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She tilted her head “I may have done so”
“May have?” Ralston took a step toward her, and Juliana stood to face her brother head-on Here was no si miss
She was tall, uncommonly so for a female It was not every day that Simon met a woman hom he did not have to stoop to converse
The top of her head came to his nose
“Well, I was rather busy, Gabriel”
There was so about the words, so utterlyattention to himself
Ralston rounded on hihton I’ve half a ht’s farce”
Disbelief surged “Callherself”
“Then perhaps you’d like to explain how it is that the two of you were alone in your study, her hands lovingly clasped in your ohen I arrived?”
Si And he did not like it “Just what are you trying to say, Ralston?”
“Only that special licenses have been procured for less”
His eyes narrowed on the ood day This was not turning out to be a good day “I’irl”
“There’s no way I’ him!” she cried at the same moment
Well At least they agreed on so
Wait
She didn’t want to ht worse He was a duke, for God’s sake! And she was a walking scandal
Ralston’s attention had returned to his sister “You’ll marry whomever I tell you to marry if you keep up with this ridiculous behavior, sister”
“You proan
“Yes, well, you weren’t ardens when I made that vow” Impatience infused Ralston’s tone “Who did this to you?”
“No one”
The too-quick response rankled Why wouldn’t she reveal who had hurt her? Perhaps she had not wanted to discuss the private matter with Simon, but why not with her brother?
Why not allow retribution to be delivered?
“I’ “Why not tell me?”
“All you need know is that I handled him”
Both men froze Simon could not resist “Handled him how?”
She paused, cradling her bruised wrist in her hand in a way that ht have sprained it “I hit him”
“Where?” Ralston blurted
“In the gardens”
The , and Si where on his person did you strike your attacker?”
“Oh In the nose” She paused in the stunned silence that followed, then said defensively, “He deserved it!”
“He daive me his name, and I’ll finish him off”
“No”
“Juliana The strike of a wo you”
She narrowed her gaze on her brother, “Oh, really? Well, there was a great deal of blood considering it was the mere strike of a woman, Gabriel”
Simon blinked “You bloodied his nose”
A s smile crossed her face “That’s not all I did”
Of course it wasn’t
“I hesitate to ask” Simon prodded
She looked to hi?
“What did you do?”
“Ihit himelsewhere”
“Where?”
“In his” She hesitated, her ave up “In his inguine”
Had he not understood the Italian perfectly, the circular enerally believed to be entirely inappropriate for discussion with a young wo would have been unmistakable
“Oh, dear God” It was unclear whether Ralston’s words were meant as prayer or blasphemy
What was clear was that the woladiator
“He called me a pie!” she announced, defensively There was a pause “Wait That’s not right”
“A tart?”
“Yes! That’s it!” She registered her brother’s fists and looked to Simon “I see that it is not a compliment”
It was hard for hi in his ears He’d like to take a fist to the man himself “No It is not”
She thought for a moment “Well, then he deserved what he received, did he not?”
“Leighton,” Ralston found his voice “Is there somewhere my sister can hile you and I speak?”
Warning bells sounded, loud and raucous
Si himself calm “Of course”
“You’re going to discuss me,” Juliana blurted
Did the woht to herself?
“Yes I am,” Ralston announced
“I should like to stay”
“I am sure you would”
“Gabriel” she began, in a soothing tone Simon had only ever heard used with unbroken horses and asylum inmates
“Do not push your luck, sister”
She paused, and Simon watched in disbelief as she considered her next course of action Finally, shewith irritation “Your Grace? Where will you store me while you and my brother do the business of men?”
A She resisted at every turn
Heher out, he pointed to the room directly across from them “The library You may make yourself comfortable there”
“Mruntled
Si her one final ti to admit defeat?”
She turned to hi his chest The air grew heavy between them, and he was inundated with her scent—red currants and basil It was the sao, before he had discovered her true identity Before everything had changed
He resisted the ie of her gown instead taking a step back
The girl was entirely lacking a sense of propriety
“I may admit defeat in the battle, Your Grace But never in the war”
He watched her cross the foyer and enter the library, closing the door behind her, and he shook his head
Juliana Fiori was a disaster waiting to happen
It was a miracle that she had survived half a year with the ton
It was a miracle they had survived half a year with her
“She took him out with a knee to the” Ralston said, when Simon returned to the study
“It would seeh he could block out the troublesome female beyond
“What the hell a to do with her?”
Simon blinked once Ralston and he barely tolerated one another If it were not for thea friend, neither of them would choose to speak to the other Ralston had always been an ass He was not actually asking for Simon’s opinion, was he?
“Oh, for Chrissakes, Leighton, it was rhetorical I know better than to ask you for advice Particularly about sisters”
The barb struck true, and Siet some advice
Theconcerned by how gracious a host you had becoers of a back he said, “Scotch?”
Si evening “What a generous offer,?
?? he said dryly
Ralston walked the tumbler over and sat “Now Let’s talk about how you happen to have ht”
Si the burn of the liquor down his throat “I told you She was in e when I left your ball”
“And why didn’t you apprise me of the situation immediately?”
As questions went, it was a fairly good one Si Why hadn’t he closed the carriage door and fetched Ralston?