"A little chat?" Adaira gave me an innocent smile that I didn't buy for an instant. "So sorry, but I don't have time right now. I've got something urgent to take care of, so if you'll excuse me..."
My hands closed around her wrists like iron manacles. "And pray tell, what might that 'something urgent' be? Running to India to search for your beau, mayhap?"
"Um...I have no idea what you mean."
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the letter she had left behind at her father's house to tell us exactly where she was going and what she was about to do. "Indeed?"
"Err...Right. Now I suddenly remember!"
"Indeed."
"Stop that! It's weird how much you sound like my brother."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Now, young lady..." Menacingly, I cracked my knuckles. "Tell me exactly where you've been and what you've been up to."
"Or what? You're not my mother!"
"...or I'll tell your mother you tried to volunteer for the military in men's clothes."
She paled. "You wouldn't!"
In answer, I only smiled.
"Fine!" Grumbling, Adaira leaned back in her armchair, took a deep breath—and then she began. During the next half hour or so, she told me everything. How she had set out on her own. How she had tried to reach her goal in various ways, but had never succeeded. The more she spoke, the more intense her voice became until, at the very end, she sounded nearly desperate.
"I...I have to find him, Lilly. If my father catches up to me and gets his hands on me..." A shudder travelled through her body. "I don't even want to think about it! The kind of man he would try and force me to marry... I won't let that happen! But, as far as I can see, there is only one way to get out of it: to marry someone of my own choosing. And there is only one man I would ever choose." Meeting my eyes with her own, Adaira grabbed hold of my hands. "I have to go find him, Lilly. Please, help me. Help me get to India."
"Um..." Feeling my ears go red, I cleared my throat. "There might be a slight problem with that."
"Problem?" My dear sister-in-law's eyes narrowed, and suddenly I was the one feeling guilty. Which wasn't fair, because this totally was my husband's fault!
"Lilly?" Leaning forward, she pinned me to the spot with that patented intense Ambrose stare. "Lilly, what aren't you telling me?"
This wasn't how this was supposed to go! She was the one who had run away from home. That meant she was at fault, right? What was I feeling guilty for?!
"Um... it's nothing, Adaira dear! Nothing, except..."
"Except what?"
"Err, well..." The red shade of my ears darkened further. "It's like this..."
And I spilled the beans. Probably the peas and carrots, as well. I told her everything that had happened, and she took it very well—up until we reached the part where I told her what kind of shitstorm was about to break loose in India, right over a certain captain's head.
"Is...is that so?" Adaira swallowed.
"Afraid, so, Adaira."
"And this happened because...?"
"Ah, ehem..." I cleared my throat and, without hesitation, threw my husband under the bus. "That would be your brother's fault."
Adaira's eyes turned into slits. "What?!"
"Oh yes."
"That son of a...blast it, I can't use that insult, she's my mother, too!" Adaira dragged in a deep breath, probably meant to be calming. I wasn't quite sure whether it worked, though. "I always had a feeling my dear brother would come after any man I showed interest in with a shotgun. But you mean to tell me that, without even knowing where my intended was, that bugger set off a bloody war which might kill the man I plan to marry? All while my brother dearest is still safe and sound, thousands of miles away on another continent?!"
"Um...essentially, yes." I gave her a bright smile. "Offing people without lifting a finger or even thinking about it... Very efficient and time-saving, don't you think? To be honest, considering this is Mr Rikkard Ambrose, we shouldn't be surprised."
Judging by the look Adaira sent me, she did not appreciate the joke.
"You," she told me as she stabbed a finger in my face, "are going to help me fix this."
"Err...how?"
"By helping to save James, of course!"
"Oh? James, is it, now?" Immediately, my interest was kindled. "Already on a first-name basis, are you? How long exactly has this been going on?"
Her ears turned so red it would have matched a British Army captain's uniform. Those two truly were destined for each other. "We...may have been exchanging letters for a while."
"Ooooh! Really?"
"Yes! And don't change the subject! We were talking about how to save my intended from the war my brother set off!"
Darn. And here I'd hoped she had forgotten.
"We could...write to him?" I suggested.
Adaira gave me a look. "Oh yes, of course! Why didn't I think of that? Let's write to him! Because the mail will naturally still be delivered when war breaks out, right?"
Crap.
