He held up his hands, clearly trying mightily to suppress a laugh.
“Well, I don’t like Kendrick’s manner, but there’s no need to threaten him,” her father said. “After all, he rolled Morgan right up, confession and all.”
“Yes, let’s return to that discussion,” she replied. “First, I would like to know why I was kept in the dark about this little scheme, Kade. Was it because you didn’t think I could take care of myself?”
She hated even asking the question, but she had to know. If he thought she needed protecting or, worse, was somehow untrustworthy, Charlie was quite certain that her heart would break in two.
Kade placed his pistol on the bench and took her hand. “Of course not. I know how capable you are and how well you can defend both yourself and others. That was never in question.”
His words were so obviously sincere that some of Charlie’s tension started to bleed away.
“Then why did you keep me in the dark?” she gruffly asked, fighting a sudden, silly impulse to cry.
“Because I knew how furious you were with Morgan. So furious I feared you might shoot him on the spot.”
She huffed. “Who could blame me if I did?”
“No one, quite likely. But you must admit it would have made the situation a great deal more complicated.”
“Besides, I insisted that Kendrick keep you out of it,” her father added. “I’m your father, and it was my right and duty to keep you out of a volatile, dangerous situation.”
Now,thatwas annoying. “Really, Papa? Since it’s my brooch, not yours, I had to the right to at least know what you were planning.”
Her father gaped at her. “Good God, Charlie, you were the one who stole the blasted thing in the first place.”
“That’s beside the point. I think it was very mean of you to keep me in the dark like this, Papa. You knew how worried I was.”
Kade tugged on her hand. “He was trying to protect you, lass. You know that.”
She blew out an exasperated sigh. “All right, but as much as I wanted to shoot Sir Leslie, I never would have gone through with it. I’m not an idiot, Kade.”
“No, you’re utterly brilliant,” he said. “Forgive me. I was trying to protect you, too.”
Angus nodded. “It’s the Kendrick way, lassie. Our men always protect their ladies.”
“And since when did my daughter become a Kendrick lady?” Papa said with a thunderous scowl. “This is most irregular, my girl, and very secretive of you. I do not approve.”
“Ha. You’ve been keeping a few secrets yourself, Papa,” she said, staring him down.
“Hang it,” he finally muttered, clearly disgruntled by the whole situation.
She turned back to Kade. “Just when did you speak to Papa about this whole mess?” She paused for a moment. “And clearly you didn’t tell him everything.”
Meaning their relationship. Why hadn’t Kade mentioned that to her father?
“I told him yesterday morning, when we went out for a ride,” he replied.
She narrowed her gaze. “So you didn’t just run into him in the stables, then. Really, Kade, you simply must stop withholding important information from me. It’s incredibly irritating.”
“So says the Kinloch Fiddler,” her father said in a sardonic tone.
In all fairness, Charlie had to admit Papa was right. She’d not been exactly forthcoming with Kade until he’d forced her hand.
Ignoring her father, Kade held up a hand, as if making a solemn vow. “From now on, I promise total honesty between us, Charlie. I’ll hold nothing back.”
While she fumed, trying to stay mad at him, Kade flashed her a charming, lopsided grin. Really, the man was incorrigible.
And wonderful.
