Page 17

A few tense minutes later

Keyworth House study

Wordlessly and without preamble, the Earl of Keyworth ushered Jason into the study. An enormous shaggy black dog rose to his feet, his long, bushy tail waving tentatively as he looked between his master and Jason.

“Stay, Sampson,” Keyworth said, holding his palm outward.

The dog promptly sank onto the hearth.

“Lie down. There’s a good boy.”

Sampson released a hearty sigh, licked his chops a couple of times, then rested his head upon his giant paws.

Jason liked dogs and would’ve petted Sampson, but given Keyworth’s less than affable attitude, he decided against the overture.

Upon closing the door behind them, Keyworth directed Jason to one of two overstuffed royal-blue damask armchairs arranged at angles before a tidy desk. Likely his wife’s influence. Landry, no doubt, would likely have chosen stiff leather chairs to discourage visitors from lingering overly long.

A brass, chariot-shaped inkwell and quill holder sat perfectly centered atop the glossy desktop. That would be Keyworth’s doing. Everything orderly—right down to who was permitted to carry his injured sister.

“Have a seat,” Keyworth said in clipped tones with a terse sweep of his hand.

It wasn’t a request.

Typical of British nobility.

Aristocrats gave orders and expected everyone to obey at once. Only, Jason was a proud American, and he didn’t bloody well care if Keyworth believed himself superior to a lowly colonial. Never mind that he captained a ship and expected immediate acquiescence from his crew when he gave an order. In his case, lives often depended upon immediate compliance.

Was Keyworth one of those Englishmen who still thought Americans traitors to the Crown? That might account for a degree of the hostility the earl hurled Jason’s way. There wasn’t any other logical reason. Well, other than he’d caught Jason holding Lenora in his arms.

For half a dozen heartbeats, Jason considered defying Keyworth, but calm reason prevailed.

What would it gain to poke the lion?

Particularly if Jason had any intention of pursuing the winsome minx upstairs. Did he have intentions? An hour ago, he would’ve denied such a suggestion and dismissed it as ludicrous.

That was before he’d gazed into unfathomable turquoise eyes.

He’d vow the earl was on the brink of calling him out for nothing more than carrying his injured sister to her bedchamber. Considering they were in full view of several people the whole while, and nothing remotely untoward could occur with so many witnesses, Keyworth’s reaction was just shy of melodramatic.

Or addled.

In point of fact, Lenora’s brother ought to be thanking Jason for the care he’d taken with his sister.

Regardless, he’d very much enjoyed holding that fragrant bundle of femininity in his arms. Lenora smelled of honeysuckle and orange blossoms. When she’d winked at him, the fetching little firebrand had revealed she wasn’t nearly as proper as her older, bearish brother believed.

Would Jason have reacted the same way if he’d found his sister in a stranger’s arms?

He considered Keyworth.

Not precisely a stranger, but certainly not an acquaintance or close associate. As he only had younger brothers, Jason couldn’t put himself in Keyworth’s place. He did know, however, he’d defend his own brothers to the death.

The earl stared stonily at him, the tick in his jaw ever-growing evidence of his rapidly waning patience. Keyworth’s reputation as a level-headed, judicious fellow certainly didn’t fit the agitated man prowling back and forth behind his desk at the moment.

An eyebrow arched sardonically, Jason complied as he sank into the chair and took the other man’s measure. Of similar height, Jason weighed at least a stone more. Perhaps two stone. The earl was likely a deft hand at swords, but Jason was confident he’d fare well if put to the test. In truth, more than one pirate could attest to that fact.

A round in the ring might prove different, however. Jason had no doubt who would come out better in such a match. He could thank his father for his large bones and muscular build. Both characteristics made him an anomaly amongst London’s elites, where dandies were known to pad their clothing to give an appearance of a more manly figure.

The earl also took a seat. It didn’t escape Jason that the man had positioned himself as the interrogator.