"Then...your brother and I should go warn him. You could stay here." Gently, I placed a hand on her arm. "Adaira, you've never been outside of England before. Let us take care of this."
"Oh yes. I'm sure my brother would be delighted to save his former love-rival who is now interested in eloping with his little sister."
She just had to pick this time of all times to suddenly become unusually insightful and logical, did she?
For the next few minutes, I tried my best to convince her to see reason and stay where she was. After all, while Mr Rikkard Ambrose would undoubtedly despise going to India to save Captain James Carter of all people, there was one thing he would despise even more: to sit back and watch his sister do it.
And to be honest, I didn't feel any different. This girl had practically become a sister to me. I would not let her do something stupid like rushing headlong into danger to win her freedom and find a man!
Really? Just like you did a few years ago, you mean?
Ehem. That was totally different.
Indeed?
Yes. Because I was just trying to win my freedom. Back then, I still thought of Mr Ambrose as a chauvinistic bastard and wouldn't have touched him with a ten-foot pole.
Ah, of course. That makes things so much better.
I would probably have continued bickering with my stupid inner voice for a while longer, but Adaira didn't seem inclined to let me. With a swipe of the hand, she waved my warnings away.
"I know this is going to be dangerous, Lilly. Despite what my father might think, I am not a fool. But, sometimes, danger simply isn't relevant. Tell me—if my brother were stuck in a war-torn country, and you had a choice between going to help him or staying safe at home, what would you do?"
"Go!" The word was out of my mouth before I could help myself.
She gave me a sad smile. "And would you let anything stand in your way?"
"No!"
For a moment, silence reigned over the room. Then I leaned forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You really feel that strongly about him?"
Shily, she nodded. Adaira, shy? Oh my, she really had it bad.
"I...yes, I do. I know I haven't known him that long; I know it's crazy, but—"
One corner of my mouth twitched. "I married your brother, didn't I? I don't think I have the right to criticise insanity."
"Oy! That's my brother you're talking about!"
"Indeed?"
"But...you're right."
"Indeed."
"And stop that! It's creepy! And it won't distract me from the subject!"
"Indeed?"
"Oh yes, indeed." Leaning forward, she stabbed a finger at me. "We were talking about you taking me along to India!"
"Were we?" One of my eyebrows rose. "Why can't I remember anything of the sort?"
"Because your memory is faulty." Stabbing her finger forward once more, she gave me the patented no-argument Ambrose look that I had only ever seen from her brother. "You are going to take me with you. No argument."
"But, Adaira...I can't! How do you think it could possibly work? Do you just expect me to walk up to your brother and tell him, 'Hey, I've found your sister before she could leave for India! So now I think we should still travel to India and take her with us so we can risk our lives to rescue a man you despise and let him marry her.' Because that is going to go over so well."
"Ah, but you're not going to tell him that." Suddenly, Adaira had a smile on her face like a Chesire cat who just got a canary covered in delicious cream.
"Oh?" I narrowed my eyes. "And what do you think I am going to tell him?"
"Simple." Raising her hand, she held a piece of paper under my nose. It took me a moment to recognize my newspaper advertisement. "You are going to tell him that you have found an excellent candidate for the post of governess." A finger tapped meaningfully against her own chest. "It's probably better for you not to introduce her, though. That might get awkward. Better that everyone set out to India immediately."
I bit my lip. "Adaira...I can't do that. I can't lie to my husband."
She lifted an eyebrow, one corner of her mouth twitching.
"Well...all right, I can, but I don't want to! And I most certainly don't want to do it if it is going to put him in danger!"
Any trace of humour immediately vanished from Adaira's face. For a moment, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with soul-deep sadness. "Neither do I, Lilly. Neither do I. But if we don't go together, what option do you think that leaves me?"
It only took me an instant to understand. "You are not heading to India alone!"
"If you don't take me along? You can bet your bollocks-socks I am!" The sadness in her eyes vanished, only to be replaced with a brand of icy determination with which I was all too familiar. "I am not going to leave James to die, Lilly! Especially not in a conflict that, in a way, was my fault to begin with!"
"But—"
"No buts. I am going to go get my man, just like you would if you were in my shoes!"
I closed my mouth.
Dang it. She had me.
"And once I've left, what do you think will happen next? What do you think my brother will do when he finds out?"
