Scandalous by Candace Camp

of a human being anywhere. The back door stood open. Wolfe sighed and went to close it. Just to be safe, he checked the small pantry and the side room, where his cot lay. Neither revealed a person hiding.
    â€œDamn.” He turned and scowled at Priscilla. “Why the devil did you have to come down just then? I would have had them.”
    â€œOr they would have had you,” Priscilla retorted tartly. “There are two of them, and obviously they managed to subdue you once before.”
    His scowl deepened. “That was only because I wasn’t expecting any danger. This time I was ready for it.”
    â€œYes, and still woozy from a fever and a blow on the head. I could hardly leave you down here alone to be abducted again—or worse.”
    â€œWell, whacking me with a poker certainly helped me out.”
    â€œI didn’t know it was you,” Priscilla replied frostily. “I couldn’t very well say, ‘Excuse me, are you a villain or our patient? I wouldn’t want to hit the wrong fellow.’ And all I could see in the dark was a big shape.”
    She looked at him. He had wrapped himself in a blanket. Only his front was visible. He wore the shirt he had had on earlier, but he had left it unbuttoned to sleep in, and it hung open, exposing a wide expanse of muscled flesh. Mr. Wolfe, Priscilla thought, was all too comfortable in a state of near nakedness.
    At that moment Priscilla recalled the fact that she herself was clad in nothing but her nightgown. She had not stopped to pull on a dressing gown before she hurried to Wolfe’s rescue. Her nightgown was high-neck and long-sleeve, a simple, unadorned cotton gown with little allure. However, it was far thinner and more conforming to her shape than the usual petticoats and dresses she wore. He could, she was sure, see the swell of her breasts beneath the gown; there was even a possibility that he could see the darker circles of her nipples. Her nipples tightened at the thought, surprising her. Right on the heels of that thought came the realization that she was standing between him and the lamp on the table, which meant that the light would shine right through her nightgown, exposing the shape of her body to Mr. Wolfe’s gaze.
    Her cheeks flamed high with color, and she moved quickly to the side. She stole a glance at Wolfe to see whether he had noticed, and found his gaze focused on her breasts. She blushed even more furiously, yet, amazingly enough, there was a strange tingling warmth deep in her abdomen.
    She turned away, desperately searching for something to divert their attention. “Uh, where did they come in? How did they enter the house?”
    He straightened, tearing his eyes away from her. “I thought the noise came from that direction.” He pointed.
    â€œPapa’s study? Oh, no, I hope they didn’t hurt any of his work! Papa would be so distressed.”
    She picked up the lamp and started out of the kitchen. Wolfe caught up with her, grabbing her arm. “Wait! Do you always go charging off like this?”
    â€œActually, this sort of thing rarely happens to me.”
    â€œWell, one of them might be there still. Let me go first.”
    She stepped back with exaggerated obedience, waving him through the kitchen door ahead of her. He grimaced and walked past her into the hall and over to the door of her father’s study. The door stood ajar, and he pushed it all the way open, revealing the darkened room, moonlight streaming through the windows. Priscilla, leaning around him, drew in a sharp gasp. One of the windows was pushed up, and it was clear that a pane of it had been broken.
    â€œOh, no,” she murmured, holding the lamp up to illuminate the room.
    Wolfe took the lamp from her hand and moved into the study, shining the light around to reveal every nookand cranny. Books lay everywhere—beside the chair, on the desk, on a side table and in the seat of another chair. Some were