her down the hall, his expression tight and grim, his grip on her wrist unrelenting.

“Where are we going?” she gasped, stumbling to keep up with him.

“I have a few words to say to my father.”

“Then say them, but let me go back to my room.”

He didn’t answer as he started down the stairs.

“I’m not dressed!”

“I assure you that condition won’t bother my father.”

“It’s very early. They might not be up.”

“He’ll be up.” He stared straight ahead as he descended the last steps. “My father is always up by six.”

“Good morning, Dominic.” Shamus smiled genially as he stepped out of the parlor into the foyer. “You look a bit out of sorts.” His expression reflected a flicker of surprise as his glance shifted to Elspeth and he noticed her state of undress but he rallied swiftly. “While you look charming, Miss Elspeth. I always think a woman most enchanting with her hair floating around her and her face bedewed by sleep.”

“Thank you,” she said dazedly. “That’s very kind.”

“Kind!” Dominic laughed harshly. “My God, don’t you realize yet what they’ve done to you? You’re the bait in the trap, the cunning little amusement that’s going to keep me chained here.” He faced his father. “Isn’t that right, Da?”

Shamus’s face became wary. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the fact that Elspeth was drugged last night and put in my bed.” Dominic grated the words out through clenched teeth. “My God, how did you have the-I brought her here to protect her.”

Shamus’s eyes widened and then narrowed thoughtfully as his gaze moved slowly from Dominic to Elspeth and then back again. “Do I take it you’ve enjoyed this young lady’s… favors? Ah, now this is a very serious matter, Dominic. Surely you’re not going to cast her cruelly aside and just wander on your way?” His voice lowered silkily. “Why not stay here and do the honorable thing by the poor lass?”

“I’ll be damned if I’ll be stampeded into doing what you want.”

“Won’t you, indeed?” Shamus asked softly. “Are you going to let her go then? Perhaps to fall into some other lucky man’s bed.”

Dominic’s hand on Elspeth’s wrist tightened with bruising force. “Damn you, Da. You’ve gone too far this time.”

“Yes, he has,” Elspeth said slowly. Her free hand went up to rub her temple. Her head was throbbing terribly and the bewildering exchange between the two Delaneys had swirled around her like a tempest. It had taken her a few minutes to realize what they were actually saying. “And so have you, Dominic.” She jerked her wrist from Dominic’s grip and continued with great deliberation. “I’m a little confused, so please be good enough to help me. You put something in my lemonade to make me sleep more soundly, Mr. Delaney?”

Shamus shook his head. “I didn’t say that, my dear.” He sighed mournfully. “It’s truly a grievous pass when a son doubts the honor of his own father.”

“And then someone took me to Dominic’s room and undressed me?”

He nodded. “So Dominic claims. But all of this is really unimportant now, Elspeth. We must set about putting right this wrong done you.”

Unimportant? Incredible. The man was incredible. “And you made sure that Dominic had a wee bit too much to drink so that he wouldn’t notice I was not quite myself.”

“Now, I will admit to blame for Dominic’s condition last night. I do hope the liquor didn’t make him incapable of pleasing you.” He darted a sly glance at Dominic. “It takes a bull of a man to pleasure a woman when he’s had a drop too much. Perhaps he’s not the man his father is.”

Elspeth felt the hot color stain her cheeks, but this time it was with rage not shame. She stepped back, her eyes blazing with fury. “You used me. How could you dare to do that to a stranger in your own home? You’ve disgraced me and treated me as no more than a pawn in your Delaney quarrels.” She turned to Dominic. “And you’re no better. Do you know how a woman with no reputation is treated? I received a sample of that treatment in Hell’s Bluff. It… it hurts.” She blinked the hot tears away. “And yet you thought of nothing more than your own pleasure last night. I was helpless and confused, but you could have stopped.”

“Could I?” Dominic’s lips curved in a lopsided smile, “You’re wrong, Elspeth. After I saw you, there was no way on earth I could have turned away. Da knows me very well.”