The answer was obvious: follow. I didn't even bother to say it out loud. Adaira must have seen it in my eyes, and nodded.
"So, what do you think he would prefer: going to India himself, or me throwing myself into danger alone?"
One corner of my mouth twitched. "I think he might prefer the third option. Throwing you into a bank vault and then throwing away the key."
"Doubtless. Unfortunately, that's not an option. Now..." Leaning forward, she gave me a serious look. "Is the post of governess still open, or do I head eastward alone?"
"I could call in Karim, you know," I threatened. "I could keep you from leaving."
"You could," Adaira agreed. "And I could run away. What do you think will happen when people see a big, bearded man armed with a sabre chasing a sweet, innocent young girl through the streets of London?"
I opened my mouth to respond—and then closed it again.
Damn and blast!
"So, once again..." Innocently, the little minx batted her eyelashes at me. "What will it be? Do I have to run out into the cold or will you give the poor, penniless girl a job?"
For a long moment, I stared at her. Then I took a deep breath and fixed a glare on her.
"I'll work you to the bone."
She punched the air in triumph. "Yay!"
"And you will be paid half of what I would pay anyone else."
"You and my brother were truly meant for each other."
My glare intensified. In response, she placed a hand on my shoulder—a gesture that was probably supposed to be comforting. "Hey, it's all right. You know my brother dearest. If we all go together, do you really think he would allow for a hair on either of our heads to be harmed? Besides..." She glanced sideways at the little fellow who was watching our conversation with rapt attention from his crib. "Would you really trust Berty to anybody else?"
She had a point. Maybe this wasn't such a bad solution after all...
Only then I suddenly remembered something. "Oy! If not for you, we wouldn't need a governess, because we wouldn't have to go to India in the first place!"
The little minx had the cheek to give me an impish grin. "Oh, so you remembered that? Well done!"
My eyebrows twitched. "From now on, you are on diaper duty around the clock, Miss Governess."
To my severe disappointment, she didn't seem very put out by this. I could tell by the way she immediately went over to Berty and started oohing and aahing over how cute he was.
Ha! Just you wait till the first time my little businessman does his big business! Let's see if you'll still be so cheerful then!
Unfortunately, I didn't have time to wait for this. We had matters to attend to. At least we did if we didn't want to get raked over the coals by a certain irate business mogul upon his return.
"You. Come here." Grabbing hold of Adaira's wrist, I abruptly tugged her away from her tickling session with Berty. My son peered after us curiously, probably wondering why his mother had decided to snatch away aunty when he was so much cuter.
"Oy! What are you doing?"
"Saving your bacon. You have to change your clothes."
"Change my clothes? W—"
"Unless you want your brother to recognize you the moment he comes back, and then find out that you are blackmailing me into saving your lover-to-be?"
"Oh. Err...no. I think we'd better avoid that."
"So glad you agree. That means that, for the next half-hour, I am your supreme fashion advisor, and you are my obedient dress-up doll."
"Um...why do I feel nervous all of a sudden?"
Gifting my darling sister-in-law with a beatific smile, I dragged her towards my room. "Because you should, Adaira, dear. Because you should."
And, laughing maniacally, I dragged her off to my bedroom. Time for my revenge!
***
Some time later...
"Um...Lilly?"
"Yes, Adaira, dear?"
"Do you really think this is going to work?"
"Well, when you look into the mirror, do you recognize yourself?"
"When I look in the mirror, I can't even see myself. Heck, I can't even see the mirror!"
"You see?" Beaming, I patted her shoulder. "It'll be fine."
"I can't see! That's kind of my point!"
"Oh, well, you'll get used to it. Now, come over to Berty's room. Your brother will probably be back any moment now."
"And...you really think this disguise is going to fool my own brother?"
I hesitated. "Well—"
My words cut off abruptly as, from the room next door, the sound of the front door opening reached my ears. A moment later, it was followed by the sound of brisk, familiar footsteps approaching fast.
I couldn't help but swallow.
"I think we're about to find out."
And, before I could think better of it, I grabbed Adaira by the hand and dragged her towards the half-open door and the approaching footsteps.
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My dear Readers,
Merry Christmas in advance! (At least for those who celebrate it) Sorry for the short author's note, but I'm a bit busy preparing for the family get-together :)
Yours Truly
Sir Rob