“Mel, that’s ridiculous,” Johnny said with a snort. “If it’s a fake, it’s a fake. Who cares if everyone finds out about it? It’s not our fault that some nincompoop of an ancestor sold off the real gems.”
Mamma grimaced. “I’m afraid Melissa is correct, Johnny. The debt of honor still stands, regardless, and Mr. Kendrick is obligated to marry Charlotte whether he wants to or not.”
“If I could get a word in,” Kade said, “I could—”
Melissa excitedly flapped her hands, cutting him off again. “Mamma’s right, Mr. Kendrick. You simplymustmarry Charlotte for the sake of our family’s honor. If you don’t, the curse is sure to befall us all.”
Now Papa jumped to his feet. “There is no blasted curse! And if you don’t stop talking like an utter henwit, Melissa, I will send you to your room.”
With unfortunate predictability, Melissa burst into tears and the room descended into chaos. Mamma rushed over to soothe Melissa, while Papa and Colin began to argue. Johnny entered the fray on their father’s side, and Angus loudly and repeatedly announced to no one in particular that the entire family was barmy.
The only calm person was Kade, who wore a long-suffering expression.
He probably thinks we’re all barmy, too.
What sane man could ever wish to marry into such a silly family? It was all so embarrassing.
Rampant frustration drove Charlie to her feet. “Enough!”
Kade, standing near her, winced. “Och, lass, my ears.”
Charlie ignored him, glowering at her family. “You areallderanged. Each of you should go lock yourself in your room until you can behave like a rational human being instead of an escapee from Bedlam.”
“Does that assessment include me?” Kade wryly asked.
She glared at him for a moment, and then started to stalk from the room. Kade reached for her but she dodged him and made a quick exit. By the time she hit the hallway she was practically running.
CHAPTER24
Instinctively, Charlie headed for the music room, a haven of peace and quiet. She needed it to sort through her turbulent emotions. At the moment, she felt quite unsure of herself—and a wee bit unsure of Kade, too.
Once inside, she slammed the door and locked it. Someone would come looking for her sooner rather or later, but she hoped to gain at least a few minutes to herself. Decisions had to be made that could affect the course of her entire life.
She flopped down on the couch with a sigh, toeing off her shoes. For the last few days, she and Kade had rushed from one crisis to the next with no real opportunity to discuss their future together. Part of her was beginning to wonder if theydidhave a future together, and that was a truly hideous feeling.
Losing your nerve, are you?
Charlie grimaced, hating to think of herself as a coward. That she loved Kade beyond measure was not in doubt, and she felt certain that he loved her, too. But how solid were those feelings? Were they strong enough to overcome the challenges that still lay in their path? Kade had been curiously reluctant to discuss those things. He seemed to live entirely in the moment, content to address difficulties as they arose. While that was eminently sensible in the middle of the crisis, the crisis had passed.
Tonight’s adventures had introduced niggles of doubt about their future. Instead of trusting her with his plans, Kade had turned to her father for help. That decision, even with his reassurances, still stung. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t play second fiddle to Kade. She couldn’t remain one step behind, always trying to catch up.
Or, worse, become a hindrance to him.
She propped her chin in her hands and gloomily stared into the empty fireplace grate. Of course, after her family’s idiotic performance, her questions might be entirely moot. Not that she’d acted much better, since she’d yelled at everyone, sounding more like a fishwife than a woman in love. If Kade had any sense he’d be packing to make his escape right now.
She heard a quick step in the hall, and then the doorknob rattled.
“Charlie, please let me in,” Kade said.
“Go away,” she shouted. “I need to think.”
She immediately winced. She soundedexactlylike a fishwife—or a Highland hooligan.
After a few moments, when Kade didn’t answer, she blew out another sigh. She’d driven him away.
“You’re a ninny,” she muttered. “You don’t even know what you want.”
You want him.
