Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

Alec's grimace deepened. "About that…" He scratched his head. "There's been a slight problem with your traveling coach, Ben. I was hoping to have it repaired before you needed it."

"What sort of problem?" he asked as a feeling of dread washed over him.

"Strangest thing, really. The day we had that awful storm, the day Miss Ferguson and I accompanied you to the vicarage…" Alec shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "When you married Elspeth."

Ben's dread increased. "Get on with it, already."

"Well, my groomsman said a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and… well, it struck the top of your coach—"

Ben fell against the back of his chair. Rhiannon's storm. That little witch purposely ruined his coach! And ever since then she'd been as sweet as could be.

"—There's a gaping hole in the top from where it caught ablaze."

"Good God!" Ben muttered. "Why didn't you tell me before now?"

Alec scoffed. "Well, you took off for a week and no one could find you, and before that you'd been a little preoccupied with your wife. I just thought I'd have it taken care of for you. Sort of a wedding present."

"How am I to take Ellie to London now?"

"Will brought his own carriage. You could go back with him," Alec suggested.

Ben groaned. He'd envisioned spending a fortnight with Elspeth inside his carriage. William had

never

entered those fantasies, and he'd rather not put him there. Maybe they could delay going until his carriage was travel-ready. Then he thought of the way her smile had lit up in the cottage when he told her they were leaving. She was already getting things in order for them to depart.

A fortnight with Will. He cringed at the thought, but he didn't really have a choice. "I suppose I'd better go wake the blackguard."

He left Alec to search out his brother's room. Dear God, he hated the idea of traveling with Will! Even Simon would be better. Simon wouldn't chat his ear off or try to charm Elspeth right from under his nose.

Ben tossed open Will's door and didn't even bother to knock. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised to find a naked maid draped across his sleeping brother's form, but he did suck in a startled breath.

The sound woke the poor lass, who squealed and pulled the counterpane up to cover herself. Will blinked open his eyes, a lazy smile on his lips. "It is customary to knock, little brother."

Ben scowled at him. "I'll wait in the hallway." Then he stalked out and shut the door behind him. He could hear Will trying to soothe the lass while she dressed, promising her that his brother knew how to be discreet.

Finally the girl opened the door and scurried past Ben, her face the color of over-ripened strawberries. Inside the chamber, Will pulled his trousers up around his hips and grinned unrepentantly. "I suppose you need something, Benjamin."

He stepped inside the room and closed the door. "Have you no care for your reputation, Will?"

One dark eyebrow rose in question. "Since when do such things matter to you?"

He sighed. Will was right. Not that long ago he would have done the same sort of thing. "But one of Alec's maids?" He hated that he sounded like a prude.

Will chuckled as he pulled a fresh shirt over his head and began to tuck it into his trousers. "I'm certain my little brother didn't leave his quaint cottage to chastise me about my bed partners. What do you want, Benjamin?"

"I suppose you're heading back to London soon?"

"No reason to stay here." Will slipped into a shiny grey waistcoat.

"Ah, well, I was hoping you'd consider taking Elspeth and me with you."

Will's hand stilled on one of his buttons. "You want to travel with me?"

Not particularly, though he didn't have much of a choice. He shrugged. "You can get to know Ellie better."

Will's brow rose in amusement.

"Not that much better," Ben growled. "Keep your hands off her."

Will laughed again, shrugging into his jacket. "Didn't you come here in your own coach?"

Ben sighed. It would have been so much easier with Simon. A simple yes or no would have sufficed. "My coach had a bit of an accident."

"Oh?"

Then it hit Ben. He was going to have to tell his

brother everything. Well, almost. He still had no desire for Will or Simon or anyone else to know he was broken, but the general brushstrokes would have to work. "Elspeth's a witch, Will."

"Not a very complimentary thing to say about one's wife, Benjamin." Will reached into the armoire, retrieving a snowy white cravat.

His brother always made everything more difficult. "Not like that. I mean she's a

real

witch. Can you stop moving for a bloody minute and listen to me?"

Will dropped the cravat on the bed and faced Ben, surprise reflecting in his light eyes. "A

real

witch?"

"Yes, and her coven hasn't exactly welcomed me with open arms. I just found out that one of them sent a bolt of lightning straight through the roof of my coach."

"Sent a bolt of lightning?" Will echoed. "They have those sorts of powers?"

Actually, it was a relief to say the words aloud to someone else who wouldn't think he was mad. "And then some. I've been attacked by fireballs and plants intent on cutting off my circulation. Which reminds me, Elspeth wanted me to warn you not to eat or drink anything in Miss Ferguson's presence."

"Why not?"

"She thinks the girl is creating a love potion with you in mind."

Will smirked. "The chit doesn't have to go to all that trouble. She's quite a pretty little thing."

"You're old enough to be her father," Ben barked.

His brother's smile faded immediately. "How old is she?"

"Sixteen."

Will's smile returned. "I hardly think I was fathering children at twelve, Benjamin."

Ben resisted the urge to growl. "Just stay away from the girl. She's like a little sister to Ellie."

"Very well. So you need a ride to London?"

Ben nodded. "If you don't mind. We'd like to leave tomorrow."

"Before lightning can strike

my

coach?" Will joked.

"Go ahead and laugh. They're a formidable force."

Thirty-eight

Ben rolled over in the big willow bed and reached for Elspeth as soon as the sun came up over the green hills of Edinburgh. He smiled to himself when his hand stroked over her hip. He loved waking up beside her in the morning. This was the first morning he'd actually been able to do so. She usually woke with the chickens, but he was much more used to Town hours.

Without opening her eyes, she rolled toward him and placed a hand over his heart. Fiery locks of hair covered her face, disheveled beautifully from sleep. He brushed them back with the tips of his fingers, lingering to draw his finger teasingly down her nose. She twitched it and smiled a sleepy smile.

She moved to stretch, rolling onto her back. "Time to get up?" she asked, her voice crackly from sleep.

"Not yet," he said as he began to unbutton her nightrail. He moved down her chest and placed a kiss on the skin he'd exposed. "We have time."

But then he lifted his head when he heard footsteps on the walk. Dainty footsteps. Feminine footsteps. Witchy footsteps. He groaned and laid his head on her belly. "Sorcha's here," he mumbled against her skin.

Elspeth giggled, causing the muscles of her stomach to ripple under his head. "Are ye hearin' things again?" she laughed.

"In three… two… one…" he whispered, counting down on his fingers. Then a gentle knock sounded on the door. Elspeth slipped from beneath him and buttoned her nightrail as she stood up.

"I'll never get used ta that hearin' ye have," she laughed as she went to the door.

"I'll never get used to the coven, love, so we're even."

"I heard that!" she called back.