Page 34 of Indecently Daring

“I was just wondering what the trouble was. You’ve been in the most peculiar mood ever since that night you didn’t come home. Are you ever going to tell me what really happened?”

“Nothing happened,” Alana said automatically, for nothing had happened. They had agreed. No argument. No tears. No kissing. “Jeb was upset, and the vicar was nowhere to be found, so I waited for him to come home and fell asleep. When he finally turned up, he walked me home, and that was that.”

“And that was that,” Cat repeated.

“Yes,” Alana agreed. “Aunt believed me so I don’t see why you shouldn’t.”

“Because you’re leaving something out.”

“I am not.”

“So nothing happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

“And that was that?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Stop repeating everything I say, you’re as bad as the blasted parrot,” Alana griped.

“So, is that why you’re in a bad mood?”

“Well, to begin with, I’m not in a bad mood, but having your every word repeated isn’t soothing, you know.”

“No, no. I meant, are you in a bad mood because nothing happened? Is that balked lust making you unreasonable?”

“What? No!” The words exploded out of her with rather more force than was necessary.

“I see,” Cat replied, and in such a way that Alana was sorely tempted to throttle her.

“What do you see?”

Cat returned a sweet smile and fixed her gaze ahead of her. “Oh, nothing,” she said airily.

“Cat,” Alana gritted out. “I will murder you.”

Cat snorted and leaned into Alana. “Silly widgeon, do you know what I think?”

“No,” Alana said with a heavy sigh. “But I’m certain you’re going to enlighten me.”

“I think it’s time.”

“Time?”

“Yes, time.”

“Time for what?”

“For the hat, obviously.”

“What hat… oh! The hat.”

Cat nodded. “I will if you will.”

“I thought you were going to wait?” Alana said, frowning at her. “You said you’d decided to wait until the summer.”