“Please, think of the hour of the day,” she said.
He laughed. “It didn’t bother you the other afternoon.”
“Yes, but… but… I don’t feel well today.”
He stopped unfastening his shirt. “Indeed? You looked fine just a moment ago in the hall.”
She placed her hand to her belly. “I don’t know what ails me, but it’s churning my stomach.”
He knew exactly how she felt. He knelt on the bed and stroked her face. She withdrew into the pillows. He found it odd that he couldn’t tell the difference between Kat and Camilla before, but he could now. His real wife was more beautiful inside and out. “Do you think you are in the family way?”
She grimaced. “Of course not.”
He leaned over her and wrapped a lock of hair around his finger. “Then perhaps we should do something to fix that.”
She splayed her hands across his chest and pushed. “Malcolm, no.”
He grasped a handful of hair and yanked, putting his weight on top of her. She cried out.
“I thought I told you once never to call me Malcolm.” He scowled. “I would rather a hussy not be so personal with my name,Katherine.”
She gasped, and the color faded from her cheeks.
“Yes, I know who you are.” He narrowed his eyes. “And you have exactly two minutes to tell me where you are keeping mytruewife, Camilla.”
Her expression changed, and laughter filled her eyes as her lips curled into an evil grin. “And if I don’t?”
He tightened his hold on her hair. “I’ll not be held responsible for what I shall do.”
Tilting back her head, she laughed, and the high-pitched sound raked over his nerves. “You know I shall never give you that pleasure.”
“Why didn’t you die as you led Camilla to believe? Who did you charm to get released from the hospital?”
“I charmed no one. The physician Camilla spoke with that evening was a friend of mine. It was all part of my plan.”
“What plan?”
“To send my sister here to play me so I could sneak behind your back and watch you closely. It was rather entertaining finding ways to steal your work and give them to Henry Wilkes.”
“What does Captain Wilkes want with them?”
She laughed again, her voice turning even more evil. “He is one of Mr. Clarkston’s spies. The man wants to see what kind of ships you’ll be making for the navy so that he can make better ones.”
Malcolm growled. He wondered if Clarkston was behind all of this. “Why is Wilkes involved?”
“Because he is the man who can arrest you and take the credit, which will make him a colonel soon.”
Confusion consumed his mind, yet he had always known Kat was greedy. She could have the world served to her on a silverplatter and it still wouldn’t be enough. “You won’t win this time, Kat.”
“I already have. Plans are in place, and you and my foolish sister are falling into the trap, just as I wanted.” She arched a haughty eyebrow. “And Broderick fell just as easily. Indeed, Iamthe victor.”
“What does Broderick have to do with this?”
“It’s called revenge. I don’t take kindly to men who turn away my advances.” She shrugged. “So, I charmed him one last time as a different woman.”
“You were the woman he met?”
She laughed again. “Correct.”
