squash.
'Vile, certainly! Why, our dinner has gone quite cold!'
'That's the spirit, Dolly,' Jamie told her.
'Jori, sit. The turkey may be cold, but it's delicious.'
'That's it?' Tess demanded heatedly.
'What do you mean, that's it?'
'Where did you go? What were you doing? You were supposed to be here!'
'Jon was here,' Jamie said evenly.
'But' -- Jamie was buttering a roll. Jane and Hank and Jon sat and
picked up their forks. Jamie's butter knife went still and his eyes were
slightly narrowed as he stared at her.
'Miss. Stuart, I don't like the tone of this conversation. I came back
in time to save your hide.'
'You wouldn't have had to rush back if you'd been here--where you should
have been! You want to be paid so highly, and you can't even stick
around!' He stood suddenly. His knife clattered against a dish.
'I
don't argue like this in front of others, Miss. Stuart.'
' There is no argument!' she snapped.
'No, there isn't. I'll make it simple. Wherever I choose to go is my own
business, Miss. Stuart. You are not my keeper. And as to payment, hell,
yes.
Tomorrow we'll go into town and you'll turn over half interest in this
place to me.'
She gasped aloud, stunned.
'Jamie, she doesn't understand what you're doing,' Jon said, ignoring
the rising tensions and reaching for a roll himself.
'If you just explained' -- 'Explained! Hell, I feel as if I'm up before
the judge and jury!'
'Judge and jury! I really don't give a damn what you do with your time,
but'
'You begged me to come here, Tess.'
'Begged!'
'Begged!'
'Oh!' she cried. Then she wound her fingers tightly together.
'I don't argue in public either, Lieutenant!' she snapped. She was
shaking, she realized. She'd been so damned amazed and grateful to see
him, but she'd also been scared, and now she was furious and shaking and
she wasn't even sure what she did want. She turned, having no taste left
for dinner.
Angrily she began to stride for the door. 'Tess!' He was on his feet,
calling to her. He really expected her to stop because he had commanded
her to. She didn't stop, she didn't turn, she didn't even pause. She
sailed straight for the front door. She would go to the carriage house
to make sure the fire von Heusen's men had started had been stamped out.
'Jamie, give her a minute,' Dolly suggested.
'The hell I will!' Jamie snapped.
Before Tess heard the door slam in her wake, she thought she heard
Jamie's chair hit the floor as he pushed it over.
