Rendezvous With Yesterday (The Gifted Ones #2)(78)

The blonde’s face darkened as Beth continued.

“Lord Robert is the earl. Fosterly is his. And all who inhabit it are subject to his authority. Is that not correct?”

“You have it aright, my lady,” Michael spoke behind her, barely restrained by the hand she still pressed to his chest.

“Lord Robert asked me to set his kitchen to rights,” Beth said. “He also said that my will is his will and that to please him”—she took a step forward and stared Alice directly in the eye, uncaring that she had to look up to do so—“you will have to please me.”

“You will not last!” Alice screeched. “You will never please him the way I do. He will tire of you quickly. Then he will come back to me. He always comes back to me!”

A fist fastened itself around Beth’s heart and slowly began to squeeze.

Alice and Robert had been lovers?

Michael took a step closer, ready to interfere. “You dare to—!”

“Shut up, Michael. I’m handling this,” Beth snapped, then gritted her teeth. Damn it. Don’t show any reaction. Don’t let her see that she’s rattled you.

And she had. Vivid images of Robert and Alice making love filled her mind as a primitive urge to do violence rose up within her.

Jealousy, rage, and insecurity all buffeted her as she stood there, outwardly impassive.

Wait a minute. What was she doing, taking this woman’s word that Robert had slept with her? Josh had taught her better than that.

While all of the other occupants of the kitchen waited amidst a fascinated hush, Beth examined Alice and the situation as objectively as possible, then drew the only conclusion she could, knowing Robert as she did.

Her eyes on Alice, Beth shook her head, a slow, steady wagging from side to side. One corner of her lips she lifted in a patronizing smile as she released Michael and folded her arms across her chest. When next she spoke, she infused her words with condescending amusement. “You’ve never shared Robert’s bed.”

Alice’s lips tightened. “I have. Lord Robert has sought me out many ti—”

“Not even once,” Beth interrupted. “You’re not his type.”

Michael grunted. “Aye. Lying bitches in heat do not appeal to him.”

Male laughter and female giggles and snickers filled the room.

Alice’s face twisted with rage as she leapt forward.

Beth didn’t know who the intended target was—herself or Michael. She simply reacted according to all of the self-defense drills Josh had put her through.



Dodging to one side, Beth grabbed Alice’s wrist, knocked her off-balance, and—seconds later—pinned her to the floor, facedown, with one arm twisted up behind her back and Beth’s foot planted firmly between her shoulder blades.

While their audience gaped, Alice struggled in vain for several seconds, most likely believing her size would give her the advantage, then subsided as Beth forced the woman’s captive arm up a fraction higher.

Alice whimpered.

Not even out of breath, Beth frowned at their astonished audience. “Everybody out.”

After an instant’s pause, a stampede ensued, leaving her alone with her antagonist and Michael, whose mouth hung open.

“Michael, would you give us a minute, please? We need to have a little talk.”

He closed his mouth, but made no move to leave.

“We’ll be fine,” she coaxed. “I promise.”

He frowned. “I shall be right outside the door should you need me.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Beth contemplated Alice’s messy hair for a long minute after he left. “I’m going to let you up now. But if you give me any trouble—I mean any trouble—I will take you right back down again. Do you understand me?”

No response.

With a mental shrug, Beth released her hold on Alice and backed away.

The other woman lurched to her feet, stumbled once, then spun around and glared at Beth while she rubbed her aching shoulder.

“I’m going to give you a little advice,” Beth began, “that is frequently passed around where I come from. You would do well to keep it in mind.” She would have to clean it up a bit, but the message should get across all the same. “You shouldn’t provoke people. You never know who you might be dealing with.”

The woman’s scowl deepened.

Beth rolled her eyes. “Look, I have neither the need nor the desire for enemies, Alice. Your name is Alice, isn’t it?”

Again, no response.

“I have enough problems as it is,” Beth continued. “I don’t need you causing more. Now, I don’t blame you for wanting Robert. I really don’t. I am well aware of his appeal and his many good qualities. But I want to make this perfectly clear to you.” She took a step forward. “You cannot have him,” she declared, voice stony. “He’s mine.”

Boy, it felt good to say that. So good that she decided to say it again. “Robert is mine. Whatever happens between us in the future is exactly that… between us. Just him and me. If you or any other woman who has her eye on him—don’t think I haven’t noticed that there are several of you—ever try to deceive us or come between us with schemes or bullshit lies like this again, I will have no other choice but to grind you into the dirt.”