Page 55 of Brigand

“You will be. Just wait. You’ll attend your first ball andmeet a handsome man and fall in love and you’ll forget all about the McCloud.You’ll see.” Some odd emotion flickered over his face but it was gone beforeshe could interpret it. “Don’t worry. We will find you a husband.”

Why that made her cry once more was a mystery. It was lovelybeing comforted like this. “I d-don’t w-want a h-husband. C-can’t I just livehere with you and Kaitlin forever?”

His smile was far too kind. It only made her weepier.“Absolutely, poppet.”

An incongruous laugh bubbled out. “Have you ever calledanyone poppet before?”

“Not once. But I figured I’d better get in some practice.”He leaned in and whispered, “Kaitlin’s…in a family way.”

At once her misery wafted away—at least for the moment—asjoy trickled through her soul. “Oh, Edward.” She placed a palm on his cheek.“That is wonderful news.”

“Thank you.”

“Kaitlin must be over the moon.” She’d always wanted a lotof children. They both had…

Oh dear. The sniffles started again.

“We’re both delighted.” He beamed, reflecting on some innerthoughts. When he noticed she’d started dripping again, he passed her hishandkerchief.

“I’m just…just so happy for you,” she bawled.

“Don’t weep so. You’ll make yourself sick.”

“I always wanted b-babies.”

“Of course you did—of course you do. And you’ll have them.One day. Violet? Do you…do you need another brandy?”

She hiccoughed through a snort. “It won’t make me stopcrying, Edward. And it won’t stop this pain.” She laid a palm to her breast.“Besides, I think I’ve had plenty.” Indeed, the room was getting uncomfortablywarm. “It’s just that…” She sighed. “I love him so much and I’ll never see himagain.”

Something in his expression snagged her attention. He rosefrom his crouch at her feet and sat next to her again.

“Edward? What is it?”

He plucked at his lower lip. “You, ah, may see him again.”

Her heart leapt. She sprang to her feet. “What are yousaying?”

He stared at her, lips pursed, as though trying to figureout how to break some unpleasant news. At long last, he said, “He pressedKaitlin into that betrothal because he needed entrée into the ton.So his sister could have a season.”

Violet nodded impatiently. “Yes, yes.” She knew all this.

“In exchange for you and Kaitlin, I agreed to give him whathe wanted.”

Her fingers curled into tight balls until her nails scoredher palms. “Which was?”

“Ewan McCloud and his sister are coming here for the season.We are hosting her debut.”

The blood rushed from her head. Her knees went weak. Thebrandy, previously quiescent and warm, turned into a bubbling, boiling brew inher belly. She sucked in a breath but still her lungs burned.

A slow curtain fell and a blissful darkness took her.

* * * * *

Ewan’s belly tightened as the carriage made its way throughthe clogged streets of London. He’d always hated the capital with its thick airand constant bustle. He missed Scotland, his little island particularly.

He was decidedly a fish out of water in these surrounds. Heknew little to nothing about the haute ton. Although William had triedto coach him on the finer points, it had only served to show him precisely howmuch he did not know. How utterly gauche and incongruous he would be at teasand soirees and fucking balls.

But he would only have to suffer the discomfiture for threemonths.