in return. But he soon pulled away, straightening his posture.
She let him, stepping back to place her hands on his shoulders as her gaze scanned swiftly over his person. “Tell me you are all right.”
The boy nodded, his expression stoic once again. But if his reserved manner was any kind of surprise to his sister, she didn’t show it. “What happened? Why didn’t you tell me where you were in the note you sent?”
“I told you I was all right.”
She released a breath that could’ve been part relief, part exasperation. “You did, but you gave me no explanation, no way for me to find you.”
“I’m sorry, Kit. It wasn’t my intention to worry you.”
The woman’s eyes widened, but then the corners of her lips curled. “You know quite well that nothing can keep me from worrying about you.”
“And I know you would’ve come to fetch me as soon as you knew where I was.”
“Of course.” Her brows dipped into a frown.
While the two had been talking, Claire had slowly sidled away from Mason and now slipped her hand into Freddie’s as she pressed herself to his side. It was something she did whenever she was feeling uncertain, and the sight of it dug at Mason’s heart.
Lady Katherine looked at the girl with a gentle smile. “Hello there. I am Lady Katherine. What is your name?”
Claire smiled as pink touched her cheeks, but she turned to hide her face against the boy’s side.
“This is Claire,” Freddie answered for her. Leaning down to the girl, he added gently, “This is my sister, Kit. Remember? I told you about her.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Claire.”
Whether it was due to Freddie’s assurance or the woman’s softened tone, Claire responded by turning to give another shy smile.
Still talking to the little girl, Freddie added, “Would you like to show your papa what we discovered in the parlor this morning?” When she nodded, the boy’s steady gaze slid to Mason. “May I have a few moments with my sister, Mr. Hale?”
Mason shifted his attention back to Lady Katherine. Though her eyes were as deep brown as he’d suspected, he could now see by the light of the schoolroom that her dark hair held an auburn richness he hadn’t been able to detect in the dimmer light of his office.
The hint of fiery warmth suited her.
“Perhaps we should be on our way,” she said. Her tone wasn’t nearly as soft as the one she’d used for his daughter and Mason felt a bit cheated.
He glanced to Freddie, who quietly returned his gaze, awaiting his reply.
“Take your time,” he replied, stepping forward to hold a hand out to Claire. When she reached him, he swept her up into his arms. “There’s no rush. We’ll be in the parlor.”
Lady Katherine’s brows tugged into a frown. She clearly didn’t like having her wishes overridden. Mason didn’t bother holding back his chuckle as he strode from the room.
Chapter Five
Katherine waited a few moments after the irritatingly amused Mr. Hale stepped out of view before turning back to her little brother. It took everything in her not to draw him back into another embrace. Her relief at finding him alive and well was immense—as was her surprise that Hale had actually delivered her to him—but she knew the display of physical affection would only discomfort her brother. The last thing in the world she wanted was to be the source of any more stress than his ordeal had likely already caused him.
When she’d awoken that morning so many days ago—it felt like a lifetime already—to find him gone from his bedroom at their house in Mayfair, she’d swallowed down her instinct to panic. Her brother was getting older, and he’d been struggling with his grief over their father’s tragic death and the loss of the only home they’d ever known. She knew he liked to go off alone when he was distressed, and she had been trying to allow him that even though everything in her wanted to swoop in and rescue him from his hurt and confusion.
When her extensive search of the house and grounds came up fruitless, she’d been beside herself. Fear had nearly debilitated her until she’d realized that giving in to the panic wouldn’t find her brother. Lord Shelbourne’s advice to handle the matter discreetly had been difficult to accept when she’d wanted to alert every constable in the city. But he’d convinced her that a widespread search could put her brother at greater danger. Despite the days