Read Online The Dog House (Harding's World of Romance) by Nell Harding - Free Book Online

You know I’m not welcome in that world with my accent and background.”
    “With your education, you might get away with it,” he offered, realising too late how insensitive that sounded. He hurried to correct his mistake. “In any case, I wouldn’t be all that welcome in some of your pubs either, with my accent and background. This class-consciousness works both ways.”
    “Of course you’d be welcome,” she snapped irritably. “Hostility is now reserved for rival football clubs only.”
    “If I’m so welcome, show it,” he pressed, a challenge under his light tone and smile. “Let me invite you to dinner in a place of your choosing.”
    For once she seemed to have no reply as she thought about his words. “Why are you doing this?” she blurted suddenly. “Is this some sort of prank?”
    He was taken aback. “Of course not,” he said, his surprise registering in his voice. “I would like to get to know you, that’s all. Just a chance to speak together.”
    “We’re speaking together now,” she said churlishly.
    “Yes, but you’re about to make another one of your speeches, aren’t you?” he replied. “I can tell, because you are only half-listening to me. Which is rude, by the way.”
    She sent him a dark look. “Not as rude as monopolising a tour guide for personal reasons and preventing her from concentrating on her work,” she informed him. “If I say yes, will you leave me in peace for the rest of this walk?”
    “I wouldn’t dream of disturbing you,” he said airily, grinning broadly. “So it’s a date?”
    “One dinner,” she specified sternly. “ And I’ll choose where.”
    “How will I contact you?” he asked, not willing to let her slip away. “And when?”
    She looked distracted. “Pick me up at the One-Winged Duck,” she decided. “How about this Friday after work?”
    He was unrepentant as he asked, “What is after work for you?”
    She made a face. “Let’s say six o’clock, and we’ll take it from there.”
    “Six o’clock Friday it is,” he said triumphantly, not even bothering to check if he had other plans. They could wait.
    “And now leave me alone,” she commanded firmly. “No more questions until the end of the walk.”
    “None, your honour,” he replied meekly, quickly considering the option of leaving the walk right now and returning home for a hot midday dinner. He decided that this might give Fiona the wrong impression.
    So instead he saluted Fiona cheekily and allowed himself to drop back among the others, ready to subject himself to another few hours of history and botany with this fairly intense bunch. He wondered if he had ever put in this much effort just to get a date and decided that he hadn’t. But there was a new lightness to his step and his heart as he listened patiently to a mirthless man explaining the difference between two types of heather. He was actually willing to learn things in his pursuit of Fiona. She had to be special.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    Late on Friday afternoon Fiona dropped Livingstone with Sarah at the Glen Murray Inn.  The dog was already comfortable with Sarah and seemed more than happy to be let loose in the back garden, which was guarded by a much higher wall than the cottage.
    “You should have suggested meeting here!” her friend protested. “And introduced me to your fancy new friend.”
    “Too close to home,” Fiona said with a sharp shake of her head. “He might guess where I live. And what if he saw Livingstone? I figured that Braeport is more neutral ground. I don’t want him tracking me back to the Dog House.”
    “So it will have to be his place, not yours,” Sarah said with a saucy wink.
    “Not going to happen,” Fiona said firmly. “I agreed to the date just for his education, to bring him out of his bubble.  Consider it part of my task to open the people of the region to their own culture. In this case, real life.”
    Sarah merely grinned. “You won’t stay completely immune to his