“You’ve been awfully quiet this evening,” Lyndsey said. “Ever since your father announced the death of your cousin, both you and Collin haven’t been very talkative.”
His smile disappeared and he nodded. “Collin told me what happened a year ago when he and Lloyd went to Bath. Believe it or not, my brother had given his heart to a woman. Unfortunately, she was compromised by Lloyd and they were forced to wed.”
She gasped. “But... your cousin died.”
“Yes, in a boating accident with several of his drunken friends.”
“But, Adrian... the woman Collin gave his heart to is now awidow. And he is now the marquess.”
Adrian stopped and faced her. She slid her arms around his waist as his arms encircled her.
“Exactly.”
“What do you think your brother will do?”
“That, my darling Lyndsey, is a very good question, which I’m sure my brother is contemplating as we speak. However, I realize that is his decision to make, so I must stop worrying about him.”
She smiled. “You’re just being kindhearted.”
He chuckled and held her tighter. “Indeed, but if you knew the past I had with my brother, you would find that most comical.”
Laughing, she shook her head and turned, hooking her arm around his again to continue their stroll. “I’m happy to know both of you have matured since then. I’m not certain I would be able to tolerate that kind of behavior between my husband and brother-in-law.”
He sighed heavily. “But now, I wonder if Collin has doubts about your sister.”
Just as her mind gathered the information and processed it, her feet slowed the pace.
“I hope, for Priscilla’s sake, that Collin really thinks about this. I know my sister has feelings for him, but I have to admit, I’ve not seen the same emotion when Collin looks at my sister.” She smiled and touched his cheek. “His expression is nowhere near the way you look at me.”
“I confess, I lose myself when I look at you.”
Her heart skipped wildly. “I know the feeling well.”
He leaned down to kiss her, but a nearby rustling noise distracted him. Adrian swung around and Lyndsey tried to peer through the thickening shadows to see who else was outside. He took her hand and crept toward the corner of the house, and then stopped. Together, they cautiously peeked around the corner.
Someone was out there, and whoever it was, had set up a ladder against the large oak tree a few feet from the house. Although Lyndsey couldn’t see who it was, the person was wearing a black cape.
Lyndsey gasped, and Adrian’s quick intake of breath soon followed. He pulled her flat against the wall of the house, keeping out of sight of the intruder by the tree.
“I believe we have found the person Collin saw a few days ago who was trying to hide,” she whispered.
He nodded. “Yes, I think so too.”
She peered around the corner again, watching closely. The person holding an axe, slowly climbed the ladder and then carefully stepped onto a branch. Then the unknown person climbed to a higher branch and slid toward a window.
Adrian’s arms were wrapped around her middle as he stood behind her, peering over her shoulder. His warm breath brushed against her cheek.
“That’s one of the windows to my bedchamber,” Adrian whispered.
“I wonder what he’s doing.”
“Is it a man?” she wondered. “It almost looks like it could be a woman because whoever it is, is thin and not very tall.”
“Very true.”
Several minutes passed in silence as they continued to watch the unknown person slowly chop at the branch closest to Adrian’s window. Just before the branch was chopped off completely, the person moved to another branch and started chopping on that. The wind caught the person’s hood and pulled it off. A man quickly pulled the hood back over his head.
Adrian swore softly as he pulled her back around the house and up against the wall. When she looked into his shadowed face, she could see he was tight lipped. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer as he bent his mouth to her ear.
