kiss.
“You were quite right, Calliope. There is no such thing as just a kiss,” he said, his gaze sweeping over her.
She scrambled off the bed. “You should answer the door… after I’ve hidden in your dressing room.”
Winn said nothing. He simply watched her as she scampered toward the doorway and disappeared beyond it. Cursing her, cursing his own foolishness in thinking that kiss would only impact her ability to think clearly, he sat up and yelled, “Enter!”
The door opened and William, Claudia and Charlotte appeared, their little faces etched with concern. That would effectively wilt any man.
“You’re hurt,” Charlotte said and immediately popped her thumb into her mouth.
“It’s not very bad,” he said. “Just a scratch. I’m quite all right.”
“You’re certain?” Claudia demanded. “You’re not simply saying that because men have to pretend that nothing hurts and they’re completely invincible?”
His brows furrowed as he frowned at her. “You sound remarkably like Miss St. James.” It felt strange to call her that, to speak so formally of her when just moments before she’d been laid out before him and he’d been—well, it was best not to think of what he’d been doing.
“Where is Miss St. James?” William said sharply. “She said she was coming up here.”
“She’s in the dressing room,” Winn answered honestly.
Claudia was suddenly wearing a frown to match his own. “Why is she in your dressing room?”
Calliope emerged then. Her hair tidied and pinned back up somehow. She carried a stack of cloth that looked suspiciously like one of his shirts. “I was getting bandages, Claudia. Your uncle’s wound isn’t very serious, but it still needs tending. If you’d like to help, why don’t you run down to the kitchen and tell Cook we need some hot water and whatever herbal salves she might have to ease the pain and prevent the wound from becoming putrid.”
“I’ll stay,” Claudia said pointedly. “It wouldn’t be proper, after all, for the two of you to be alone. But William and Charlotte can go. You remember what you are to ask for, William?”
“I’m not stupid,” he groused. “Hot water and salve.”
“Go with him, Charlotte,” Callie said. “Neither of you is to carry the hot water, but you may carry any medicines that Cook sends up.”
The little girl and her brother ran from the room and Claudia stepped deeper into it. She settled herself on the one chair in the room, a wing chair before the fire and looked at both of them with far more sophistication than a girl of ten or eleven should ever have. “To borrow William’s words, I’m not stupid either. What was really going on in here?”
Winn smiled. Calliope might be able to fight him, but she wouldn’t fight them both. “You should know, Claudia, that I have honorable intentions. I’ve asked Miss St. James to be my wife.”
Callie gasped. Claudia clapped her hands and squealed in delight, much the way a child actually should.
“That’s wonderful news!” Claudia exclaimed, a bright smile lighting her face.
“Well, not precisely,” Winn said. “Miss St. James has not yet accepted my offer. She’s worried that because of her position as a governess and the fact that her parents may not have been married, that people will not look favorably upon our union.”
“No one who matters would think anything of it, other than that you belong together and should be very happy with one another,” Claudia said. “And if they do think otherwise, they’re not someone you should wish to know anyway.”
Out of the mouths of babes. He turned to look at Callie and noted that she appeared utterly at a loss. “Those are very wise words, indeed, Claudia.”
“It isn’t that simple,” Callie said, looking at him. “We both know that. And it’s terribly unfair of you to bring Claudia into this. You mustn’t say anything to your brother and sister, Claudia. I don’t want any of you disappointed.”
“I won’t. But it’s perfect, you know?” she said. “William is terrified that you’ll leave us one day. So is Charlotte, though she won’t say anything. She changed the name of her doll to Calliope. She said it was so she could keep you always. If you marry Uncle Winn, then you’ll be our aunt. And no one could ever make you leave us.”
And that was the moment Winn saw her crumble.
*
Callie’s shoulders began to shake. The sobs started before the tears. She didn’t even really understand what she was crying for. Yes, there had been two attempts on her life in the past twenty-four hours.