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But he would not be put off. He tightened his grip, his fingers crushing hers, his breath sour on her face.
“Miss Reskeen—Ellery, if I might be so bold. Your cousin told me of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding your birth and early years. From that moment, I only wanted to help you.” He was so close she saw the nicks his razor had left on his chin and the broken veins across his nose. “I can’t offer marriage—Mother would never approve of your lack of birth or breeding—but I would be pleased to ease your way if I could. Your rent would never again be an issue between us.”
Ellery tore her hand away. Anger knotted her throat, and her chest burned with fury. “My cousin overstepped her place when she spoke of such private matters. I was born just as you were, Mr. Porter, from between my mother’s legs, and though my childhood was harsh, I’m no man’s doxy to barter myself for rent money.”
He raked her with his gaze as if he already owned her, the tip of his tongue sliding across his lips. “Aren’t you? They say the apple never falls far from the tree. Whatever the man staying with you offered, I can top it.”
Ellery spun on her heel and began to walk on toward the cottage. She’d gone only a few yards when he caught her up and whipped her around. “We can make this difficult or we can make this easy. You owe me, Miss Reskeen.”
A deep voice, cool and impersonal, brought them both up short. “And what does she owe you, sir?”
Ellery looked up to find herself under Conor Bligh’s insolent gaze. Candlelight hadn’t done him justice. He was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. Dark hair cut short and choppy as if he’d hacked at it himself without aid of a mirror. On a lesser man, the style would have seemed ridiculous. With his strong, chiseled features and warrior’s body, it only made him seem harder, tougher. He leaned against a tree, his arms folded across his chest, arrogance rising from him like steam. In the half-light of dusk, his face fell in and out of shadow; only the sun-gold glow of his eyes remained steady and fixed upon her.
His lips curled in a thin, mocking smile. “One should always pay one’s debts, little sister.”
How had she not seen him approach? Mr. Porter had distracted her, but surely she would have seen or heard something. The lane was narrow, the hedges on either side sparse, yet there Conor Bligh stood as if he’d conjured himself out of the dark trees. She swallowed. Maybe he had.
Mr. Porter dropped his arm to his side. “You must be Miss Reskeen’s—guest.” He filled every syllable with venom.
Conor straightened, not so much stepping as melting out of the shadows. Dressed in unrelieved black, Ellery thought he might make a good pirate…he came closer…or highwayman…closer still…or predator. He stopped inches in front of them, his intense gaze never wavering from her face as if he were memorizing her stupefied expression. Then his eyes flicked up to meet Mr. Porter’s. “Not her guest, sir. Her brother.”
Mr. Porter’s brows snapped together in disbelief. Conor shot her a fierce glance, but instead of anger or resentment, Ellery only felt a coward’s relief at his arrival.
“Brother?” Mr. Porter said. “You’ll have to do better than that if you expect me to believe you.”
Conor shrugged. “Well, perhaps I stretch the truth slightly. Half-brother, but family nonetheless.”
Mr. Porter sniffed. “Another by-blow? Miss Reskeen’s mother was quite busy.”
Ellery’s face burned with shame. “You’ve no right to say those things.”
Conor Bligh forestalled her with a restraining hand upon her shoulder. “I never met Ellery’s mother so I wouldn’t know. Ellery and I share a father. Major Robert Galloway. I’ve followed him into the army, so I rarely get back to England, but when I do I like to check in on my sister and make sure she’s well.” His gaze narrowed. “A shoulder to lean on, you might say, Mr. Porter.”
Her landlord flushed pink, but he held his ground, staring down his long, sharp nose at them. “Your cousin was right about you, Miss Reskeen. A whore, she called you. Just like your mother. A soldier’s bastard playing at being the great lady.”
Ellery’s fist shot out, connecting with Mr. Porter’s jaw in a solid punch. He staggered and straightened, a line of blood oozing from his mouth. She started to advance on him when Conor’s hand caught her up short. “That was ill-done of you, little sister. You should never lead with your left.”
Mr. Porter wiped at the blood with a handkerchief, his face purple with rage. “You have until this time tomorrow, Miss Reskeen, to clear out the cottage and be gone from Carnebwen or I’ll draw up charges on you and your…your brother.”
“I’ve nowhere to go.”
“That’s not my concern,” Mr. Porter replied. Ellery rubbed the bruised knuckles of her hand. With one punch, she’d lost her first and only real home. She tried feeling remorse over her actions, but nothing could push aside the dull press of hurt and humiliation. Had Molly truly hated her so much?
“Give her three days, and she’ll be gone,” Conor said.
She glanced over her shoulder up at him. This morning’s zinging thrill seemed a lifetime ago. She should have known it would turn out to be a warning. Life didn’t hand you happiness without trouble hard on its heels.
In less than a day, Conor Bligh had turned her stable little world on its head. She needed to get away from him before his presence wreaked even more havoc. She opened her mouth to break in, but Mr. Porter spoke first.
“And why should I?”
“I’ll pay you everything she owes you, but only if you give her the three days.”
“I don’t believe you,” Mr. Porter answered, but greed narrowed his eyes.
Conor gave a casual shrug of his shoulders. “My offer stands. You’ll have her rent by tonight. If not, then you can evict tomorrow. You’ve nothing to lose.”
“Don’t pay. I’ll go.” Ellery ground her words through gritted teeth.
