"If you don't like it, all you have to do is say so. I won't be offended."
Despite that claim, he was certain she would be offended if he said he didn't like it. But the longer he looked at her, the more he realized he did like the way her hair was cut.
He liked the way she looked, liked it very much.
"You're lovely," he said quietly. "Graceful and elegant and very, very beautiful."
He had never spoken more truthful words, and Annabel must have known that. For an instant joy leaped into her eyes in response to the compliment. Then the look of pleasure was replaced by her usual expression of wariness.
"Lucius said you wanted to see me." she said. "Do you have something to tell me, Cole?"
Blast it, that certainly threw cold water on things! He wouldn't have minded standing there and basking in the glow of her beauty for a few more minutes before he got down to the unpleasant business that had brought him here tonight. He took another deep breath and suggested, "Why don't you sit down, Annabel."
"All right," she said. He expected her to sink back down into the armchair where she had been waiting for him, but instead, she crossed the room to the divan and gracefully lowered herself onto it. There was plenty of room beside her, and she patted the cushion to indicate that he should join her.
Cole wasn't sure that was such a good idea, but he didn't want to upset her any more than he had to. He moved over to the divan and gingerly sat down on the front edge of it, making sure there was some distance between his leg and Annabel's.
He recalled suddenly that they had both sat on this divan the first day he brought her to Mrs. Noone's house. On that occasion, he had sat much closer to her, close enough, in fact, for him to feel the warmth of her body. He missed that warmth now and wished that he could move over beside her and slide his arm around her. But under the circumstances, he knew, that would be a bad idea.
He realized he was only postponing the inevitable, but he felt a sudden urge to make small talk. "Your hair looks lovely," he said. "What made you decide to have it cut that way?"
She shrugged delicately. "It was time for a change. Everything has to change sooner or later, doesn't it, Cole?"
"I suppose so," he admitted grudgingly.
She was determined to bring the conversation back to the subject that had brought him here tonight. And she did just that by asking bluntly, "Is this visit about the fire department competition in Golden Gate Park?"
He nodded, hoping his face didn't look as grim as he felt. "It is."
"You told your lieutenant that I want to compete?"
"That's right."
"You explained to him that I would do so unofficially, so that I could prove to you and him and everyone else that I deserve a chance to be part of the San Francisco Fire Department?"
"I put the proposal to him just as you asked me to," Cole said, "without any bias one way or the other."
Annabel leaned forward impatiently. "Are you going to make me drag it out of you? What did he say?"
"He said no," Cole replied quietly.
"What!" Annabel exclaimed. Even though she had expected that answer, she still didn't like it.
"I'm sorry, Annabel."
Her face was tight with anger. She snapped, "No you're not. You thought it was a crazy idea to start with."
"I told you I would ask Lieutenant Driscoll, and I did." He shook his head. "I don't see what else I could have done."
She came to her feet and began pacing briskly up and down in front of the divan. "This is not fair," she said. "You know it's not. You know I can do anything any of you firemen can do."
"Actually," Cole said, "I don't know that, Annabel. How could I? I never even met you until a little over a week ago."
She didn't stop pacing. "I don't care. It's still not right. There must be something you can do."
"There's not." His own voice hardened as he added, "And even if there was, I'm not sure I would."
She stopped short and turned to glare at him. "Why not? You don't believe in giving a woman a chance to show what she can do, is that it?"
He stood up and said, "I just don't want to see you risking your life for something so . . . so silly."
"Is it silly for your department to compete against Oakland's?"
"No, of course not."
"But it's silly for a woman to take part in the competition."
He was not going to win this argument, Cole told himself; it would be foolish for him to even try.
Besides, when he looked at Annabel, he didn't want to be arguing with her. Those magnificent eyes of hers were bright—though with anger, admittedly, not passion. But the results were similar. Annabel was lovelier than he had ever seen her, though before tonight he wouldn't have thought that was possible.