There was a note in her voice as if his or any man's opinion about her appearance did not worry her in the least; an air of thorough independence, out of keeping with her years, that he was quick to notice.
"Do you always do as you like?" he asked.
"Always. It's an excellent habit to cultivate, and one you've cultivated to the fullest by the look of you, since criticism is the order of the day," she replied.
Le Breton thought of the desert kingdom he had ruled with undisputed sway for sixteen years.
"I dare say I do as I like more than most people you've come across," he answered with emphasis.
Pansy dimpled.
There was an air about her visitor as if he expected and were accustomed to people standing in awe of him. However, he did not inspire her with this feeling, only with a desire to tease and plague him; he was so big and masterful looking, as if he thought himself "monarch of all he surveyed," even herself, at that moment.
"Are you in the habit of asking strange men to your bedroom?" he asked suddenly.
"If I remember rightly, you volunteered to come."
"And now I'm here, what am I supposed to do?"