In the Doghouse - Chapter 114
Courtney’s eyes flew open. Despite his words, Richard’s face was clearly flushed, his eyes sparkling as he struggled to contain his excitement, like someone overwhelmed with joy.
His lips twitched as he awkwardly added,
“Of course, I might be mistaken…”
He acted as if he had just witnessed a herd of cows pouring out of a well. Courtney was dumbfounded. Wasn’t this something he should have figured out by now? As she stood there speechless, Richard continued to fuss.
“But if it’s really jealousy, I feel like my heart—no, my whole chest—might burst.”
The remaining tears in Courtney’s eyes evaporated instantly. Was he pretending not to understand, or was he doing this on purpose? It was hard to tell. She even felt like he was treating her like a fool. Even the sweet music drifting in from the hall seemed to mock her.
With a sour expression, she waved her hand.
“Let’s drop it. Forget we even talked about this.”
“Why? Was I wrong?”
“I said, just drop it.”
Courtney swung her leg over the terrace to climb down, but the stone railing was higher than her waist, and no matter how much she stretched, her feet couldn’t reach the ground.
As she was about to jump down, Richard quickly grabbed her by the waist, lifting her back onto the railing and pressing his forehead against hers. His breath, warm and teasing against her lips, suggested he wasn’t joking around.
In a lowered voice, he asked again,
“Why won’t you answer me? Was my dream too far-fetched?”
It seemed he had no intention of letting this go. Courtney, who was just as determined, returned to her original question.
“Why are you avoiding my question, Richard?”
“Pardon?”
“You still haven’t answered me—who exactly was that girl?”
At her counterattack, Richard paused, looking troubled. But the truth was, his expression was closer to one suppressing laughter than genuine discomfort.
Courtney pouted in frustration. She hadn’t suspected anything major. Maybe she just wanted confirmation that she alone was special to him. Sensing her unease, Richard leaned in and whispered softly,
“The girl you’re curious about… could it be the one with all those odd ribbons in her hair?”
“You knew, so why did you even ask?”
Despite her sharp reply, Richard couldn’t help but chuckle. The fact that she was actually jealous—it felt like a dream come true for him.
Courtney now felt like a complete fool. She shoved his chest with all her might, but it was she who ended up being pushed backward, not him. Richard caught her firmly, preventing her from falling, and answered cheerfully,
“That girl is Lady Herbert.”
“Herbert…?”
“Yes. She’s the youngest daughter of Duchess Herbert, which makes her my sixth cousin.”
What? A relative? Courtney felt the strength drain from her body. But then again, a sixth cousin was hardly considered family. They were distant enough that marriage wouldn’t even be an issue, so it was too soon to feel relieved.
The sudden disappearance to the lounge, the presence of Lady Herbert with him, and how friendly they had seemed—there was nothing odd about connecting the dots and being suspicious.
Her mind raced, but Courtney quickly gave up trying to cover her true feelings with sophistication, like she had earlier with Duchess Wrighton. It didn’t suit her, and there was no need for pretense.
She shot Richard a sharp look. Meanwhile, he was clearly struggling to contain his delighted grin, thrilled that she was experiencing jealousy—or rather, possessiveness—toward him, completely unaware of the impending storm.
Courtney’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she asked,
“So why did you go to the lounge? Did you go with Lady Herbert?”
“Yes, but she felt dizzy from drinking, so I just escorted her to a private lounge. I didn’t even go inside.”
“Why did you have to personally take her?”
Courtney’s voice was prickly, and her eyes flashed with obvious irritation. This was far from her usual playful complaints—she was genuinely upset.
Richard realized he had reached a turning point.
His next words could either lead him to heaven tonight or drop him straight into hell.
Of course, any sane person would choose heaven, but to him, hell didn’t seem like such a bad place either. So maybe, just maybe, he could indulge a little.
“Why aren’t you answering?” Courtney pressed, her frustration growing.
Richard found himself genuinely conflicted. He didn’t want to upset her, but he also found her rare display of true anger utterly captivating.
Torn between two choices, he settled on a cowardly evasion.
“Well… Anton wasn’t around at the time, and I couldn’t let a lady go alone, so…”
“You left me alone in the hall instead.”
Now that was unfair. Richard quickly defended himself.
“It was only for a moment. I dropped her off at the door and came right back—”
“You must be quite close to her. I only just heard her name today.”
Courtney’s voice rose with each word, her anger growing more justified with every sentence.
This wasn’t just simple jealousy. Hadn’t he been the one to bring her the leash, asking her to become his master? So wasn’t it only natural that she should monitor her ‘dog’ and ensure he wasn’t wagging his tail at just anyone?
Given that logic, there was no reason for her to hold back.
