“I’m not lying.” A touch of heat rose to her cheeks. Gwendolyn was a terrible liar. Dara was good and Elise much better, but Gwendolyn always winced at any untruth.
“Of course you are not,” he agreed. “However, I trusted your word to be your bond. When Icome for you, and I will, because I am very good at finding people whether they want to be found or not, you will grant me that favor.”
No, she wouldn’t. But let him think what he wished.
“Very well. Good night then,” she said. Again, she would have left, but he didn’t retract his arm.
With an impatient sound, she frowned up at him.“What?”
The streetlamp behind her caught the glint in his eye. He smiled, melting some of Gwendolyn’s resistance like a flame to tallow.
“A name?” he whispered, taking the slightest step closer to her. “You owe me that much. Especially as I would never peg you for someone from County Cork. You are far too refined.” There was also a hint of laughter behind his words, as if he was enjoying the game between them.
And suddenly, she realized that for all her irritation, she was enjoying it, too. He was tall, bold, confident, darkly handsome, and so unlike any man she’d ever met before—
Something moved behind Mr. Steele and then there was a “whump” as it collided with Mr. Steele’s head. His too-knowing eyes widened right before he stiffened, and then those eyes closed as, with a grunt, he fell heavily to the ground at her feet.
Startled, Gwendolyn knelt to the mound ofman before raising her eyes to see her sisters in front of her. Dara held a very hefty piece of wood. “Did you hit him with it?”
“Yes,” Dara answered as if it should be obvious. “Is he dead?” She sounded almost pleased with herself.
Gwendolyn placed her hand on Mr. Steele’s neck. His hat had fallen off when he fell. He had a thick head of dark hair with a hint of gray at the sides. The gray made him look distinguished, although he could stand a visit to a barber. Thankfully, there was a pulse. She released the breath she held and looked to Dara. “You are so short. How could you reach his head and have the strength to do this to him?”
“I’mnotthat short,” Dara answered. “He bent down and I jumped up.”
“Dara is surprisingly strong,” Elise observed, adding slyly, “for being so short.”
“We were anxious,” Dara said, ignoring her. “He kept chasing you. Areyouall right?”
Instead of answering, Gwendolyn rose. “You were supposed to wait for me at the inn.”
“We did wait,” Elise said. “For hours.”
“Then we began to worry,” Dara agreed.
“Where are Tweedie and Herald?” Gwendolyn asked, looking around for at least the butler. It had been a relief to all of them to have a male escort, although Herald was almost as old as Tweedie.
“Our aunt is asleep, and I’m certain Herald is as well,” Dara answered.
“He said that traveling wore him out,” Elise added.
“And you didn’t stay with Tweedie because...?” Gwendolyn prodded. “You wished to ignore my explicit instructions to remain with her? You thought it a good idea to walk about Dublin at night?”
“Because we didn’t think it was a good idea for you to walk around Dublin at night,” Elise answered as if it should be obvious.
“We couldn’t let you do this alone,” Dara agreed. “You need us.”
“Then we come upon you being accosted by this big brute of a man,” Elise pointed out.
“We arrived just in time,” Dara concluded, then changed the subject. “Did you win the money?”
“The money? You could have killed him,” Gwendolyn said.
Elise poked at Mr. Steele with the toe of her shoe. “He seems alive.”
Dara didn’t act concerned at all. She dropped the wood. “He appears to be alive, but it wouldn’t be wise to linger to find out. He will be furious with that lump on his head.”
“Yes, right,” Gwendolyn said. “Time to leave.” She spun on her heel and began walking as fast as she was able away from Mr. Steele’s inert form. Her sisters scampered after her.
