“She’s always in your room.”
“Be that as it may, you didn’t knock.”
“But I did, and I heard Caillen laughing so—” Despite having the darkest complexion of the Blair sisters, Robbi blushed almost as prettily as his bride-to-be.
He walked over to Caillen and put his arm around her waist, pleased to see her blush increase, but for the first time there was no hesitation to lean into him. “Under the circumstances, we would like you to be the first one to know that your sister has agreed to be my countess.”
Robbi’s eyes grew almost as wide as they had been when she’d been discussing his nudity. Then she charged them so quickly, he barely had time to steady them for her impact. She hit them both with equal measure, and wrapped her arms around them as if he truly was part of her family.
He grinned and returned the young woman’s embrace with Caillen doing the same. It was a group hug like he’d never experienced, even with his own siblings.
When she finally stepped back, Robbi’s smile began to fade. “I have something to tell you,” she confessed.
“That is never a good statement coming from you,” Caillen said as she took a seat on the settee. Simon went to the sideboard and poured a glass of brandy.
“There is good cause for what I’m about to tell you.”
“Again, there is always good cause, but it doesn’t mean you exercised good judgement.”
Robbi admitted, “I had Charlie deliver a message to Sir Williamson before he left the house.”
Simon stiffened and turned around. “Bloody hell, Robbi.”
Her gaze shot to him. “What?”
“Simon! Don’t curse like that in front of her. She’s still a child.”
An expression of hurt dropped over Robbi’s face like the closing curtain in a play. Robbi turned on Caillen before he could instill some humor in the moment. “I am not a child. I am due to make my debut next year.”
“I spoke out of turn. I meant to say you are an innocent,” Caillen corrected.
“I am hardly that,” Robbi replied with a mocking tone.
“Who do I need to call out?” Simon asked, the low tone of warning in his voice reverberated off the walls.
Her gaze shot to his in alarm. “What? No, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant to say I’ve seen and experienced more of the world than all my sisters combined.” In a lower volume she added, “I haven’t beennakedwith a man.”
Caillen blushed.
He looked toward the ceiling and spoke to the one entity who would understand. “I’m beginning to understand how muchmy actions will cost me.” He turned back to the liquor on the sideboard.
Robbi was the sister who’d probably been in more scraps in her life dressed as a boy, than anyone else in her family. She had not, however, experienced more of life than her sisters Caillen and Iseabail. The others he couldn’t say. The Blair sisters would probably put he and Ross into early graves. He poured his drink and then two more, with considerably less brandy. He handed one glass to Caillen, and then grabbed his own and the third, which held less than a gulp. He handed it to Robbi.
“I’d say we all need a bit of fortification to get through this story.”
“Thank you, Astley.” Robbi grinned as if he had declared her woman enough to handle anything.
Robbi sat down across from Caillen and curled her feet up underneath her. Thankful that she didn’t sit next to her sister, Simon took the seat next to Caillen and allowed their thighs to brush. His actions didn’t go unnoticed by either sister.
“Now tell us, what exactly did the letter to Sir Williamson say and why did you write it?”
“He has been lying to you.”
“He’s the head of the War Office, of course he was lying to us. I’m not certain he knows the truth.” Simon admitted.
“He knows the name of the man who killed father.”
He exchanged a serious look with Caillen. Robbi had said the one thing that would mean more than anything to all her sisters. Caillen was the first to speak. “He said we would probably never know, but that he would continue to dig.”
