“There is no right or wrong way to build a snowman,” she snapped. Lawd, this man.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I am sure.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “What’s wrong with my snowman?”
He gave her a look she could not interpret and strode over to her creation, hunching down on his knees. To her horror, he reached out and smoothed the lines of the cravat she had carved, and began patting and shaping lines of his own.
“What are you doing?” Rebecca cried out as he ruined all her efforts.
“Minor adjustments.”
“Those are not minor adjustments!” She cocked her head. Were those the swell of a woman’s breasts?
What utter madness! She watched in astonishment as he moved on to the face, which had been blank until he started to mold a small button nose and a pair of rather full lips.
Rebecca blinked.
Before she could react, he fished two pebbles out of his pocket and added them as eyes.
“Where did you get those?”
He nodded to the steps of the house.
“I cannot believe you ruined my snowman.”
“Ruined?” He stood and tilted back his head. “How about improved?”
How about she boxed his ears! All her effort had been reduced to a—she glared at the snowwoman.
Rebecca drew out an infuriated breath as Langley approached. He paused when his gaze fell on Wicke and his butchery.
Langley nodded thoughtfully. “A woman. Ingenious.”
“Not any woman,” Wolfstan declared with a shrug. “Rebecca.”
Rebecca blushed.
Her gaze traveled over the features Wicke had carved. He had not only turned her snowman into her, he’d given her the most puckish of lips. He had carved out the swell of her breasts, for Saint’s sake! What was wrong with the man?
“It was fine before,” Rebecca snapped and instantly regretted her tone when Langley’s gaze fell on her. Tell-tale warmth gathered at the tips of her ears.
“Cousin, give us a moment if you will?” Wicke spoke up.
Langley paused, then nodded. “I am off to Willoughby Castle in any event. Should I wait for you?”
Rebecca wanted to stick her head in the snow. She felt the heat of blotches stain her collarbone and creep up to her cheeks. She could not look at Langley. Dared not look at him.
“No,” Wicke answered. “Go ahead. I will follow soon as I am able.”
He was able now, Rebecca thought darkly. She was going to box Wicke’s ears.
“What is the matter with you?” she demanded as soon as Langley moved out of earshot. “We spent hours on that snowman! And your behavior is drawing unnecessary attention to us.”
“We need to talk, Rebecca.”
“We have nothing to discuss.” Not a possible thing that he could say that could shock her more than his behavior already had.
“Marry me.”
