a girl, after all. And it was true that she'd been used as a weapon. She'd been hardly more than a victim herself, it seemed.
"For the sake of our hosts," he agreed, glad when she smiled at his paltry joke.
"You are a hard man, Collin Blackburn,"
He choked, for she was very nearly right. To his horror, a blush crept up her cheeks, warming her skin into a temptation. He stood and stumbled a step back from the bed. "I'll see you at dinner."
Her blue gaze burned into his back as he fled, slamming the door behind him.
Chapter 3
"Collin."
Collin nearly tumbled down the stairs, heart in his throat. Catching the banister, he turned to see George stepping down from the other wing of the house. "George," he said too loudly.
"I'd like a word with you, if you don't mind."
Christ, surely George couldn't know that he'd just snuck out of Alexandra's room. Unless the maid had alerted him . . .
George stepped heavily down the oak steps, but his face was weighted by sadness, not anger. "Would you come to my office for a moment?"
"Of course."
"I know we already spoke of this, but . . ." George glanced about as they descended, nodded his head to the right when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Collin followed him into the study, ducking beneath the low hang of the crooked little door. The study was spacious, but worn and oddly shaped, one wall stretching on for twenty feet, the other angling, following the line of an older section of the house. George paced to a large chair and leaned against its back.
"I feel I didn't adequately express myself earlier . . . regarding Alexandra."
"George, I—"
"No, I was shocked when she arrived and I wanted to explain. You said you're convinced St. Claire was out to murder your brother. I did not speak plainly earlier, but I feel the need to defend my cousin. You have every reason to dislike her, or resent her, but please bear in mind her youth."
"There's really—"
George held up a hand, eyes pleading, and Collin fell silent.
"All I ask is that you try to feel some sympathy for her in this. If St. Claire did arrange this incident, think how dreadfully he used my cousin, a young girl just out in society. My God, she very likely loved the man and he abused her in the worst possible way."
"George, I understand that."
His friend sighed, his thin chest seeming to collapse. "I'm glad to hear that. I know she must seem mannish and bold to you."
"Mannish," Collin croaked, thinking of her delicate beauty, but George nodded solemnly.
"She grew up nearly without a mother, eventually without a father too. And Somerhart was left to raise her alone, though he didn't have to. He could have sent her off to an aunt or some such but preferred to keep her close."
"An ideal brother."
"Perhaps, but not an ideal parent, you understand. And after this happened . . ." He waved a circle to encompass the tragedy. "He was concerned for her. She was not really herself, and even a duke could not make it right."
"No, I suppose not." Collin thought of the stiffness in her face when he'd wounded her.
"So you may look at her and see a hoyden, an unnatural girl who works her brother's estate and attracts scandal like a magnet, but she is more than that. She is . . ." He waved again, frowning as he searched for words.
"George. You don't have to defend her. I won't deny that I thought little enough of her when I arrived here, but you're right. She's young. She did not mean to injure John."
"No. No, I can assure you of that. She's a kind girl and always has been. A bit spoiled, mind you, but we're all to blame. Motherless child and all that."
He smiled at the gruff love in George's voice. "I should like to see a portrait of her as a child."
"By God, I'm sure I have one around here some-where." George turned to scan the dozens of bookcases lining the long wall, relief sinking his shoulders. "Somerhart must have sent us a new miniature every half-year."
Collin smiled as he recalled the great Duke of
"For the sake of our hosts," he agreed, glad when she smiled at his paltry joke.
"You are a hard man, Collin Blackburn,"
He choked, for she was very nearly right. To his horror, a blush crept up her cheeks, warming her skin into a temptation. He stood and stumbled a step back from the bed. "I'll see you at dinner."
Her blue gaze burned into his back as he fled, slamming the door behind him.
Chapter 3
"Collin."
Collin nearly tumbled down the stairs, heart in his throat. Catching the banister, he turned to see George stepping down from the other wing of the house. "George," he said too loudly.
"I'd like a word with you, if you don't mind."
Christ, surely George couldn't know that he'd just snuck out of Alexandra's room. Unless the maid had alerted him . . .
George stepped heavily down the oak steps, but his face was weighted by sadness, not anger. "Would you come to my office for a moment?"
"Of course."
"I know we already spoke of this, but . . ." George glanced about as they descended, nodded his head to the right when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Collin followed him into the study, ducking beneath the low hang of the crooked little door. The study was spacious, but worn and oddly shaped, one wall stretching on for twenty feet, the other angling, following the line of an older section of the house. George paced to a large chair and leaned against its back.
"I feel I didn't adequately express myself earlier . . . regarding Alexandra."
"George, I—"
"No, I was shocked when she arrived and I wanted to explain. You said you're convinced St. Claire was out to murder your brother. I did not speak plainly earlier, but I feel the need to defend my cousin. You have every reason to dislike her, or resent her, but please bear in mind her youth."
"There's really—"
George held up a hand, eyes pleading, and Collin fell silent.
"All I ask is that you try to feel some sympathy for her in this. If St. Claire did arrange this incident, think how dreadfully he used my cousin, a young girl just out in society. My God, she very likely loved the man and he abused her in the worst possible way."
"George, I understand that."
His friend sighed, his thin chest seeming to collapse. "I'm glad to hear that. I know she must seem mannish and bold to you."
"Mannish," Collin croaked, thinking of her delicate beauty, but George nodded solemnly.
"She grew up nearly without a mother, eventually without a father too. And Somerhart was left to raise her alone, though he didn't have to. He could have sent her off to an aunt or some such but preferred to keep her close."
"An ideal brother."
"Perhaps, but not an ideal parent, you understand. And after this happened . . ." He waved a circle to encompass the tragedy. "He was concerned for her. She was not really herself, and even a duke could not make it right."
"No, I suppose not." Collin thought of the stiffness in her face when he'd wounded her.
"So you may look at her and see a hoyden, an unnatural girl who works her brother's estate and attracts scandal like a magnet, but she is more than that. She is . . ." He waved again, frowning as he searched for words.
"George. You don't have to defend her. I won't deny that I thought little enough of her when I arrived here, but you're right. She's young. She did not mean to injure John."
"No. No, I can assure you of that. She's a kind girl and always has been. A bit spoiled, mind you, but we're all to blame. Motherless child and all that."
He smiled at the gruff love in George's voice. "I should like to see a portrait of her as a child."
"By God, I'm sure I have one around here some-where." George turned to scan the dozens of bookcases lining the long wall, relief sinking his shoulders. "Somerhart must have sent us a new miniature every half-year."
Collin smiled as he recalled the great Duke of
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