“Oh, fine. I’ll go find out what Colin wants.”
“We both know what Colin wants.”
Kendra rolled her eyes as she straightened up. “Colin doesn’t know what Colin wants. I’ll just see what kind of ideas I can plant in his head.” And with that cryptic statement, she left the room.
Amy plopped back onto the chair. The history books in front of her had seemed fascinating a few minutes ago, but now they’d lost their appeal. She pushed them aside and laid her head on the exquisite mosaic table, the tiles cool beneath her cheek. She would miss this family, but she knew her life was destined along another path.
You cannot have everything, she heard her father say.
She sighed and rose to go ready herself for supper. If she hurried, perhaps she’d have time to take a walk around the grounds and think things through. But deep in her heart, she knew there was really nothing to think about.
This was it. Her time was up. Colin wanted her gone, and this time he would see it done.
She had no excuses left.
TWENTY-THREE
JASON HAD plenty of excuses.
In the midst of shouting at his brothers, Colin didn’t spare Kendra a glance when she walked into the drawing room and settled herself next to Ford. “She’s still here? I cannot believe it!”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Jason stated calmly.
“More than a month! Don’t tell me she hasn’t recovered enough in more than a month.”
“I haven’t asked her,” Jason admitted. “She does seem to be getting on fine, though.”
Colin stormed over to where his older brother lounged against the carved stone mantel. “You never asked her?”
“I just said so, didn’t I? We’ve been quite busy these past weeks.”
“You’ve been busy?” Colin’s fists clenched. It hadn’t been easy to walk away from Amy the first time. Now, thanks to his lazy brother, he’d have to go through it all over again. “Too busy to take a day or two to deliver her as promised?”
Jason only shrugged. “With the end of the harvest, Ford and I have been out collecting rents. It’s that time of year, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” Colin said between gritted teeth. Jason’s nonchalance wasn’t improving his mood in any way. “I’ve been busy. Disposing of the harvest, looking after the livestock, overseeing the quarrying and logging operations, collecting rents, directing restoration work, working on the accursed account books—and all by myself with just Benchley for help. You have Ford and a battalion of laborers and servants, yet you hadn’t the time to—”
“Amy’s been doing my ledgers for me,” Jason interrupted. “I reckon she’d be willing to help you out. She’s quite grateful, you know.”
Colin made his way to one of the coral-upholstered chairs and dropped onto it, defeated. “She’s been doing your ledgers,” he said in a dead voice.
“Oh, yes,” Kendra bragged, “and she’s much faster than Jason ever was. Why, she says she’s just about caught up.”
“That’s a miracle,” Colin allowed. “However did this come about?” They were bound to tell him anyway, so he might as well cooperate.
“I was showing her the portraits in the picture gallery,” Kendra explained brightly, “and the door to Jason’s study was open. He invited her in to look around, she asked what he was working on so hard, and that was that. She kept the books for her father’s shop.” Kendra smiled in a way that set Colin’s teeth on edge. “She’s so smart, Colin, you wouldn’t believe it.”
“Oh, I’d believe it all right.” Yet one more thing to add to the shining qualities of Amy Goldsmith.
“She became great friends with little Mary. I reckon she’s just as fond of children as you are.” Jason made his way to the chair beside Colin’s. He sat and stretched out his long legs, crossing them at the ankles. “I found a home for Mary in the village, with the widow of one of my men who was killed in the mill accident.”
“Good.” Wonder of wonders, his brother had actually followed through with something he’d asked of him. “Thank you for taking care of that.”
“My pleasure.”
“Ow!”
Colin turned to see Ford rubbing his arm and glaring at his twin, who had a carefully innocent look on her face. Ford cleared his throat. “We’ve also been discussing Amy’s fine education,” he announced in a stilted way, as though his words were rehearsed. “She’s interested in science”—Ford was forever complaining that no one in the family shared his fascination with science—“although she prefers history. She spends hours and hours in the library.”
“She does, does she?” Colin crossed his arms and turned back to Jason. “When are you taking her to Dover? You are taking her to Dover?”
“Of course, Colin. Whyever would you think not?”
“She should stay here,” Kendra protested. “She’s clever and sweet and helpful and a good friend and she has no one—just one aunt—and she fits right in with the family.” Kendra paused for a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “You should marry her, Colin. We all think she’s wonderful.”
Colin had seen it coming. “Then you can all marry her,” he suggested lightly, rising to go out the door. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”
“Wait!” Kendra yelled after him.
He whirled around. “You wait,” he returned fiercely. “I’m marrying Lady Priscilla Hobbs, or did that slip your mind somehow?” He turned to Ford. “You want Amy in the family? You marry her.”
Ford’s blue eyes widened in alarm. “I’m not ready to get married! I’m only sixteen! I want to attend university!”
Undaunted, Colin turned on Jason. “You marry her, then. You seem to enjoy having her around.”
“I’m—I’m not attracted to her,” sputtered the unflappable Jason. “She’s—she’s a bookkeeper!”
“Exactly.” Colin turned on his heel and headed up to his bedchamber, shaking his head.
Sometimes his family was more trouble than they were worth. Kendra, especially.
You should marry her, Colin.
Hmmph! He’d get Kendra back. Tonight. He’d get her good.
TWENTY-FOUR
“DEFENDING THE castle?”
Taken off guard, Amy
