He purchased sweets for his niece and nephew, then made his way back to their parents while they consumed them, smearing a great deal over their faces.
“I won, Daniel!”
Sally was wearing a bonnet that seemed about ready to topple sideways. Flowers of every color were attached, and a small bird nestled in the crown. On her chest was pinned a pink rosette.
“Did you indeed? Congratulations.” He kissed her, the dutiful brother, and admired the bonnet. His family were all milling around looking at things, so they wouldn’t question him if he left, which he decided he must now do. “Excuse me a moment; I shall return shortly.”
“If you are about to buy more toffee, bring me back some,” Oliver said out the side of his mouth so Thea didn’t hear. “We shall be up there, seated under that tree, when you return.” He pointed to a small rise to their right, and then took Leo out of Daniel’s arms.
“I will get you some.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why would there be something wrong when all I have said is that I will get you some?” Daniel looked in the direction Abby had walked. Was she still here?
“You look agitated.” Oliver studied Daniel. “Off somehow.”
“I am not off.” His reply was testy. “You can’t know if I’m off by five words.”
“They were spoken tersely.” Oliver blocked his way.
Daniel simply stepped to the left and walked away; there was nothing to be gained by debating with any of his siblings if they believed he was hiding something from them. It would be long and fraught with aggravation, and he needed to find Abby and find out what she’d not been entirely honest about.
He looked at stalls, nodded to people, and purchased his brother’s toffee. Tucking it in his pocket, he headed to the path that led down to the small pond. He’d found her feeding the ducks in the park last time; perhaps she’d gone there now.
I have not been entirely honest with you. He had absolutely no idea what she had wanted to tell him but knew he did not want to wait until Tuesday to find out.
“Dillinger!”
Turning, he found the Deville brothers, all four of them, behind him. Spread out across the path, they had their legs braced and were blocking his return. Daniel wasn’t sure why, but suddenly the hair on the back of his neck rose. Their expressions were grim, which suggested this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. Searching his memory, he tried to find something in there that would indicate why they were angry with him.
Their business dealings had gone well. Thea had taken them to task, but he’d said very little, and surely they were not going to discuss that? The look in their eyes suggested this was a great deal more serious.
“Good afternoon.” He bowed, keeping his eyes on the brothers.
Large and menacing, they would intimidate most people. Daniel had been raised to look after himself as a child, and his brother had finished that education with lessons on how to fight dirty should it be required. Still, he wouldn’t win against four of them, and surely they would not be foolish enough to start something here, in the park, where so many people were in attendance.
“Do you have business you wish to discuss with me? If so, perhaps you could call at the offices tomorrow?”
“We don’t want to discuss business, we want to discuss our sister.”
“Is she in some kind of trouble and in need of my help?” He knew only what Thea had told him about the woman, and had to say she did have his sympathy, considering what he knew of these men.
“Don’t mess with us, Dillinger, or we’ll mess with you,” Nathanial growled.
“You’ll forgive me, but I have never met your sister, so have no idea what it is you speak of.” For some reason, the tension inside him climbed another notch.
“We saw you!” Zach roared.
“What do you want with our sister?” Gabe demanded.
“I don’t know your sister,” Daniel said with a little more force. He could be polite, but it only went so far when someone was not reciprocating.
“We saw you talking to her earlier,” Michael said calmly.
Daniel thought back to who he’d talked to and could only come up with one woman. Surely not? He suddenly felt cold all over. Abby! Dear God! Was this what she’d wanted to tell him?
A large, familiar hand settled on his shoulder. “Is there a problem here, brother?”
“No problem, Oliver,” Daniel said. He’d long since given up trying to work out how his brother knew when he needed him. Peter would be with him too.
“What’s going on?”
“Hello, Dillingers.”
“Hello, Will.” His brother had indeed brought reinforcements in the form of Lord William Ryder, his brother-in-law.
Peter, Oliver, and Will all now stood at his back. The odds were even.
“You better have a really good reason for intimidating my brother, Raine,” Oliver growled.
“Oliver,” Daniel cautioned him. “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on and have no wish for any trouble here.” But he did know; deep in his gut, he knew that Abby was a Deville.
“We’d take you,” Zach said. Still young and extremely foolish.
“Be quiet,” Gabriel said, his eyes on Daniel.
“What is this about?” Oliver asked. “Your stance and attitude tell me it is not a social chat, which leads me to business, and to my knowledge nothing we’ve aided you with has turned sour.”
“It’s about their sister”—Abby—“who I do not know,” he lied. Anger was building inside him, white-hot rage that she’d played him for a fool.
A loud shriek had them all looking to the path behind the Devilles, and suddenly there she was, Abby, running toward her brothers.
Daniel watched as she skirted them and stood in the middle, between him and the four angry men.
She’d deceived him, and that alone should stop him wanting her.
“What are you doing?”
