“Good job, Colin.” Jason slapped his brother on the back, beaming. “You finally came to your senses. Well, partially, anyway,” he added under his breath.
Kendra disentangled herself from Amy. “You were such a blockhead,” she told Colin, “I was ready to strangle you.”
Colin just stood there grinning like an imbecile. Jason walked to the bed and, coloring only slightly, leaned to kiss Amy on both cheeks. “Welcome to the family,” he said, and Amy would have thrown her arms around him if she hadn’t been in such an embarrassing state of undress. As it was, more tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them back, and Jason straightened and cleared his throat.
“We’ll have it at Cainewood,” he said to Colin.
Colin had just sat to put on his stockings and boots. “Have what?” he asked blankly.
Kendra made a rude noise. “The wedding, of course.” She looked to Jason. “He’s still not himself, is he? A spring wedding… We’ll have to start planning immediately.”
“Oh, no.” Colin’s words were uttered in a voice that brooked no nonsense. “No spring wedding. We’ll be married today.”
“You cannot,” Kendra said. “No banns have been posted. And you don’t have a license.”
“Nor did Robert Stanley—and yet, Amy was to have wed him this morning at St. Trinity. She can wed me there instead.”
An indignant squeak escaped Amy’s throat.
“St. James, then.” Colin gave a nod of acknowledgment. “We will wed today at St. James. There’s a madman loose. And even were that not so, I wouldn’t wait a minute longer than necessary to make Amy my wife.”
When Colin’s gaze locked on hers, any objections she might have had to being married in a privileged church were swept away in an instant.
Colin loved her, and that was all that mattered.
“But…” Not one to be dissuaded easily, Kendra turned to Amy. “You want a real wedding, don’t you? With guests and a wedding gown and dancing for hours afterwards?”
Amy slowly shook her head. She’d planned a big wedding once, with an abundance of guests and a dress covered in love-knots, and she’d been altogether miserable. A simple wedding today, even at St. James, sounded perfect.
And she’d be Colin’s wife by tonight.
It still didn’t seem real. It was too good to be true. You cannot have everything, she could hear her father saying—and he’d been right. But she had no real choice. Joy bubbled up inside her, and she hugged herself in blissful disbelief.
Now that was settled, Colin became all business. He strode behind the screen and fetched the ice-blue gown from where Amy had left it in a crumpled heap on the floor. It rustled as he shook it out, saying, “It’s ripped in the back. Curse it.”
Amy froze.
“Let me see.” Kendra reached for the gown. No one noticed the color draining from Amy’s face. “It’s just a seam. I’m sure someone belowstairs can stitch it up in no time.”
“No.” The word was nearly a whimper. Three sets of concerned green eyes fastened on Amy huddled on the bed. “I was supposed to marry him in that gown. I won’t wear it.”
Colin spread his hands and glanced around the room as though he expected a wedding gown to materialize out of thin air.
“I won’t wear it,” Amy repeated through clenched teeth.
Colin’s hands dropped; his fingers drummed against one thigh as he stared at the gown in Kendra’s arms, its icy blue contrasting with her own vivid green dress. Then his fingers stilled, and he brightened. “Kendra, why don’t you simply—”
Before the words were out of his mouth, Kendra wadded up the offending garment and thrust it into the fireplace.
It ignited with a great whoosh, sending sparks flying into the room. Colin blinked, dumbfounded. “What did you do that for? I was going to suggest—”
“A typical logical male solution—my swapping gowns with Amy. You poor fool. I can assure you she doesn’t want that dress in the same city, let alone standing beside her as witness to her marriage.” Shaking her head in mock exasperation, Kendra turned to Amy. “Men can be so stupid sometimes. Are you sure you want to marry this one?”
Amy’s answering giggle brought a grin to Colin’s face. He bowed in Kendra’s direction. “Your servant, my lady. Since you’re so intelligent, I’m awaiting your instructions on how to deal with this problem.” He ducked back behind the screen to fetch the filthy shredded nightgown, dangling it at arm’s length from two fingers. “Shall she wear this, do you suppose?”
Another giggle from Amy was drowned by a loud guffaw from Jason. Kendra rolled her eyes. “No, I don’t suppose. But I do have a plan.”
“By all means, inform us. We’re all dying of curiosity.”
Kendra took a deep breath. “You, Colin Chase, are going to have to wait a few hours for your wedding. Do you think you can handle that?”
He raised one eyebrow, apparently reserving judgment.
His sister continued in authoritative tones. “Being Monday, Amy’s gowns are now ready at Madame Beaumont’s. I shall fetch one and bring it here. You will go home, clean up, and return in appropriate wedding attire. Look at you—your shirt is ripped.”
“A bullet will do that,” Colin said wryly.
“A bullet?”
He waved off her concern. “It’s nothing, just a graze.”
“Colin—” Jason started.
“It’s nothing. Amy?”
“It’s nothing,” Amy said with a small smile.
She loved this bickering family.
Colin turned back to Kendra. “Continue.”
“Well, then, you haven’t shaved in two days!”
“I apologize for offending you,” Colin drawled, rubbing his scratchy chin. “I’ve been a mite busy.”
“Well, I’ll admit we do have evidence you were occupied,” Kendra returned, looking pointedly to Amy.
Amy had been so busy enjoying their argument and basking in the warmth of their
