“A fairly big one.Seems to me you’ve got a problem—how do you intend to solve it?”
“After the household goes to bed, I’ll walk you far enough away from the house that they won’t hear the gun.Someone will find your body the next day.”
“And why would I do that if you’re just going to kill me?Seems to me it makes more sense to stay put.”
“Because I’ll shoot you and take my chances,” the man shot back.
“Do you have any particular reason to want to kill me?Or is this just something you do every now and then?”Brat leaned back against the wall, cursing his pounding head.
“It’s for money, you fool!”
“Isn’t it always?”Brat replied.“Who’s paying you and why?”
“I don’t know why and I don’t care.The money’s right and I don’t ask questions.As for who, it’s a Lord Merrick.”
“Lord Merrick?”he echoed, considering the name.“That’s ridiculous.If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have his title.His nephew killed himself when he lost everything to me in a card game.You’d think the man would show a little gratitude.”
The man was looking at him in disgruntled fascination.“Mebbe he wanted the money too.”
Brat shrugged.“I’ve always been good at cards.”
“Well, your luck has run out,” the man said.“Now shut up or I’ll shoot you now.”
Brat sighed.“This is tedious.Why don’t you try?”It would be a risk, but a reasoned one.He was in much better shape than he was pretending to be, and he could leap up and disarm the man before he could prime the gun to shoot.
“Because you’ll behave yourself.You’ll put off dying as long as you can.Now shut up.”
The longer he waited, the stronger and faster he’d be.Brat shut up.
There wasno sign of Brat by dinner time, and Jenny was getting angrier by the minute.He was hiding from her, he must be, too embarrassed to face her like a man.So he regretted last night?That was fine with her—she could top him with a list of regrets a mile long.The only thing she didn’t regret was the mythical child growing inside her, a child he’d never know about.He didn’t deserve to know.He was a lecher, a coward, a despicable human being.
Where the hell was he?He wouldn’t have run away—he wouldn’t have cared enough about facing her.Where could he have gone?
It didn’t help that his mother was looking worried, his father annoyed by his absence.It didn’t help that the young cousins were hurt and confused by his abandonment, even though they welcomed their tall Uncle Brandon with gratitude.It didn’t help that her heart was dying inside her.
The twins’ humorous song went over well, but the assorted Rohans made a captive audience.The Robin Hood skit produced great chuckles, and little Oliver’s rendition of “The Ash Grove” brought a tear to a great many eyes.And then it was time for refreshments, and Jenny was ready to scream in frustration.Where was he?Had something happened to him?
“I’ll be back,” she whispered to Horry, the nearest twin.
Horry looked at her.“Are you off to rendezvous with Brat?I think it’s very unkind of him to skip our pantomime, and you can tell him so.”
“I have no idea where he is.I’m merely going out for a breath of fresh air.”
“But it’s snowing!”
Jenny looked past her charge to the tall windows lining the great hall where they’d decided to hold the pantomime, and she saw the fat flakes coming down.“It won’t bother me,” she said firmly.Indeed, a blast of cold snow might wake her up to the fact that she’d been a fool and still was, longing for a man who didn’t want her.
Catching her shawl around her shoulders, she left the ballroom.There was a small side door just off the hallway, and she pushed it open, feeling the blast of wind in her face, as she looked out over the snowy landscape.The night was pitch-black around her, and she pulled her shawl closer as she stepped out into the frosty night air.
There was no sign of life in the darkness, just inky black, and she could feel frustrated tears fill her eyes.Where was he?Was he hurt?Dying?He wouldn’t care enough to be hiding from her.She just needed to know he was safe, nothing more.Her righteous anger had dimmed, and she turned to go back into the house when she saw the distant flash of light.It was gone in the swirling snow a moment later, but she knew she’d seen it, knew it meant something.Brat was there somewhere, hiding from her, and she intended to find him and give him a piece of her mind.Just to make sure he knew she didn’t care.She pulled the door closed after her and headed off down the path.
ChapterNine
“Time to go.”
Brat didn’t move.He wasn’t the slightest bit concerned he was going to die—he had too much to live for.But it would do to be too foolhardy—the man was a professional, albeit an incompetent one, and he held the gun in his meaty hand.
“Get up,” the man growled, and Brat heard the ominous cocking of the pistol.
