The accidental groom

Too Tough To Tame

Too Tough To Tame

A dangerous silence settled on the shadowed library. It was broken only by the crackle of the flames on the hearth. Lizzie could not look away from Alexander's steady, unreadable gaze.

"How dared I Madam ?" Alexander said evenly. "From now onwards you are going to do as you are told or you will remain locked up in the house. And now you will go straight upstairs to your room and have a bath and a cup of tea while you recover from your ordeal. You will not leave the house until I return. Is that very clear, my dear?"

"But -"

"I see it is not quite clear. Very well, let me be blunt. If you do not go up those stairs this instant I will carry you up them. Now do we understand each other, madam?"

Lizzie blinked away the tears which were now in her eyes. She knew Alexander would be a great deal angrier the next morning after the duel ,so it was best to let the sleeping dogs lie. She quickly hurried out of the room.

Alexander was sitting with Nicholas in his house , and both were discussing their respected wives . Alexander had got this brainstorm of taking a few suggestions on how to deal with his wife, by coming and asking Nicholas.

He was just telling Nicholas how lucky he was to have a biddable wife like Eleanor while he was tied up with Elizabeth whose mission in life was to disobey him in every possible aspect.

Eleanor's devoted husband hooted with mirth. "Eleanor ! Biddable, indeed! You got to know her when circumstances had her somewhat subdued. I tell her it's no wonder she was whipped so often as a child. The remarkable thing is that it had so little effect."

"How do you keep her in line, then?"

Nicholas grew serious in a way his friends had reason to know. "In what line?"

It was a challenge and Alexander reacted by stiffening. "Within the line of appropriate behavior."

Nicholas's warm brown eyes became remarkably cold. "I've never stayed within that line myself. Why should I try to impose it on anyone else?"

"She's your wife, damn it."

Nicholas shook his head. "She's Eleanor. I never wanted to become the guardian of another adult human being and God was good and granted me a wife able to accept freedom. Are you going to try to keep Elizabeth in line'?"

Alexander knew he was already trying to do that. But what else could he do when heaven only knew what the woman would do if he let her loose? Wear rags. Hobnob with the servants. Preach revolution. Give her body to any Tom, Dick, or Harry? He realized he didn't really care about the rest, just that. Even though she'd preserved her virginity for him--what was to restrain her once he let her loose? Mary Wollstonecraft's daughter was a prime example of where her mother's teaching led.

"Elizabeth is no Eleanor," Alexander said.