To Tame a Dragon (10 page)

“Excepting the last reason, can we not have
both mastery and enjoyment? Must one compromise?”

“Perhaps it is that your partners fail to
keep you entertained and you must focus on technique to keep
from being bored. You have not tried to drag me around the floor
yet; I must be entertaining enough to keep you malleable.”

He smiled slightly. “Perhaps that is the
trick with you after all.”

She hadn’t yet thought of a reply before he
laughed and said, “Of course, that is assuming I prefer you
malleable. To which I must admit I have fond memories of a
certain skirmish of ours. And I would not mind repeating it
whatsoever.”

Her reply to that sounded too much like a
squeak for her comfort and she cleared her throat. She opened
her mouth to say something scathing but was a little relieved
when he interrupted her by sighing theatrically. He had gotten
the upper hand in this conversation and she felt two steps
behind.

“Very well. Perhaps another dance on another
night. Now, Amelia, I have a very important question to ask you.
Are you drunk yet?”

Her mouth fell open. “Am I drunk? Yet? Are
you awaiting this condition?”

“You told me yourself you would accept my
proposal when you were drunk. I’m simply wondering if you’re
ready.”

She stopped completely, forcing another
couple to dance around them. “Are you serious? Are you mad? Are
you asking me to marry you on a dance floor?”

Everyone who had not been looking at them
turned at that. Jameson glanced around, then smiled. “Yes, I am.
I do hope you’re drunk.”

She gaped at his audacity.

“A bit unorthodox, I know. But at least this
way you’ll have to give me an answer. No pretending I’m not
serious.”

Her eyes flashed and she stepped out of his
arms. She glanced once at the crowd staring at them, then raised
her chin. “You should have been more certain of my answer.”

Amelia turned, not looking anyone in the eye.
Her mother stood up quietly, sparing a pitying glance for the boy
she thought of as a son, then followed her daughter out. Robin
managed to choke down the drink resting in his mouth.

The crowd started talking all at once.
Jameson stood in the center of the dance floor watching others
ignore him and wondered how many daughters he was going to have
to dance with to be forgiven of this latest
fiasco
.

R
obin arrived later than usual the next day,
giving his friend plenty of time to suffer from the probable
bingeing of the night before. He’d expected to find Jameson
still in bed, but was surprised to be informed that his lordship
was in the library. He was even more surprised to find him sober
and lacking the ubiquitous hangover.

Jameson was pleased to see him. “I was afraid
I’d lost more than one friend last night. Not many men would
forgive me for making a fool of their sister.”

Robin gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder
and sat comfortably. “Ah, well. The consensus is she made a fool
of you, and you of yourself. So there’s not much to forgive. I
do believe her reputation has gained though. There will be even
more hot-headed fools trying to win the hand of the dragon.”

Jameson’s face clouded over. He hated for her
to think of him like that. He had not proposed for the challenge
of it.

“Then I’m glad you’re here, Rob. I’ve been
thinking all night and I’ve come to two conclusions.”

“That you’re an idiot and you don’t know how
you’re going to get back into her good graces?”

Jameson smiled. “Precisely. One thing is
certain, I do want to get back into her good graces. I want to
marry your sister, Robin.”

Robin blinked and he couldn’t help but frown.
“Why?”

“You do your sister a disservice. She may not
be the most beautiful swan in the pond, but she’s deuced
entertaining to be around. A man must always keep his wits about
him or she’ll charge right over him. And she knows me, she’s
fond of me, there are none of my sins to be glossed over. She
knows
me
.”

“Which could be one of the reasons she turned
you flat, old chap.”

“A very valid point, which is why I did not
drink myself to a stupor last night. Some of my vices will have
to be lessened before I am worthy of more than just brotherly
fondness.”

“You’re also too flighty.”

“I did not mean for this to turn into a
cataloging of all my faults, old friend.”

“What I meant was you were but recently
engaged to Miss Underwood. How does Amelia know you’ll actually
last until the wedding?”

“It’s true. How does an old bachelor give up
his manhood without a little trepidation?”

“Perhaps you’re not ready for marriage.”

Jameson sighed. “I’m ready for it all to be
over.”

The pounding headache that had plagued Amelia
since last night beat a steady cadence to Miss Underwood’s
voice. Could she not be left in peace? Must she be the only
voice of reason in all of London?

“He proposed to you. Now everyone will think
he left me for you.” Clarice held an embroidered handkerchief to
her streaming eyes. Her tears were real, as was the emotion
behind it. Maybe it wasn’t spurned love, but wounded pride hurt
badly all the same. Amelia sighed. It wasn’t the poor girl’s
fault she got entangled with Jameson. Very few escaped without
damage.

“Or they’ll think he was so devastated at
losing you, he rushed right out to the first girl to replace the
love he lost. It all depends on how you act. Personally, I would
feign sympathy for him.”

