will keep quiet about anything that happened last night.”
Emily shook her head with a fond exasperation that did nothing to discount the gravity of their dilemma. “Too many people are privy to the facts. We might restrict the knowledge of Kit’s identity to people on Glen Lyon for a few days. No longer. News of Kit’s night with you will spread out across the Highlands sooner rather than later, and her reputation will be ruined.” Emily glanced between Kit and Quentin. “I’m afraid you two need to get married.”
Chapter 7
Quentin stared across to where Kit – Christabel – stood straight and still in front of the window. He read the frozen horror on her face.
By heaven, what else could he expect? She’d launched this whole dangerous enterprise to escape an unwelcome husband. Now here she was staring down the barrel of a forced marriage. No wonder she looked as sick as a dog, poor wee lassie.
Although he’d thought she liked him. He squashed an unworthy pang at seeing how little appeal the idea of marrying him held. Especially as for him, the idea of life with Christabel Urquhart was infernally appealing.
“Would…would a betrothal not serve as well as a marriage?” Kit asked in a quavery voice that didn’t sound at all like the valiant girl who had been such a stalwart companion through last night’s vicissitudes. “At least until after Christmas when we’ve had a chance to assess how bad any scandal is likely to be.”
“I’m afraid not, Kit. A broken engagement after the fact will only fuel gossip.” Compassion softened Emily’s face. “Being stuck like this isn’t the end of the world, even if it might feel like it right now. Quentin knows how my marriage started out, but you probably don’t. Hamish and I wed to scotch a scandal, too, and we were as innocent of wrongdoing as you are. In fact, you and Quentin are better off than we were. At least you two seem to get along. Hamish and I had known each other for years and we’d spent most of that time fighting like cat and dog.”
Kit’s eyes rounded with astonishment. Those lovely blue eyes that betrayed her every emotion. How in Hades anyone had ever believed this exquisite girl was a boy continued to leave Quentin flabbergasted. Not just a boy, but a rough-and-tumble stable lad at that.
“But you’re so happy together,” Kit said.
Emily’s smile widened. “We are, but we spent most of our first year of marriage living apart. I thought marrying Hamish was the greatest mistake I ever made, yet it’s turned into a glorious blessing from heaven.”
This encouragement didn’t seem to reassure Kit, who looked like a fox facing a slavering pack of hounds. “You were lucky.”
“We were. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be, too.”
“It doesn’t mean we will be either,” she said flatly.
Emily sent them another of those searching looks that seemed to see things Quentin couldn’t. “You’re starting out ahead of us. You like each other.”
“Her ladyship is everything that’s admirable,” Quentin said. “How could anyone fail to like her?”
He saw Kit hide a wince at the use of her title. “And of course I like Quentin.”
Quentin hid his own wince at the lack of conviction that statement conveyed.
“If you two wed, there is the added benefit that Kit will be safe from her stepbrother all the sooner,” Emily said. “A rushed marriage may present a few legal issues, given Maxwell remains Kit’s guardian while she’s underage, but so close to Christmas, he’ll be in no position to take action against it. Anyway Kit turns twenty-one on Christmas Day, so I imagine the courts will see any case he makes as too little too late.”
“You’ve…you’ve thought of everything,” Kit said, not sounding particularly pleased.
“But it’s not up to me, is it?” Her expression determined, Emily rose from the window seat. “You two need to talk this out. I’ll leave you now. Come and find me when you’ve reached a decision. I’ll be in the library. There is always so much to do, with Christmas and the ball coming up. If you’re going ahead with a wedding, we need to talk to the minister. And we need to start Kit’s transformation back into Christabel.”
Quentin wanted to object to Emily giving the impression that they had any choice. He was well aware that Emily was leaving him alone with Kit so he could propose.
Still, he appreciated the chance to speak to Kit and chase that stricken expression from her pretty