viscount and attentive.”
“Do you like him?”
“He’s a nice enough man but seems overly enamored with Gabe’s title. Besides, what does that matter? I would never marry him now.”
“You don’t like him because he is not Mr. Dillinger,” Dimity said. “No one turns your head as he does, so no one would interest you.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Abby whispered. “How can I face my brothers again knowing what they are capable of, and all because a man with no title is interested in me… if he is?”
“Oh, he is. Never doubt that.”
“I don’t know what to do now, Dimity.”
A loud thumping on the door signaled the arrival of Gabriel.
“Open the door, Abby!”
“Rot in hell!”
“What did you say?” He thumped again.
Abby got to her feet and swallowed the last of her drink. It hit the back of her throat and made her cough. She then staggered to the door.
“What’s the problem, Gabe, is your hearing going with the onset of old age!”
Dimity roared with laughter.
“Open this bloody door at once, Abigail!”
“I would rather kiss a rat!”
The door shuddered as he thumped his fist against the wood, but it held. She could hear Dimity laughing over her shoulder.
“It really is not a laughing matter,” Abby said.
“Oh, yes, it is.”
“Abby, I just want to talk.” Gabriel was trying to be reasonable now. “Open the door, and we will sit down together and share a meal and work this through.”
“Give me a really strong curse word, Dimity,” Abby whispered loudly. When her friend did not reply soon enough, Abby found one of her own.
“Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian!”
“Don’t you quote bloody Shakespeare at me through the door, you little baggage! Open up!”
Abby returned to her seat and fell into it. She and Dimity then ignored the pounding until Gabe finally gave up.
“When I return, you better have this door unlocked!”
Abby ignored the raging earl.
“I think what I feel for Daniel is more than simply like, Dimity,” Abby said slowly. “In fact, it is a great deal more.”
“I think I agree with you,” her friend said.
Abby bent to take off her shoes and warm her toes.
Chapter 26
Daniel felt better after a few hours’ sleep. So much so that he rose and dressed. He couldn’t avoid the earl indefinitely, even if he wanted to. Besides, he needed to make sure Abby was all right.
She is not betrothed. He’d wanted to get out of bed and beat her brother senseless when he’d seen the utter devastation on her face when she realized what he had done. She’d been distraught by what she saw as his betrayal. Daniel had wanted to lift her into his arms and hold her. If he’d been capable, that was, and her brother hadn’t been in the room.
What did it say about him that he wanted to take her pain away? That he felt her pain as if it was his own? He knew one thing: it couldn’t be good.
He pulled on his boots and felt a bit light-headed when he straightened. Food should correct that. He hoped Lord Raine was not in the parlor, but then that wouldn’t stop him from entering. He didn’t avoid confrontation. Actually, not quite true: he’d run from his eldest brother, but that would have to be dealt with when he returned to London. Or perhaps Oliver would have amnesia and forget the conversation entirely.
He doubted he’d be that lucky.
Thinking about what the earl had done, Daniel wondered if he would have lied to protect a sister from what he saw as an unsuitable match. He hated that the answer was very possibly yes.
Sisters did bring out strange protective emotions in brothers. Daniel loathed seeing his sisters upset or in pain, and often they asked things of him he didn’t want to do but usually did.
Pulling on his jacket, he left the room in search of food. Darkness had fallen, and he had no idea of the time, but as he’d arrived at the inn late in the afternoon, he hoped there was food on offer downstairs.
He passed several rooms on his way along the hall. Which one is she in? Taking the stairs down, he entered the dining parlor and stopped. Raine was there with a bottle and a glass at his elbow. He sat staring into the fire. Beside him was another chair.
“It is not a large place. There was always the chance we would see each other again, Dillinger. Sit before you fall.”
“I will not be falling anywhere, Raine, and am