Page 63 of Brigand

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“You look beautiful, Violet.” Kaitlin’s voice was a balm,soothing and soft. But still, all Violet wanted to do was run away from thegirl in the mirror, the girl decked out in a gorgeous white gown laced withdazzling stones, with her hair arranged in an exquisite knot at the top of herhead. She wanted to run away and burrow in the covers of her bed.

She set her palm to her belly, trying to ease the churningthere. “I don’t see why I need to attend.” This, a whisper. But Kaitlin heard.

“Silly girl.” Her friend softened the words with a smile.Kaitlin was breathtaking as well. She wore an exquisite burgundy-and-goldgown—the Moncrieff colors. Diamonds winked in her ears and around her neck. Shelooked…like a duchess. “It’s your coming out as well.” They had decided tocombine debuts for the two girls although, in truth, most of the attendeeswould be there purely to get a glimpse of the new Duchess of Moncrieff. Judgingfrom the responses they’d received, tonight would be a crush. Violet wasdreading it.

The past two weeks had been a whirl of fittings and teas.There had been dancing lessons for Sophia and ceaseless visits to themantua-makers and milliners. An endless parade of appointments and meetings andlectures from Aunt Hortense.

Of Ewan, she’d seen nothing.

And she was happy about that. She was.

Oh, he’d been to the house. He’d come to visit Sophia orspeak with Edward nearly every day, but other than dinner the night he arrived,she hadn’t so much as caught a glimpse of him.

Probably because whenever she was not expected to besomewhere else, she was in her room. Under the covers. She glanced longingly ather bed.

Kaitlin sat down on the bench next to Violet, wrapping herarm around her. “Remember when we used to talk about a night like this? Back atLady Satterlee’s? A glittering ballroom. Handsome men vying for our attention?Dancing until we were breathless?”

A tear leaked from the corner of Violet’s eye. Those hadbeen the stupid dreams of a child.

“Now, now. None of that.” Kaitlin dabbed at her cheek with alacy handkerchief. “Chin up, Violet. You need to be happy tonight. You need tosmile.”

There was nothing to smile about.

Kaitlin blew out a breath and gazed at their reflections.Her shoulders slumped. “You’re nervous because he will be here, aren’t you?”

Violet started and shot her friend a frown.

“Don’t worry.” She smoothed a strand of Violet’s hair.“Edward and Ned will be there too. You’ll be safe.”

This reassurance earned a snort. She wasn’t afraid of Ewan.Heaven have mercy. The last thing she felt when she thought of him was fear.

Kaitlin leapt to her feet and paced. “I wish he wasn’tcoming. He has to be there. It’s his sister’s party. But if you like I willstand by your side all night long.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“He will stick out like a bruised thumb, a man like him.I’ll be surprised if someone doesn’t mistake him for a groom.”

That comment lanced Violet’s heart. Because he had been agroom. Once upon a time. “Please, Kaitlin…”

Her friend ignored her, continuing to pace. “Imagine thegall. After everything that happened, coming here. Asking Edward for favors.Thank God Edward was able to keep that mess with him quiet. No one knows whathappened in Scotland—”

“It wasn’t a favor.”

Kaitlin stopped short and spun around. “What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t a favor. It was an agreement. Didn’t Edward tellyou? He agreed to host a season for Sophia in exchange for Callum’s debt. Andto let us both go.”

Kaitlin plopped down on the bed, her mouth agape. “H-heforgave the debt?”

“Every penny.”

“It was an enormous amount of money.” A whisper.

“He’s really not such a bad man, Kaitlin.” Violet didn’tknow why she felt the need to defend Ewan. She certainly didn’t know why it wassuddenly so important that Kaitlin accept him.

It wasn’t as though he was anything to her. He would neverbe anything to her other than a sweet, painful memory she kept locked away forthose precious hours in the deep clutch of night.