Page 5 of Tempting the Earl

Her stomach flipped and twisted.

Nay!

Caillie was home early.

For a second, she considered shoving the man from her kitchen, through the house, and out the front door to his carriage.

But there was no time for that.

She had to face it. What she’d always feared was going to happen.

No matter how badly Ainsworth wanted to deny the connection, the man in front of her was more closely related to Caillie than she was. Ainsworth experienced a sudden and deep regret for not having read the earl’s letters. If she had, maybe she’d have been able to come up with a valid reason to keep them apart—at least until the lass had gotten a bit older. Because the disturbing truth she’d willfully failed to acknowledge until now was that if the Earl of Wright wanted to meet his half sister, she could do nothing to stop him.

And she’d learned long ago that when something could not be avoided, it was better to face it head on if you had any hope of guiding it in a favorable direction.

She’d only partly resigned herself to that intention when Caillie swept into the kitchen with her usual carefree manner, followed closely by Bramble, her loyal border collie. The lass’s dark brown hair was a windswept tangle down her back, her cheeks were pinkened from her walk, and her hazel eyes were bright with astonishment.

Ainsworth had managed to step forward just enough to put herself between the child she’d raised from infancy and the stranger behind her. She had no idea how to prepare the lass to meet a half brother she’d never known existed, but she had to try.

“Did you see the carriage out front, Worthy? The grandest I’ve ever seen,” Caillie exclaimed as she slipped the strap of the woven bag from her shoulder. “Are they lost travelers?”

“Nay, not quite,” Ainsworth replied, taking the empty bag from the girl. “Why’ve you returned so soon and without the items I sent you to purchase?”

“The shop was closed. Mrs. Weaver said Mr. Brown was ill. She asked if you’d bring by some of the tonic that helped him last time?”

“Of course,” Ainsworth replied but the response went unnoticed. Caillie had suddenly realized they weren’t alone in the kitchen and was leaning to one side in order to peer past Ainsworth for a better look at the visitor.

“Who are you?” she asked.

Ainsworth almost smiled at Caillie’s boldness. Though she’d have liked to think she had something to do with the lass’s confidence, it was simply Caillie’s nature to be utterly guileless and completely dauntless in any situation.

The earl stepped forward but did not reply to Caillie’s inquiry. He seemed to be waiting for Ainsworth to give an introduction.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get her mouth to form the words.

Turning back to Ainsworth, Caillie’s hazel eyes were lit with curiosity as she pressed, “Did he arrive in the carriage?”

She nodded. “Aye.”

It had been obvious from early on that Caillie was a clever and insightful lass. For that reason and others, Ainsworth had never seen much benefit in shielding her from the realities of life. So, when Caillie had first asked about her parents, Ainsworth had explained the story as best she could without going into detail that would have been inappropriate for a child. And she’d always taken advantage of any opportunity to tell the lass about her mother and the kind soul she’d been.

She’d suspected Caillie would eventually press for more information about her father or the circumstances of her conception. And Ainsworth would have relented and shared what she could, believing it best to face the truth rather than cover it with falsities or fairy tales. But for whatever reason, Caillie had never seemed terribly interested in the man who’d so dishonorably seduced her mother.

Ainsworth had been undeniably relieved by that fact.

Unfortunately, the invisible walls of the private little fortress she’d created for the two of them here at Faeglen had already started to crumble. There would be no escaping the earl’s invasion.

“Who is it, Worthy?” Caillie asked, her tone curious but now also slightly concerned as she no doubt sensed Ainsworth’s discomfort.

Chapter Three

For several months, Colin had imagined meeting each of his siblings a thousand different ways. But now that he was about to meet the youngest of them, he was frozen in place.

When the girl had finally looked past Miss Morgan to where he stood, an odd sort of recognition had flashed in his brain. Different than what one would feel seeing an old acquaintance, but not totally dissimilar.

The child’s eyes were a soft mix of green and gold and brown rather than the blue he and Roderick both shared with their father. And her hair was a rich, warm chestnut whereas he had his father’s fair hair. Still—in that instant—he felt like he knew her. She was his blood. His sister.

But this moment was too important. He could not afford to make an irreversible mistake. So, he forced himself to allow Miss Morgan to take the lead.

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