“Get in,” Elijah commanded from inside the car, his dark expression brooking no argument. Elizabeth glanced at him dismissively, then averted her gaze as if he were a stranger.

She stepped from the shelter of Oliver’s umbrella, embracing the downpour as she strode toward the car she had booked.

“Mrs. Norris, Mr. Norris sent me to drive you home,” Oliver called urgently, hesitating to intervene physically.

Elijah watched silently, then exited the car. He intercepted Elizabeth, slamming the rear door she had opened.

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth’s initial irritation turned to bewilderment.

Ignoring her, Elijah scooped her up and carried her toward his car.

“Put me down!” she demanded, struggling in his arms. Her voice was thick with exasperation. “Elijah, is this how you show respect to a woman? Forcing me to accompany you like this?” Powerless, she watched as he gently placed her in the backseat.

Elijah slid in, his eyes falling on the damp marks her presence had left on his clothing. His eyebrows furrowed briefly. Elizabeth’s rain-soaked hair clung to her cheeks. Droplets fell, staining the delicate embroidery of the luxury blanket with dark splotches.

Oliver, entering the vehicle, switched on the air conditioner and offered Elizabeth a dry blanket. “Mrs. Norris, please dry your hair,” he said calmly.

Observing her disheveled state, Elijah couldn’t resist a playful jab. “Why did you walk away like that? How foolish,” he remarked, viewing her actions as trivial dramatics. He failed to understand her need to prove a point at the cost of her comfort.

Elizabeth stopped drying her hair and faced him. “If you hadn’t interfered, I would have been in the car already. Why did I have to be out in the rain so long?”