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Authors: Sophie Barnes
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sarcastically.
Alexandra held his gaze, furious. Ryan looked as if he was trying to think of an excuse, any excuse, to leave. “You saw me fight in Rouen,” she said. “You thought me quite proficient then. ‘An impressive display of swordsmanship,’ you said—if I am not mistaken.”
“I thought you were a man,” he shot back.
“So now that you know I am not, but that I am a woman instead, my swordsmanship is suddenly less impressive? Is that it?”
“You are missing the point entirely, Lady Alexandra .”
“And you, Lord Trenton, are suddenly willing to dismiss me on account of my gender. Well, suffice it to say that you are the most arrogant and despicable man that I have ever encountered.” She held her ground; she was so angry her blood practically boiling in her veins.
“Alex,” Ryan cautioned her in a low voice. “Ashford has every reason to be vexed by all of this.”
“By the fact that we deceived him, yes. But he has no right to insist that I will get us all killed, just because he has suddenly discovered that I am a woman. I dare say he’s a bigot.”
Ryan groaned, apparently acknowledging that it would be hopeless to try and reason with his sister and that there was nothing left to do but ride out the storm.
Michael frowned, but he didn’t take her bait. Instead, he must have decided to make an attempt to explain himself, for when he next spoke, his voice seemed overly calm. “All I know is that we’re likely to face battle. In that event, you will be nothing but a liability to us,” he said as if he were explaining a potential danger to a child. “You are a woman, Lady Alexandra—a stunningly beautiful woman, as it happens. Ryan and I simply cannot afford having to stick our necks out on account of you. We shall have enough trouble keeping ourselves safe.” He settled back against his chair with a rather pleased look upon his face, as if she’d certainly be able to see the logic behind his reasoning now.
But Alexandra just gaped at him. Ryan looked as if he might throttle him.
Michael’s gaze shifted from one to the other, then frowned, his lips parting in dismay. “Please excuse my candor,” he told him smoothly. One had to give him credit for maintaining his composure. “But I would rather if we didn’t beat about the bush in this instance.”
“Point taken,” Ryan muttered with an edge of annoyance.
Alexandra paid them no mind. All she could think about were Michael’s words. Nobody had ever remarked on her looks before, and she couldn’t help but be pleased by it. And that such a compliment should come from a man as dashing as him, was . . . well . . . she dared not even think of what it made her feel.
She shook her head and made a desperate attempt to focus on the matter at hand. There just wasn’t room for this kind of distraction. Besides, she now definitely disliked the man. Intensely.
Or so she kept telling herself.
“I do not need for you or Ryan to protect me,” she protested.
Michael groaned. “I realize that, but what you don’t seem to understand is that you shall be faced with far more danger than either one of us.”
Alexandra paused. “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously. “If I can fight as well as either of you, perhaps even better, then why should I be in more danger than you or Ryan on this assignment?”
Michael threw up his hands in exasperation. “Because you’re a woman, Lady Alexandra. A rather lovely Englishwoman who’s about to walk right into the midst of Napoleon’s army—an army full of men who would gladly give their right arm to bed you.”
Ryan drew a sharp breath while Alex’s jaw dropped open once again. She had to stop doing that. The implication of what Michael was saying began to dawn on her as she thought back on the encounters she’d had over the past two days with men who’d discovered she was female. Alexandra felt a rush of heat coloring her cheeks. She cast a quick glance in Ryan’s
Alexandra held his gaze, furious. Ryan looked as if he was trying to think of an excuse, any excuse, to leave. “You saw me fight in Rouen,” she said. “You thought me quite proficient then. ‘An impressive display of swordsmanship,’ you said—if I am not mistaken.”
“I thought you were a man,” he shot back.
“So now that you know I am not, but that I am a woman instead, my swordsmanship is suddenly less impressive? Is that it?”
“You are missing the point entirely, Lady Alexandra .”
“And you, Lord Trenton, are suddenly willing to dismiss me on account of my gender. Well, suffice it to say that you are the most arrogant and despicable man that I have ever encountered.” She held her ground; she was so angry her blood practically boiling in her veins.
“Alex,” Ryan cautioned her in a low voice. “Ashford has every reason to be vexed by all of this.”
“By the fact that we deceived him, yes. But he has no right to insist that I will get us all killed, just because he has suddenly discovered that I am a woman. I dare say he’s a bigot.”
Ryan groaned, apparently acknowledging that it would be hopeless to try and reason with his sister and that there was nothing left to do but ride out the storm.
Michael frowned, but he didn’t take her bait. Instead, he must have decided to make an attempt to explain himself, for when he next spoke, his voice seemed overly calm. “All I know is that we’re likely to face battle. In that event, you will be nothing but a liability to us,” he said as if he were explaining a potential danger to a child. “You are a woman, Lady Alexandra—a stunningly beautiful woman, as it happens. Ryan and I simply cannot afford having to stick our necks out on account of you. We shall have enough trouble keeping ourselves safe.” He settled back against his chair with a rather pleased look upon his face, as if she’d certainly be able to see the logic behind his reasoning now.
But Alexandra just gaped at him. Ryan looked as if he might throttle him.
Michael’s gaze shifted from one to the other, then frowned, his lips parting in dismay. “Please excuse my candor,” he told him smoothly. One had to give him credit for maintaining his composure. “But I would rather if we didn’t beat about the bush in this instance.”
“Point taken,” Ryan muttered with an edge of annoyance.
Alexandra paid them no mind. All she could think about were Michael’s words. Nobody had ever remarked on her looks before, and she couldn’t help but be pleased by it. And that such a compliment should come from a man as dashing as him, was . . . well . . . she dared not even think of what it made her feel.
She shook her head and made a desperate attempt to focus on the matter at hand. There just wasn’t room for this kind of distraction. Besides, she now definitely disliked the man. Intensely.
Or so she kept telling herself.
“I do not need for you or Ryan to protect me,” she protested.
Michael groaned. “I realize that, but what you don’t seem to understand is that you shall be faced with far more danger than either one of us.”
Alexandra paused. “What do you mean?” she asked cautiously. “If I can fight as well as either of you, perhaps even better, then why should I be in more danger than you or Ryan on this assignment?”
Michael threw up his hands in exasperation. “Because you’re a woman, Lady Alexandra. A rather lovely Englishwoman who’s about to walk right into the midst of Napoleon’s army—an army full of men who would gladly give their right arm to bed you.”
Ryan drew a sharp breath while Alex’s jaw dropped open once again. She had to stop doing that. The implication of what Michael was saying began to dawn on her as she thought back on the encounters she’d had over the past two days with men who’d discovered she was female. Alexandra felt a rush of heat coloring her cheeks. She cast a quick glance in Ryan’s
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