Clara aped the sigh. “Never.”
Shannon tentatively yanked on the string, but the kite didn’t budge. “There’s nothing for it. I shall have to bring it down.”
“Have to bring it down,” Clara repeated, matching Shannon’s forlorn tone.
“Minx,” Shannon murmured. “Stay right here.” She surveyed the tree a moment longer, then walked beneath the lowest branch and jumped. It took two attempts before she was able to grasp the limb. She was trembling but oddly exhilarated by the time she hoisted herself up and straddled the branch. She waved confidently at Clara and almost lost her balance. “Not to worry, poppet,” she said when Clara’s face began to crumple. “I’ll have it in a minute.”
Hitching up her skirt, Shannon was able to scoot along the branch toward the trunk. She stood cautiously, clutching a higher branch for support, and caught her breath. High above her the tip of the kite and its bright tail seemed to tease her, and gamely, she began to climb. She was more than halfway to her destination when she realized Clara was not her only interested observer.
Shannon looked down from her perch, suddenly aware of the dizzying height, and said the only thing that came to her mind. “I don’t do this sort of thing often, Mr. Fleming.”
For once the cynical side of Brandon’s nature took a damper. He believed her. If she had suspected she would be caught out, Shannon’s natural sense of propriety would have prevented this exhibition. Brandon’s face was tilted in her direction, and he tried very hard not to stare at the bare feet curved over the tree branch or the tantalizing length of slender leg exposed to his view. “By all means, Miss Kilmartin, carry on.”
It was not what she had expected to hear. “Oh. Of course.” Was he grinning at her? It was difficult to tell. It was maddening the way he was looking at her. She could not determine if he was gravely amused or clearly out of patience with her behavior. With a small sigh, she turned away and continued climbing.
The kite was easily enough dislodged, but as it fluttered to the ground, Shannon confronted another problem.
Brandon helped Clara gather her kite and wind the string. “I vow, Miss Kilmartin, you have given new meaning to ‘flying off into the boughs,’” Brandon called up with imperturbable calm. “Do you prefer your new lodgings to your own room?”
“No. Not at all. It’s just that…well, I have had a revelation, you see.”
“A revelation? That is very interesting, to be sure. But why not come down and share it?”
“But that is precisely the nature of the revelation,” she admitted forlornly. “I have discovered I am quite afraid to come down.”
“That does pose a problem of sorts,” Brandon said solemnly.
Odious man. “Yes, it does.”
Brandon glanced down at his daughter as Clara tugged on his hand and pointed toward the house. “Here comes Cody, Papa. He will bring Mishannon down.” There was no mistaking the complete confidence Clara had in her uncle. It did not sit well with him. Before Cody could reach the tree, Brandon powerfully hauled himself onto the lowest limb. “Stay with your uncle, poppet, while I fetch Miss Kilmartin.”
“Don’t hurt her!” Clara called.
That gave Brandon pause. Cody had joined his niece now, and Brandon looked from one to the other, clearly puzzled. “Why ever should I hurt her?” he asked.
“You don’t like her,” Clara answered. “Isn’t that so, Cody? Papa doesn’t like Mishannon.”
Cody intercepted Brandon’s sharp gaze and lifted his hands helplessly. “Don’t look at me, Bran. I didn’t put the words in her mouth. She sees things for herself and draws her own conclusions.”
Shannon heard Cody’s voice and was relieved. Not realizing that Brandon was already poised to help her, she called down. “Can you assist me, Cody? I haven’t the least desire to nest here.”
Brandon looked pointedly at Cody. “Stay where you are.” He stood on the limb. “I am coming for you, Miss Kilmartin.”
Shannon recognized the no-nonsense tone of the voice and clung to her limb, heart sinking to her feet. The branches around her swayed slightly as Brandon climbed quickly and with none of the faltering that marked her own ascent. She closed her eyes to the censure she was certain she would see in his expression as he drew level with her.
“Open your eyes,” Brandon said, somewhat startled by the gentle urging in his voice. “I doubt I can help you otherwise.”
Shannon’s heavy lashes fluttered, but she kept her eyes downcast. “I regret this inconvenience,” she apologized. “I didn’t suspect that I wouldn’t be able to get down.”
The corners of Brandon’s mouth twitched. “How many trees have you climbed?”
“Including this one?”
“Yes.”
“One.”
“I see,”, he said gravely. “Then you were understating things a bit when you said you didn’t do this sort of thing often.”
