She tried to smile, but found that her bravado was sadly lacking. “I'd be happy to see to your injuries.”
His hands descended upon her shoulders in a blindingly fast movement. “I wasn't walking, Victoria. I was running. I was running as if it were to save my own life. Except it wasn't.” He leaned forward, his eyes glittering furiously. “I was desperate to save yours.”
Her throat convulsed in a nervous swallow. What did he want her to say? Finally she opened her mouth and out tumbled, “Thank you?” It was more of a question than a statement.
He let go of her abruptly and turned away, clearly disgusted by her reaction. “Oh, for the love of Christ,” he muttered.
Victoria fought against a choking feeling in the back of her throat. How had her life descended to this? She was dangerously close to tears, but she refused to cry in front of this man. He had broken her heart twice, pestered her for a week, and now he'd abducted her. Surely she was allowed a small measure of pride. “I want to go back to my own bed,” she said, her voice small.
He didn't bother to turn around when he replied, “I already told you that I will not allow you to return to that hellhole in London.”
“I meant in the next room.”
There was a long silence. “I want you here,” he finally said.
“Here?” she squeaked.
“I believe I have already said as much on two occasions.”
She decided to try another tactic and appeal to his deep sense of honor. “Robert, I know you are not the sort to take a woman against her will.”
“It isn't that,” he said with a disgusted scoff.“I don't trust you to stay put.”
Victoria swallowed the stinging retort that formed on her lips. “I promise I shan't try to escape again this evening. I give you my most solemn vow.”
“Pardon me if I'm not inclined to take you at your word.”
That stung, and Victoria recalled the time she had snorted with disdain when he'd said he had never broken a promise to her. It was remarkable how unpleasant it was to receive a taste of one's own medicine. She grimaced. “I didn't promise not to try to escape before. I am doing so now.”
He turned and stared at her with incredulous eyes. “You, my lady, should have been a politician.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Merely that you possess a stunning ability to use words to dance around the truth.”
Victoria laughed. She couldn't help it. “And what exactly is the truth?”
He stepped forward purposefully. “You need me.”
“Oh, please.”
“You do. You need me in every way a woman needs a man.”
“Don't say anything more, Robert. I would hate to be driven to violence.”
He chuckled at her sarcasm. “Love, companionship, affection. You need all of that. Why do you think you were so miserable as a governess? You were alone”。
“I could get a dog. A spaniel would be more intelligent company than you.”
He laughed again. “Just look how quick you were to claim me as your husband tonight. You could have made up a name, but no, you chose me.”
“I was using you,” she spat out. “Using you and your name to protect myself. That is all!”
“Ah, but even that wasn't enough, was it, my sweet?”
Victoria didn't particularly like the way he said “my sweet.”
“You needed the man, too. Those men didn't believe you until I arrived on the scene.”
“Thank you ever so much,” she ground out, not sounding particularly gracious. “You do have a flair for rescuing me from unpleasant situations.”
He smirked. “Ah, yes, I am ever useful.”
“Unpleasant situations that you cause,” she shot back.
“Really?” he said, his voice dripping sarcasm.
“I suppose that I rose out of bed—in my sleep, no less—dragged you from your room, pushed you down the stairs, and then left you in front of the inn to be accosted by two pox-ridden drunkards.”
She pursed her lips in a prim expression. “Robert, you are behaving in a most unbecoming manner.”
“Ah, the governess returns.”
“You abducted me!” she nearly shrieked, completely losing hold of her temper. “You kidnapped me! If you had left me alone, as I have repeatedly asked you to, I would have been safe and sound in my own bed.”
He stepped forward and jabbed her in the shoulder. “Safe and sound?” he repeated. “In your neighborhood? A bit of a contradiction of terms, I think.”