LeBeau’s glare scorched. He thundered toward her. “Where have you been?”
“At a camp meeting.”
“A camp meeting at this hour? With Lucy and Lieutenant Reynolds?”
They must have checked the whole house to see who was missing. “I’ve bothered Lucy for months to take me to one. Not one in town, but a slave gathering where they sing all of the spirituals. I love to listen to them sing while they work, and I wanted to see?—”
“I don’t believe you.” LeBeau cut her short.
Nick drew on the cigar. “Spin us another fable.”
A simmering laugh rang out from the top of the stairs. Thea slithered down, in full day dress as if she’d been up for a while.Plop, plop, plop,she eased down one step at a time as if she were an actress on a stage. “I told them about how you sneaked off to the kitchen with the lieutenant the other night. Getting mighty cozy, from what I could tell.”
A tendon in Morning Fawn’s neck twitched. Thea had seen them. Had she overheard? How much could one hear through kitchen windows? What if she’d told them about the mission? Morning Fawn should have warned Devon that Thea had been up that night.
Nick shouldered past LeBeau. His hands curled into fists at his side, the cigar wedged between two fingers. “You met that pauper in secret after you telling me he betrayed you and you wanted nothing to do with him? Not to mention that tale about him investigating me?”
“Where is Reynolds?” LeBeau marched up to the edge of her skirt hem.
Morning Fawn glanced at Thea, then pivoted toward Nick. “She’s right. I was with Devon in the kitchen two nights ago. Kissing.” Her tongue tripped over the word. She should have told them Thea was lying, but it would’ve been her wordagainst her cousin’s. “My courting you was eating him up. He told me how sorry he was for chasing after Frieda. He begged for forgiveness. I know it was wrong to betray you like that.” She’d say whatever she had to. Even destroy her reputation if it helped Devon. “I fell for his charms?—”
“Meeting men alone at night.”Whap. Her uncle’s hand stung her face like a whip. “You have disgraced this family.”
She covered her cheek. “I’m sorry.” Another lie.
“You’re going to be.” A second slap, this one on the other side. “I opened my home to you. Gave you everything you needed. Even offered you land, and this is how you repay me.”
Thea tittered.
“Get upstairs.” A vein in LeBeau’s forehead bulged. He pivoted and jutted his finger toward his daughter. “You’ve said enough.”
“Father, I can’t help it if my cousin’s a harlot.”
“Hush.” Aunt Judith stood at the railing drawing her robe around her, her frown so deep, it bordered on tears as if she actually cared. “Come up here this instant.”
Thea trounced up to her room, her curls bobbing.
Morning Fawn’s heart pounded. Thea had saidharlot,nottraitor. Maybe they didn’t?—
The back door opened. Hair topsy-turvy and shirt half tucked into his trousers, Owens strode down the hall with Lucy in tow. “Caught this one sneaking to her room as if she’d never gone anywhere.”
Lucy stumbled along at his side, her arm locked in his vice-like grip.
LeBeau narrowed his eyes. “What is she doing in that dress?”
“I gave it to her as a Christmas present.” Morning Fawn took a half step toward her.
Lucy dropped her gaze to the floor, almost bumping intoOwens as he came to a halt. “I’s take it off you’s don’t like it, Massar.”
“Get her out of here.” LeBeau grumbled. “Take her into the parlor for now. Don’t let her sit on the furniture.”
“I won’t let her dirty anything.” Owens chuckled and jerked Lucy toward the parlor. A thump and a female groan resonated as he closed the door behind them.
Surely, LeBeau cared for Lucy, even if he forced her to be his mistress. He wouldn’t allow Owens to go too far, would he?
Nick placed a hand on her uncle’s shoulder. “We should talk to Beth in your office. More privacy.”
“I’d be happy to.” Morning Fawn threw back her shoulders and headed for the office before either man could drag her. Every minute they talked to her was one more minute they weren’t on Devon’s trail.
