An Englishman's property inheritance in Midwest America leads to romance between a womanizing son of a recently deceased Duke and a beautiful but feisty attorney. Both harbor an unfulfilled desire to find a mate who exceeded their expectations. In this chapter Kitty and Hayden finally meet and do a bit of verbal fencing.
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Chapter 2
When heading to Mornington City in the Midwest, Hayden Carrington called on close kin in New York for three hours. His aunts and female cousins were agog that he'd become interested in just the one woman and she was American.
Aunt Elizabeth asked was she a New Yorker and Hayden said no and revealed where she lived.
"In that hole of Mornington -- the women are plain and dull and have only seen real beauty when the Carrington women from New York or England visit," Aunt Miriam huffed.
Second cousin Clara, who'd wantonly spent a couple of nights on earlier visits with Hayden but to no avail, asked crossly, "What's she like?"
"She has red hair apparently and a fine body."
"What, you don't know?" Clara snapped jealously.
"No, but I've spoken to her once. Her name is Kitty, she's an attorney and her voice spears through to my heart. I think she's the woman I thought I'd never find. Pity about the red hair."
"Dam the red hair," Clara wailed, rushing from the room.
Hayden grinned, "Bad time of the month?"
Aunt Susan, Clara's mother, said with restraint, "I would think it's normal behavior among the women left heartbroken in your wake."
"My late mother occasionally said she and her sisters were blessed, marrying men chosen by their heart. Would not you wish I were similarly blessed?"
Aunt Susan smiled through tightening lips. "Oh, do you have a heart Hayden?"
Aunt Elizabeth told them to cut the crap. "What's the name of this virginal princess Hayden?"
"Kitty Carlisle."
There was silence. Hayden knew what the aunts and their daughters in the room were thinking. He grinned, "No, she's not a figure skating queen or a stripper. I said earlier she was an attorney."
"Are you sure about that Hayden?" said Clara returning to the room, her eyes red-rimmed.
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Entering the modest airport terminal Hayden wished he'd asked Kitty to meet him there. He couldn't wait to meet her, to touch her. Only six other passengers had flown on the final leg and they were already dispersing.
Hayden began walking to the car hire desk when a voice behind him callrd, "Lord Hayden Carrington?"
He spun around, the smile dying on his face at not sighting a redhead.
"I'm Kitty Carlisle."
The beautiful brunette raised her lips to be kissed and the near-stunned stranger raced in to oblige.
The woman kissed back and pulled away, saying coolly, "That was a friendly invitation to be kissed, not seduced, not with other people around."
Chastised and mumbling an apology, Hayden felt his heart almost break through his ribcage. What was happening to him?
"Welcome, I guess you have been here before?"
"Many times. Where's the red hair?"
"I lied," Kitty smiled provocatively. She moved from one side of him to the other, brushing her fringe from her eyes. Hayden had never seen a woman move so fast. Then she took his arm as if she owned him.
That encouraged Hayden. He leaned around and cupped the sides of her breasts and said she hadn't lied about them.
"Hayden, I know the English think American woman run wild with the sole interest of getting shafted."
"But I am America?"
"Living in England you'll be a little confused about nationality."
God, Hayden thought, she had a sharp brain. "I'll concede that Kitty," he said imitating an American drawl that made her wince.
"I prefer the mid-Atlantic version Hayden."
He asked mid-Atlantic what? She sighed, his brain jumped into gear and he remembered he normally spoke halfway between upper class English-English and couth American. "Oh I'm sorry, I'm anxious that you find me appealing."
Oh God, he thought, watching her closely and spotting a faint blush. Did that response mean she wanted him to like her?
"Have you booked a car for the duration of your stay?"
That seemed a straightforward question so Hayden answered, "Yes I have."
"I though you might, so I came by cab. Am I invited to accompany you into the city to the bar of your choice? With your reputation I guess you have sorted out the ones you prefer?"
That earned Kitty a quizzical look. "My reputation?"
"Yes Hayden," she smiled, adjusting an earring. "Access to information these days has no boundaries."
Hayden's walk slowed but she sailed on ahead, forcing him to pick up pace. "You mean you have read one of my unauthorized biographies posted on the Web?"
"I asked for information and was given it Hayden. One normally doesn't ask trusted staff whether their sources reviewed were signed off as approved by the person being examined."
Hayden's urbane cool was in danger of disintegrating. "You had me investigated?"
On to Kitty's face appeared a smile, presumably practiced, that seemed to beam trust and reassurance. "I possessed no knowledge about you Hayden. You seemed so bent on meeting me that I simply resorted to normal procedure to update my background knowledge of you."
Hayden stopped abruptly and this time Kitty also stopped. Gazing thoughtfully he said, "There's a contradiction here Kitty. How can you update your knowledge about me when you've already admitted knowing nothing about me?"
"Why am I under interrogation?"
"Don't duck for cover Kitty."
Caught by this unexpected aggression, Kitty said slyly, "I wanted to satisfy myself that you were clear of the asshole Carrington mold.
Hayden gaped. "The asshole Carrington mold?"
