She wasn’t going to feel badly about being out of line. He’d been lying to her for weeks.
She told herself that but what he said next made her feel like an absolute heel.
“I’d been away from you for days. I wanted to see you and you weren’t home. So, I suppose what I felt was that I missed you.” he clipped, his patience with her beginning to wear and it was showing.
At his words, she stopped pressing against his chest to get away.
“You missed me?” she breathed, her eyes rounded in surprise.
He just stared at her and she (wisely) let it go.
Then she rushed on. “Why didn’t you tell me about the portraits? And, why did you offer me fifty thousand pounds to sleep with me? I mean, who does that? And –”
“Why did you take it?” he cut in and, at his turning of the tables, she clapped her mouth shut.
It was her turn to stare at him.
Unlike her, however, he actually intended to get an answer.
“Would you care to answer me?” This was voiced as a request however it was anything but.
Sibyl mentally kicked herself for again, after the many times in the past, not learning her lesson. How she managed to get herself in these tricky situations, she did not know. She had two degrees, got straight A’s, graduated with honours, she kept her home tidy, managed to take care of her pets, hold down a job, keep a business, pay her bills, but her life was (always) an absolute mess.
She decided to remain silent. She figured it was her best option at that point.
“Christ, for someone as beautiful and warm-hearted as you, you’re truly the most annoying woman I know,” Colin ground out, looking over her head rather than at her.
She was now staring at him in wonder.
She’d kind of heard the word “annoying’ but she was stuck on “beautiful’ and “warm-hearted” so she didn’t fully process the “annoying’ bit.
It was then that there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Sibyl called automatically.
“Go away,” Colin barked at the same time.
Of course, since it was the sisters, they listened to Sibyl and opened the door.
Looking over her shoulder, Sibyl watched Claire and Scarlett walk in, Claire watching them with her heart in her eyes, Scarlett’s eyes were scrutinising.
“We came to see if you were all right. That was quite a scene down there and we were a bit worried,” Claire announced, walking fully into the room, her gaze swinging worriedly from Colin to Sibyl.
“I came in a medical capacity. After carrying Sibyl up the stairs, I thought you might need me to check if you’d sustained a hernia,” Scarlett drily informed Colin.
At that, Sibyl’s head snapped back around to look to Colin. “Would you like to amend your comment about the most annoying woman you know?” she quipped angrily.
His arms loosened around her as one corner of his lips twitched tellingly. Sibyl stepped away from him, breaking the hold of his arms and gave him a look that told him she did not think her sister, or any of this, was amusing.
“I’m fine, he’s fine, we’re fine, everything’s fine,” Sibyl curtly assured Claire who was still looking as if one, the other, or the both of them was about to spontaneously combust and she didn’t want to be in the way of flying body parts.
“We were hoping to have a private conversation,” Colin said pointedly then glanced at the door.
Scarlett ignored the glance, walked toward the fireplace and turned one of the comfortable armchairs there around to face the room. As she did, she noted, “You clearly wanted to have a private conversation, but as you carried my sister to your bedroom like a Neanderthal, it is somewhat debatable if she wanted a private conversation with you.” Then she sat, crossed her legs and groaned. “These damn shoes are killing me.”
“Scarlett –” Sibyl started, her voice edged with warning.
“You must know, it isn’t easy for him,” Claire burst out.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Claire who was standing, her arms straight down at her sides, her hands clenched in fists. She was upset about something and Sibyl thought for a moment she was angry at Scarlett (deservedly so), but her eyes were directed at Sibyl.
“Who?” Sibyl asked, thinking maybe she was confused. It wouldn’t be surprising if she was confused, considering her whole world had been turned on its head. However, Sibyl could not imagine Claire was referring to Colin. Everything seemed easy for Colin.
“Colin,” Claire answered and Sibyl’s eyes widened.
Sibyl looked at her sister and Scarlett shrugged and turned her attention to Claire.
“It’s just that every woman he meets –” Claire began but Colin interrupted.
“Claire, I don’t think –”
“Wants her pound of flesh,” Claire finished stubbornly, looking at Colin with a rebellious gleam in her eye.
“Pound of flesh?” Sibyl echoed.
“Yes. Her pound of flesh,” Claire repeated.
“Claire,” Colin said again, this time his voice held a warning.
“Really, Colin, I’m not entirely certain what all this intrigue was about tonight but we went along with it. Though, it’s obvious something isn’t right with the pair of you,” Claire retorted.
“Yes, that’s one thing that is obvious,” Scarlett muttered under her breath but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Claire ignored her which Sibyl thought showed great diplomacy and Sibyl’s already high estimation of Colin’s sister climbed another notch.
“So someone has to tell your side of things,” Claire went on.
“His side of things?” Sibyl parroted, beginning to feel like she sounded like a fool.
“Yes, Sibyl. Colin doesn’t trust very easily, especially women, which isn’t surprising, since every woman he’s ever met was out for something,” Claire explained.
Colin made an exasperated noise or an annoyed noise or a furious noise. Sibyl wasn’t certain, she’d never heard him make it before. Whatever it was, it showed he was losing what was left of his control.
“Perhaps you should carry Claire out of the room,” Scarlett helpfully suggested to Colin.
“Scarlett, will you shut… up!” Sibyl snapped then she swung around to face Colin and asked, “Out for what?”
Scarlett laughed and Sibyl found herself whirling around again. “Sibyl, girl, I really need to introduce you to Manolo Blahnik. I’m pretty certain most of the women Colin’s dated are intimately acquainted with him and wanted to remain so, indefinitely.”