“Because you’re both selfish and wicked and-” She whirled and ran up the stairs. Her muffled words floated back to them. “You both deserve horsewhipping. I’ll not stay here at your precious Killara another hour.”

The two men stood there in silence until they heard the door of her room slam behind her.

“I believe she’s a little upset,” Shamus said mildly. “You’d better go smooth her feathers.”

“Presently.” Dominic turned to face his father, his expression hard. “There’s something I want to get straight with you first. She’s right, Da, we both used her for our own purposes. You used her as a bond to keep me here and I wanted her enough to blind myself to what you were doing.” He paused. “And you tried to use me, too. I don’t like to be tricked, Da.” His voice lowered to a silky murmur. “Oh, you’re very clever, but you’re not going to get everything you want. You’ll have your bond, but it won’t keep me at Killara. I’ll tell you how it’s going to be. I’m going treasure-hunting, and I’m going to find that treasure. I’m going to bring back a bonanza of gold to Killara, enough to make us into the landed royalty you always wanted to be. And when I do that, I’m going to pay off that damn mortgage and decide whether I want to let you stay on here. And you’re not going to have a damn thing to say about it.”

Shamus shook his head. “Patrick told us Elspeth had a bee in her bonnet about Kantalan. You’re not fool enough to think it exists.”

“I’m damn well going to find out.” Dominic smiled coolly. “And if it doesn’t exist, I’ll find some other way to get what I want. I’ll rob a train or join the bandidos down in Mexico or-”

“And you’ll have me paying through the nose for another pardon,” Shamus said grimly. “Don’t talk crazy.”

“I feel a little crazy. Crazy and trapped. I don’t like that feeling one bit, Da.”

Shamus glanced up the stairs. “You’ll find there are compensations for giving up your freedom, if you choose to do it.”

“Of course I choose to do it,” Dominic said harshly. “Maybe I’m not as much your son as I thought. I won’t make Elspeth into my whore and then send her away.”

Shamus lifted a brow. “Really? I understood from Patrick that that was your original intention. Have you undergone a reformation, Dominic?”

Dominic flinched as he remembered Elspeth’s words of yesterday regarding his need for reformation. He turned away. “I don’t think Elspeth would think so. In her eyes I’m Satan’s favorite offspring.” He started up the stairs. “Hell, maybe she’s right. Send down to the village for Father Benedict and tell him I want him in the chapel in two hours.”

“You’re going to marry her?”

“Yes. I’ll probably have to hog-tie her and drag her before the priest kicking and screaming.” His lips tightened as he looked over the banister at his father. “But I’m going to marry her. She thinks she’s already experienced the fate of a whore in Hell’s Bluiff, but she had Silver and me to protect her. She doesn’t realize how much more she could be hurt. She’s very… innocent.”

Shamus nodded, his expression sincerely regretful. “I like the girl and I’m truly sorry this was done to her in my house.” He hesitated. “I didn’t do it, Dominic. I won’t deny I’m delighted with the result, but I’ve never had to victimize women or children to get my own way.” He smiled crookedly. “However, I can see how you might have jumped to that conclusion. I’d go to great lengths to protect someone I love.” He paused before adding gruffly. “As I love you, Dominic.”

“I know that,” Dominic said wearily. Now he didn’t know what to believe. Da would sack, burn, and pillage the entire territory if it meant protecting his family, and there was no one else who would have had anything to gain by encouraging Elspeth’s seduction. Yet Shamus had never lied to him before and it was not like him to deal in anything as underhanded as this scheme. He met his father’s gaze. “If you didn’t drug Elspeth, who did?”

“I have no idea, but I’ll find out.” Shamus’s lips tightened grimly. “No one does this to a guest at Killara. You can bet I’ll have a few questions to put to Rosa after we get the wedding out of the way.”

“You do that,” Dominic said. “But right now making sure that Elspeth is protected is more important than asking questions. We’ll leave after the ceremony. I don’t think Elspeth will want to stay here any longer than

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