Harry’s mouth turned down. “I did. He showed me the door. Damned rudely.”

“He must think you’re a fortune hunter.” A reasonable assumption. Leath’s sister would be an heiress and Harry had little to recommend him, apart from his steadfast heart.

“He’s picked a husband for her. A dry old stick with political connections called Lord Desborough.”

“Do you want Cam to speak to Leath?”

Harry’s laugh held no amusement. “No, that would completely scupper my hopes. You’re out of touch with the tattle. Sedgemoor and Leath are at daggers drawn. Cam exposed Leath’s uncle as an out and out villain. Leath’s doing his best to stymie Cam’s business ventures. Surprised nobody wrote and told you. The scandal has put paid to Leath’s political ambitions. At least for the moment.”

“Oh dear.” She’d been right to worry. Harry was in a mess. “I do remember the news about Leath’s uncle, now you mention it. In Italy, it hardly seemed important.”

“Well, it’s important now. At least to me.”

“With your sister married to Cam, Leath will place you in the enemy camp.”

Harry nodded gloomily. “And I was less welcome than a flea at a feast anyway.”

“What can I do?” Today she’d signed up to a lifetime without love. How could she bear to condemn her brother to a similar fate? And perhaps her involvement might temper Harry’s recklessness.

Harry smiled with a relief she couldn’t feel she deserved. “You always were a great sport.”

She had an ominous feeling that being a great sport in this instance was likely to incur her husband’s wrath. “All I can advise is wait. It’s not the Middle Ages. Leath can’t haul his sister kicking and screaming to the altar. Once he understands that her feelings are real, he may relent.”

“But he won’t let me see her,” Harry said on a despairing outburst. “He’s sent her to Northumberland. Even when she comes back, he’ll keep us apart.”

“You want my help arranging a rendezvous?” Pen asked without enthusiasm.

Harry looked brighter. “Would you?”

She stared at him in frustration. “I’m in Derbyshire. What do you think?”

“I think you won’t be in Derbyshire for long. Cam will go down for parliament and to introduce you to society.”

She didn’t hide her displeasure with her brother. “And you want me to act as your go-between?”

Harry displayed not one whit of compunction. “Yes.”

“I… see.”

Her reluctance surprised him. “Pen, you were always up for a lark.”

“This is hardly a lark,” she said sharply. She suddenly felt the gulf of five years in their ages. “Cam won’t want a scandal.”

Harry’s black brows drew together. “Do you mean to dwindle into a mere wife after all your adventuring? I never thought to see it.”

She glowered at her younger brother, wishing for the days when she could give him a good clip around the ear. “You know Cam’s concerns for the Rothermere name. I don’t want him to regret marrying me.”

Harry regarded her strangely. “You speak as though he’s taken you on approval.”

Hell’s bells. She needed to be careful, even with her family. Nobody could know about the cold center of her marriage. Nobody except the two parties most intimately involved.

“Don’t be silly.” She struggled to sound like the suggestion was absurd.

“Pen, don’t let me down. You’re my only hope.” Harry’s sulkiness reminded her poignantly of his younger self. “We’d be discreet.”

“That’s what people always say.” This time when she checked behind her, Cam stood in the doorway. She couldn’t blame him for his impatience.

“I must go, Harry.” The affectionate irritation she felt was familiar from childhood. “It’s the outside of enough to spring this on me today.”

Tags: Anna Campbell Sons of Sin Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net