The younger girls shot to their feet with a chorus of “Me too.”
Samuel held up a hand, fighting back a grin, and they dropped back into their chairs, silent once more. If he looked at Emma, would she be bright red and fighting back a grin, too? Because damn it all, he did love her. And she might love him.
Both facts irrelevant.
“Lady Emma,” he said, “what do you think we should do?”
“I’m tempted to take my sisters right back to Edinburgh. If they think to send others to Scotland, they can go there themselves.”
The girls’ heads popped up, shaking, hands clutched in their laps.
“But we like it here!” Briar said.
“We like Aunt Georgie.” Diana’s tiny voice tore at Samuel’s heart a little.
“And we like Felicity and Gertrude and June!” Glenna bit her bottom lip, fingers clutching the edge of her chair.
Samuel scratched his chin. “Back to Scotland. Hm. I’m not sure it is necessary, nor even beneficial. Felicity still needs you, Lady Emma, to help her find a husband.”
Emma snorted. “She’s not shown herself ready to be a wife, not with such hijinks.”
“True.” But still… he would hate to watch Emma go. He could not have her, but to never see her again… sent cold chills throughhim. He might as well dig his own damn grave. “Yet that is why she needs your influence, Lady Emma. If she wishes to wed, she needs a model to look toward, and while her sisters offer excellent ones, she’s more likely to stick her tongue out at them.”
Felicity did just that. At him. Then at all their sisters lined up behind him.
Samuel rubbed his temple as he caught Emma’s gaze, telling her without words—do you see how hopeless it is?
She blushed prettily and arched a brow, clearly replying,hopeless foryouperhaps.
She had the right of it, no doubt. “We need you, Lady Emma, so sending them away, sendingyouaway, just will not do.”
Silence saturated the room, but who cared with Emma so lovely and so nearby and so clearly in his cursed brainbox. Embedded deep. Forever, no doubt. He should send everyone away, after all, right this moment, convince Emma to have one more tryst with him.
“Hell and chaos,” Andromeda whispered behind him, “they are correct, aren’t they? The girls.”
“It would appear so,” Prudence hissed.
“Our brother has fallen in love,” Lottie said much louder than her sisters.
“We told you!” said six other young ladies all at once. They bounced right out of their chairs, grinning and swarming Samuel and Emma, pushing them together, then toward the chairs, toppling them into the warm seats.
“Now you tell us,” Felicity said, “why you two must avoid one another as you do.”
Samuel moved to stand. Emma, too.
“No, no.” Lottie pointed at them. “Sit. I wish to hear the answer.”
Prudence, Andromeda, and the twins nodded, and all the others crossed their arms, staring, waiting, toes tapping.
Samuel looked to Emma for help. But she looked at him for the same. The only communication that rang between them a clear one—sisters.A plague.
He cleared his throat, straightened his travel-worn clothing as well as he could. “Everyone currently unmarried, please leave.”
“Noooooo,” Felicity groaned.
June glared.
Emma flicked a hand toward the door, and her sisters trudged toward it. Samuel’s sisters stomped toward it, disappearing into the hallway with final glares. June slammed the door behind them.
