When a knocksounded at the door early in the morning, Joanna buried her nose in her book. “If that’s Kincaid,” she said scathingly, “tell him I am not in.”
After pouring out her innermost feelings to Evie and crying a few more tears, Joanna had picked herself up, dusted herself off, and decided that a man wasn’t going to ruin what little time in London she had left.
Even a man who had stolen her heart.
She would need it back at some point. As the daughter of a doctor, she was fairly certain a person couldn’t go parading about with an empty hole in their chest where a vital organ ought to be.
But not today.
Today, she refused to think about Kincaid at all.
Except he was knocking on the door at half-past seven.
Which made him rather hard to ignore.
Pigeon-livered ratbag, indeed.
“Our room is the size of a henhouse,” Evie pointed out as she abandoned her garden of powders and creams, cinched her dressing robe, and went to the door. “I’m fairly certain he is going to see you.”
“Not. In,” Joanna repeated.
“Fine,” Evie sighed. The door creaked on its hinges as she opened the door a crack. “I am terribly sorry, but—oh.You’renot who I was expecting.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” asked a woman whose voice Joanna had never heard before. It was light, and melodious, and she could tell their visitor was smiling even though Evie was blocking the doorway.
“Who is it?” she asked, closing her book and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
“Not Kincaid,” Evie replied. “Are you still out?”
“No, I’m in.”
“You’renotin, or you’re—”
“For heaven’s sake,” Joanna grumbled. In two steps, she was across the room—it really was the size of a henhouse—and peering over Evie’s shoulder at a curvy brunette with a heart-shaped face, twinkling eyes that couldn’t decide whether they wanted to be blue or gray, and a beaming smile that stretched ear to ear.
“Oh,” she gasped in delight, “I amsohappy to finally meet you!”
Joanna grunted when the young woman flung her arms around both sisters and gave them a hug that was astonishingly strong for her petite size.
“Help me,”Evie mouthed.
“Er, it’s nice to meet you as well,” Joanna said as she carefully extracted herself from the enthusiastic embrace. “Who are you, exactly?”
“Ofcourse.” Using her palm, the brunette gave herself a light smack in the middle of her forehead. “I always forget that part. Or rather, I never get to do it as not many people are interested in meeting me.” Her grin unwavering, she stuck out the hand she’d just used to hit herself. “Miss Rosemary Stanhope. I am your—”
“Cousin,” Joanna said, stunned. “You’re our cousin.”
Evie turned to her. “Thisis our cousin?”
Rosemary’s nose wrinkled. “Are you disappointed? It is all right. I am accustomed to it.”
“Disappointed?” Joanna repeated. “We’rethrilled! Aren’t we Evie?”
“I could have done without the hug.”
Joanna pressed her lips together.
“Yes, yes.” Immediately putting on her most charming smile, Evie shook Rosemary’s hand. “Absolutely thrilled.”