“But we know differently, don’t we.”

“My dear, I don’t pretend to know how Jameson
thinks. One guess is as good as another. He humiliated you and
now he’s humiliated himself. Can that not be the end of it.”

“I’m starting to believe that even if he did
ask me again I would not accept.”

Amelia rolled her eyes and murmured, “Praise
God.”

“He is too frivolous with my emotions.”

What about my emotions, Amelia thought, and
then remembered she was the dragon. She didn’t have emotions.
Jameson was simply another refusal in a vast sea of proposals.
But why did it feel as if her sturdy vessel was taking on water?

Lady Beckham lifted her cheek for a kiss from
her son and stared at Jameson. “I feel like I should banish you
to your room without supper.”

“I know. You probably should.”

“How will you make this up to her? You’ve
embarrassed her.”

Robin popped a bite of toast into his mouth.
“I’d guess you’ve wakened the sleeping dragon and if you had any
sense at all, you’d run and hide, not chase after her some
more.”

“Are you chasing after my daughter, Jameson?”

“I would like to, Lady Beckham, if you have
no objection.”

“I have no objections, Jameson, but
permission is traditionally asked of her guardian.”

They turned toward Robin and he stared
blankly at them. Then he sputtered. “Oh, I say. I’m not her
guardian.”

“Yes, dear, you are.”

“But I stay out of all that. If some hot-head
wants her hand, he was to win it himself. I’m not going to get
in the middle of it.”

“Robin, dear, this isn’t some hot-head, this
is Jameson. And he would like your permission to court Amelia.”

Robin turned pink at his mother’s words. “I
say, Mother.”

“Robin, I would like permission to court your
sister. I’m sure you are well aware that I can provide for her.
And you know I would be too afraid to hurt her.”

Lady Beckham pressed her lips together in
disapproval.

Jameson cleared his throat. “And of course I
hold her in the highest esteem. In fact, I think we all agree
she’s the only woman likely to keep me under control. And I may
be the only man
she
can’t completely control.”

“Oh, all right. But for God’s sake, don’t
tell her I gave you permission. Last time I gave some knot-head
permission she nearly tore
my
head off. Amelia prefers I
stay out of these matters.”

Jameson patted his friend on the back. “I
hope you find a nice, sweet girl to settle down with, Rob.”

He turned back to Lady Beckham. “Where is
Amelia? Not hiding in her room. I can’t imagine her missing a
chance to scream at me.”

She shook her head. “She is out with Miss
Underwood. Amelia thought it prudent to be seen together happy
and carefree. They were to go shopping for hats and gloves.”

Jameson rose. “Robin, would you accompany me?
I do not care to see both those women alone and unprotected.”

“Are you quite sure this is a good idea, old
chap?”

“No. I’m almost certain this is a very bad
idea, but it must be done. And perhaps having this out in public
will be all for the better.”

Lady Beckham looked slightly alarmed. “Have
you even seen Miss Underwood since the wedding was called off?
And now you have proposed to another lady quite publicly?”

Robin shook his head. “Amelia is not going to
like this.”

“No. But Amelia is not going to like anything
I do for a while, I suppose. If you will distract Miss Underwood
from any injurious intentions toward my person I will handle
your sister.”

Robin stood with a sigh, pecking his mother
on the cheek, and dutifully following his friend. “Lord save us
both.”

Jameson and Robin toured the shops women were
likely to frequent. Whispers, laughter, and starch looks
followed them and Jameson was more and more grateful for his
steady friend. Had he been alone on this mission he had no doubt
the women would have attacked, pecking and squawking until he’d
wished he’d never been born.

And then, when they finally found Amelia and
Miss Underwood at the milliner’s, he wished heartily he had
listened to his friend. This really had not been a good idea.

Miss Underwood gasped when she saw him.

Amelia stared at him with open hostility.
“You must indeed be the stupidest man in all of England.”

She turned her ire to her brother. “And you.
What were you thinking in letting him out today of all days?”

Robin manfully ignored his sister, stepping
to Miss Underwood’s side and offering his arm. “May I escort you
home, Miss Underwood? I fear bystanders will not be safe during
this battle.”

Unthinking, she took his arm, allowing him to
draw her away. Her skin was pale and Robin steered her gently.

Amelia watched them walk away with lips
tightly pursed. Then she turned away from Jameson and began making
her way in the opposite direction. He followed for a while,
silently allowing her to ignore him as best she could. It was
hard doing, as both men and women stopped jerkily when they saw
who followed her. Jameson could see her shoulders stiffening and
her hands clenching into tight balls before she remembered and
loosened them. Judging by the startled expressions of innocent
bystanders when they met her eye, he guessed he was glad she was
still ignoring him.

He knew it would not last, though. Ignoring
was not how Amelia dealt with problems. Slicing them in two was
more her style.