He bowed to all of them and then turned to Abigail, bowing again.
Abigail curtsied in return, but a decided frown marked her brow. Before she could question her sister’s reaction, Emily’s attention turned back to Brandon.
He approached, his eyes running up and down her frame. “You look stunning.”
Her cheeks heated as she dropped into a curtsy and then offered her gloved hand. He placed a kiss on the cloth and more warmth radiated from her core.
His hand was large, swallowing hers as he continued to hold her fingers in his palm. “Thank you,” she said, noting that her voice had a breathless quality as though she’d just run a great distance.
“Well, we’re all assembled. Shall we?” Bash said as he wrapped an arm about Isabella’s waist.
Brandon never let her fingers go as he tucked her hand into his elbow. Her pulse began to race. Perhaps he could have an affection for her after all.
He handed her into his carriage and slid into the seat across from her. Eliza settled next to her while Menace took the seat opposite his wife.
An awkward silence fell as the carriage started. Emily didn’t know how to ask questions with an audience and Brandon didn’t offer comments either.
“Beautiful night,” Menace finally murmured.
“It’s freezing and about to rain.” Eliza looked across the way. “Why would you say such dribble?”
Menace chuckled. “You can’t even let me fall back on mundane conversation about the weather? I was trying to fill the silence.”
Eliza huffed. “Let’s discuss something that matters.” Then she gave Emily a sidelong glance. “And someone who isn’t in this carriage. What is the Baron of Blasphemy doing here?”
“Here?” Menace answered ducking his head.
Eliza leaned forward. “You know very well what I mean. Why is he the eighth member of our party?”
Menace lifted his chin and was now inspecting the ceiling. “You’ll have to ask Bash. Blasphemy’s attending on his invite. Obviously. He’d never get an invitation from the king otherwise.”
Pointing her finger, she lifted off the seat and poked her husband in the chest. “Precisely. So why did Bash invite him? And don’t say, ask Bash. I’m asking you. And start talking if you want to sleep in my bed tonight.”
“’Liza,” he said, his voice taking on a wounded puppy tone. “Don’t be like that. You’re going to be angry either way so why not be angry at Bash?”
“Because,” she huffed, “I can’t kick Bash out of my bed.”
“Get your sister to do it then. He’s the one that deserves the treatment and Isabella has the power to make him suffer.”
“Not a bad plan,” Eliza murmured. “But not relevant now. I want answers.”
Emily looked back and forth between them. “What has you so worried, Eliza?”
“I’m worried because,” Emily turned to look at her. “Blasphemy is crass, ill-mannered, and barely socialized despite being a baron. And if he’s here, it likely means that Bash has decided to match Abigail with the financially unfortunate and heathenistic baron.” Then she looked back at Menace. “Am I correct?”
Emily gasped as her hands covered her mouth. Abigail deserved the best sort of man. Not the worst.
Brandon cleared his throat. “He is a baron. She’ll be titled.”
“He’s a beast,” Eliza fired back. “You can be certain that he won’t go around rescuing Abigail the way that you have with Emily.”
Emily choked a bit. She’d been lamenting how her sisters were stronger and they’d forged better futures for themselves, but she wasn’t doing terribly.
Unless one considered being in love with your future husband while he married you for your inheritance bad.
Which she did.
Brandon looked at Eliza, grimacing. “Are you also trying to convince me to marry Abigail instead of Emily? Because I won’t.”
“Who else did that?” Eliza gasped.
“Eliza,” Emily started.
“You didn’t.” her sister turned to look at her, glaring in the dark.
Oh dear, Emily thought as she spread her hands out on her knees. She was about to get it and she rarely bested Eliza.
Chapter Eight
Brandon watched as Eliza ranted at her sister.
He knew the words came from a place of love, but Emily’s head sunk lower with each sentence until her chin rested on her chest. He didn’t like it one bit.
Emily shrunk into herself, hardly saying a word, as Eliza continued on. “You know that both of you need to marry. Why would you nearly ruin such a prospect by being so foolish?” Eliza’s voice was growing louder. “You have such a good heart but not a lick of sense.”
“Excuse me,” he cut in, and Emily’s head snapped up as Menace shifted beside him. “But I’m not just some prospect. I’m a man who is sitting right here.” Then his eyes met Emily’s. “And Emily has the good sense to put her family first. Always.”
Emily’s mouth opened and then closed as she stared at him.
Then Brandon looked back at Eliza, these words coming from his heart. “I only hope that after we’re married, she counts me in the people she protects so wholeheartedly. I will be a very lucky man indeed.”
Eliza made a squeaking noise as her chin notched higher. “My point stands. She might have completely frightened you away thinking that she didn’t care a whit about you if she were willing to just pass you off to her sister.”
Well. That was true. And she might have scared him off except that he couldn’t imagine wanting another woman the way he wanted her. Ever.
“Oh,” Emily exhaled the word as a hand pressed to her throat. “Is that correct?”
He shrugged then. “I have to confess to you that your father asked me to keep an eye on you. And I did. Long before you were aware of it.”
Emily nodded. “I assumed as much. How else would you just happen to come to our rescue so often?”
He raised his eyebrows. “So I happen to know you are a person of unfailing kindness.”
She didn’t answer but slowly scooted forward and then touched his knee. “Thank you for saying that. But my family
