused herself from her friends and went to see about Amelia.
"It is rather late," Enid said gently. "Are you tired, Amelia? Would you like to leave?"
"Oh, yes, please," Amelia said shakily. "I'm sorry, Ted, I'm having a wonderful time, really I am. I'm just very weary."
"And unused to such late hours, I suspect," Enid said with a smile, although her eyes were watchful. "I'll find King and ask him to get the surrey. Will you stay with Amelia, Ted?"
"Of course!" he said at once, beaming at her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Amelia saw King speaking to his mother. He shot a cold glance in her direction and abruptly turned on his heel and left the room.
"He isn't pleased to be dragged away from Miss Valverde, I see," Ted mused. "I'm sorry, Amelia. I should have offered to drive you and Enid home…"
"That's all right," she assured him. "After all, he can return if he wishes, can he not?"
"Certainly. Would you like some more punch?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine. Really."
Â
But she wasn't. Her mind was whirling with new terrors. She didn't want to go home with King. She didn't want her father to return. She wanted to run away, fly away, escape, flee… !
"My dear, you look very strange," Enid said, suddenly interrupting her thoughts. "Come along. We can wait for King on the porch. Perhaps the cool air will refresh you. Come with us, won't you, Ted?"
"I'd be delighted, Mrs. Culhane. As I told Miss Howard, I should like very much to call on her when her father returns from his hunting trip."
Enid stared at him warily. She knew of King's antagonism for the man and her own husband's distaste for him. On the other hand, she had no right to forbid Amelia to see anyone.
"I have told Mr. Simpson that it will have to wait until my father returns," Amelia said quickly, sensing Enid's discomfort. "My father is extremely strict about my callers."
"I see. Then we must both adhere to her father's wishes, Mr. Simpson," Enid said with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure you understand that I am responsible for her welfare while her father is away."
"I do understand," Ted said with a slow smile.
Enid laughed. "Well, then."
He escorted them onto the porch, where they talked idly until a disgruntled King returned with the surrey. Ted helped the women into the
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