him.
“Would you mind beginning with your name?" the duke asked.
“Phoebe Wallington.”
She startled when his head snapped in her direction. “Wallington?" he repeated.
"Yes, my uncle is Charles Wallington, Viscount Albery. Do you know him?”
He shook his head. "Nay. I knew a Wallington, a man in Inverness. I'm pleased you're not related to him."
Her heart suddenly pounded. "May I ask why, Your Grace?"
"The man was a cold-blooded killer." Before she could digest his answer, he said, “Why is Viscount Albery's niece visiting Brahan Seer?” She dropped her gaze, and he added, “Is it so bad that you fear telling me, Miss Wallington?”
“Your Grace, I ask that you leave the matter between me and your son.”
He looked at Lord Stoneleigh as they started up the hill. “Have you anything to say, Regan?”
“As the lady, says, Your Grace, this is between her and Lord Ashlund.”
“I can always ask Winnie.”
Phoebe inhaled sharply.
“You don't strike me as the sort of young woman who traipses about the country with men.”
“I assure you, I am not.”
“Good. So, when we arrive at Brahan Seer, I expect you both to go directly to my library. I will ask Winnie to join us.”
“Your Grace,” Phoebe said, “I beg you, leave the matter.”
“He's my son. I cannot.”
Phoebe steadied her breathing. “No need to ask Winnie to join us. She knows very little of the matter.”
“A heartening thought,” he replied as they crested the hill.
CHAPTER SEVEN
F our days travel had tired Kiernan. He entered Brahan Seer’s great hall desiring nothing more than a good meal and several scotches. He made his way through the crowd gathered for the evening meal. The last three men who stood between him and the table stepped aside and Kiernan halted upon seeing his father seated at the head of the table. He noticed Heddy sitting on his father’s left and frowned.
“Evening, Kiernan,” the duke said.
“Father,” he replied, and started forward.
His father raised a brow just as a hand clasped Kiernan's shoulder from behind.
“Well, now,” came the voice of Regan Langley.
Kiernan faced his friend. An odd light played in Regan’s eyes and Kiernan looked back at his father. “What's wrong?”
The duke only stared at him.
“Damnation, Father, what is it? Is something amiss with the twins—Elise?”
"Nay. She and the children are well."
"Heddy,” Kiernan turned to her, “I expected you and Regan to be gone. Are you ill? For God’s sake, someone tell me what's wrong.”
“What's wrong is that you are addressing the lady by the wrong name,” his father said.
Kiernan’s frown deepened. “What?”
“Her name—Phoebe Wallington.”
Kiernan yanked his attention back to her. The low drone of voices in the hall, the clatter of pans in the kitchen, all faded into the background of a silence that hung between the four of them.
“Good God,” he whispered.
“Not quite my reaction,” his father said. “But considering the lady's presence, it will do.”
“Father,” Kiernan began, but halted at the warning look on his face and turned again to Phoebe. “Heddy—”
“Phoebe,” the duke cut in sharply.
Kiernan nodded. “Phoebe—Miss Wallington, I had no idea.”
“Nay?” his father demanded. “Miss Wallington informed me she revealed her identity the night you abducted her. You are saying it's not true?”
“It's true.”
“Then do not compound your wrongs by lying.”
“I'm sorry.”
“‘Tis not me you should apologize to.” His father cocked his head in Phoebe’s direction.
Kiernan turned to her. “Miss Wallington, I am sorry.”
"That's all?” the duke demanded.
"I will, of course, make it right. I'll have an announcement immediately sent—"
"No," she interrupted. “As I told your father, things aren't as bad as they appear."
“What?” Kiernan stared.
“Lord Stoneleig h assures me my uncle hasn't acknowledged my disappearance. I have already sent word
“Would you mind beginning with your name?" the duke asked.
“Phoebe Wallington.”
She startled when his head snapped in her direction. “Wallington?" he repeated.
"Yes, my uncle is Charles Wallington, Viscount Albery. Do you know him?”
He shook his head. "Nay. I knew a Wallington, a man in Inverness. I'm pleased you're not related to him."
Her heart suddenly pounded. "May I ask why, Your Grace?"
"The man was a cold-blooded killer." Before she could digest his answer, he said, “Why is Viscount Albery's niece visiting Brahan Seer?” She dropped her gaze, and he added, “Is it so bad that you fear telling me, Miss Wallington?”
“Your Grace, I ask that you leave the matter between me and your son.”
He looked at Lord Stoneleigh as they started up the hill. “Have you anything to say, Regan?”
“As the lady, says, Your Grace, this is between her and Lord Ashlund.”
“I can always ask Winnie.”
Phoebe inhaled sharply.
“You don't strike me as the sort of young woman who traipses about the country with men.”
“I assure you, I am not.”
“Good. So, when we arrive at Brahan Seer, I expect you both to go directly to my library. I will ask Winnie to join us.”
“Your Grace,” Phoebe said, “I beg you, leave the matter.”
“He's my son. I cannot.”
Phoebe steadied her breathing. “No need to ask Winnie to join us. She knows very little of the matter.”
“A heartening thought,” he replied as they crested the hill.
CHAPTER SEVEN
F our days travel had tired Kiernan. He entered Brahan Seer’s great hall desiring nothing more than a good meal and several scotches. He made his way through the crowd gathered for the evening meal. The last three men who stood between him and the table stepped aside and Kiernan halted upon seeing his father seated at the head of the table. He noticed Heddy sitting on his father’s left and frowned.
“Evening, Kiernan,” the duke said.
“Father,” he replied, and started forward.
His father raised a brow just as a hand clasped Kiernan's shoulder from behind.
“Well, now,” came the voice of Regan Langley.
Kiernan faced his friend. An odd light played in Regan’s eyes and Kiernan looked back at his father. “What's wrong?”
The duke only stared at him.
“Damnation, Father, what is it? Is something amiss with the twins—Elise?”
"Nay. She and the children are well."
"Heddy,” Kiernan turned to her, “I expected you and Regan to be gone. Are you ill? For God’s sake, someone tell me what's wrong.”
“What's wrong is that you are addressing the lady by the wrong name,” his father said.
Kiernan’s frown deepened. “What?”
“Her name—Phoebe Wallington.”
Kiernan yanked his attention back to her. The low drone of voices in the hall, the clatter of pans in the kitchen, all faded into the background of a silence that hung between the four of them.
“Good God,” he whispered.
“Not quite my reaction,” his father said. “But considering the lady's presence, it will do.”
“Father,” Kiernan began, but halted at the warning look on his face and turned again to Phoebe. “Heddy—”
“Phoebe,” the duke cut in sharply.
Kiernan nodded. “Phoebe—Miss Wallington, I had no idea.”
“Nay?” his father demanded. “Miss Wallington informed me she revealed her identity the night you abducted her. You are saying it's not true?”
“It's true.”
“Then do not compound your wrongs by lying.”
“I'm sorry.”
“‘Tis not me you should apologize to.” His father cocked his head in Phoebe’s direction.
Kiernan turned to her. “Miss Wallington, I am sorry.”
"That's all?” the duke demanded.
"I will, of course, make it right. I'll have an announcement immediately sent—"
"No," she interrupted. “As I told your father, things aren't as bad as they appear."
“What?” Kiernan stared.
“Lord Stoneleig h assures me my uncle hasn't acknowledged my disappearance. I have already sent word
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