“Not again,” Kendra groaned. “I never drop things.”
“This isn’t what it looks like,” Trick hurried to say.
“No?” A muscle in Jason’s jaw twitched. “You mean to say I didn’t see you on a bed with your arms around my sister and her skirts pulled up around her waist?”
“My knees,” Kendra corrected.
Jason just glared at her.
“What were you doing, then?” Colin asked.
Trick wondered why he felt so uneasy. “Rinsing a stain from her skirt.”
Ford rolled his blue eyes. “You expect us to believe that?” He turned on Kendra. “What the devil are you doing here?”
“I was…riding. And it started raining, and Trick came along—”
“Trick, is it?” Colin’s eyes bore into hers, and Trick saw her flinch. “Exactly how well do you know this man?”
“For heaven’s sake, Colin—we just met.”
“And you let him put his hands beneath your gown.”
Trick leapt to her defense. “Hell, no, Greystone—I told you, we were rinsing out a stain.”
“A bloodstain, would that be?”
Kendra’s eyes narrowed with puzzlement. “No,” she said. “Why would you ask—”
“How can you think such a thing?” Trick interrupted.
“How could we not?”
“I’m disappointed,” Jason said, stepping closer to Trick. “Very disappointed. Kendra has never acted particularly wisely, but she’s been very sheltered and you ought to know better.” He gazed at Trick with doleful eyes. “At least tell me you didn’t know who she was.”
“Of course I knew who she was!” Trick exploded. “I saw her with you in that bloody coach.”
Beside him, Kendra gave a surprised gasp.
“Ah, yes,” Jason responded, looking resigned. “That will have to stop, you know.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The highway robbery. You don’t need the money, and Kendra doesn’t need to see her husband strung up at Tyburn.”
“Her husband?” Trick’s heart pounded. Her brothers didn’t know the truth. Or rather, they knew he wasn’t posing as a highwayman for the money, but they weren’t likely to learn the real reason anytime soon.
He’d given his word to King Charles.
And now they thought… “You think I bedded your sister? You must be mad!”
“Theyaremad!” Kendra railed. She turned to Jason. “You have to listen.” And to Colin. “It was only a stain. Awinestain.” And to Ford. “You’re always telling meIjump to conclusions—”
Ford’s hand shot out to grasp his twin’s upper arm. “Come along, Kendra.” With a murderous look at Trick, he pulled her from the room.
“We’ll call on you when the banns have been posted,” Jason ground out.
“No,” Colin said. “It will have to be by special license.”
