He found himself on the horns of a dilemma.Which was the lesser evil?Or could there possibly be another way?
He was beginning to think not.And if there was no way out, he could see only one way through.
Sixteen
Kendra
“YOUR GRACE?”
Kendra rolled over to find the bedroom door cracked open.“Hmm, Margaret?”
“Your family is waiting for you for breakfast.Do you want me to tell them that you and his grace would rather sleep?”
Although a slit in the curtains revealed that it was light outdoors, it felt like the middle of the night.Kendra tried to blink herself awake.“What time is it?”
“Half past nine in the morning, your grace.”
Half past ninein the morning?Kendra usually rose by eight.
She struggled up on her elbows and noticed she wasn’t under the covers.She peeked over the edge of the bed to find the covers were on the floor.
And she was dressed.When had she dressed?She turned to see Trick.He was snoozing away and dressed as well.
In last night’s clothes.
And her gown was the one she’d worn last night.
The open door blocked Margaret’s view of them, for which she was thankful.“What’s happening?”she called toward the entrance, thoroughly confused.
“It’s half past nine, your grace.And your family is waiting for breakfast.”
“Oh, yes, you said that already.My apologies—I fear I was half asleep.Let me just wake his grace.Tell the family we’ll be there as soon as possible, and they are welcome to begin without us.”
As Margaret closed the door, Kendra rolled over.
“Trick.”She jogged his shoulder.“Trick!”
“Hmm?”
“It’s half past nine!We must change and get to breakfast!”
His amber eyes lazily opened, then quickly shut.“Too tired.”
She still felt quite tired as well.“How on earth did this happen?”She jogged his shoulder another time, none too gently, then forced herself to rise and begin pulling her gown off.“We have to change.The family is waiting on us for breakfast, and we cannot show up in yesterday’s clothes.”
Slowly Trick sat up and rubbed his eyes, then looked down at his gray breeches.“We overslept?In our clothes?”
“Evidence would suggest that.”She crossed to the wardrobe to pull out a fresh gown.“And we failed to make love.”
“Well then, come over here—”
“Trr-rick!They’re waiting!”
It was tempting—sorely tempting—but that simply wouldn’t be decent.Not while family was seated around the table, expecting them to arrive.Besides, they’d tried that yesterday, while their children were waiting for breakfast, to no avail.She liked to think she could learn from her mistakes.
“Get up,” she demanded fiercely.
“Hearts wounds,” he said with a groan.“Give a man a minute.”
