Delia DeLeest
Making the 20's Roar!
Making the 20's Roar!
Excerpts
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She picked up her bag, squared her shoulders and tried to look confident as she left the ladies room. Her façade was shattered when someone grabbed her arm the second she walked out the door. A hand covered her mouth, but left her free arm available to swing her bag around and smash her assailant in the stomach. It was only after she heard the “oomph” that she realized she had just smacked Ben with her carpetbag. He released her mouth and grabbed at his injured middle.
“Gosh, Ben, what are you doing here? And why did you let me hit you with my bag?”
Ben struggled to catch his breath as he put his finger to his lips and motioned for her to be quiet.
“Your friend Rico is in the station. He's hanging around the departure platform. I saw him walking down the street as I was driving off and thought you might need help. We've got to get you out of here.”
“But what about my train?”
“You're not taking the train, not with that gorilla looking for you. I'll take you to
“There's a window in the ladies room. We could climb out of that.”
“You want me to climb through the ladies room window of the
“Why not? It's better than getting mixed up with Rico.”
“I'm sure we can figure out a more dignified way to get out of here.”
“While you're doing that, I'll climb out the window. It's only a matter of time before the train leaves and Rico starts scouting other parts of the station.”
She reentered the bathroom, then turned to look behind her.
“Well? Are you coming?”
"Angus never mentioned how beautiful you are." He reached out a gloved hand and ran it down her jaw line, pulling back abruptly when she flinched at his touch.
"I never thought of myself as beautiful before," she said quietly.
"Then you thought wrong, because you are. I had been hoping you were homely."
"Excuse me?"
"Homely women are less likely to be tempted to stray from their equally homely husbands."
Adeline raised her chin defiantly. "Marriage is a commitment, and I take all my commitments seriously…regardless of my looks."
"Does that mean you're still considering my proposition?"
"Let's call a spade a spade, shall we? What we're discussing is a marriage of convenience. I need money so my brother can get the medical help he needs, and you're looking for a wife."
"Actually, it's an heir I want, but I need a wife to get an heir." He studied her intently. "Are you willing to fulfill your end of the bargain, Miss Pierce?"
Adeline couldn't speak around the huge lump that had formed in her throat. Under his piercing gaze, she felt like a butterfly pinned to a board for some child's science project. She simply nodded her answer.
"Then let's get this over with, shall we?"
