Page 5 of Scandalized by My Prince
“No,” she said firmly. “I’ll marry Lord Havenwood, or I’ll havenoone.”
Killian almost felt sorry for his friend. His sister was determined to have him as her husband, and what Odessa wanted she always got. As much as he hated to admit it—Gavin’s days as an unmarried gentleman werenumbered.
“You fancy being a countessthatmuch?”
She picked up a vase and threw it. Killian ducked in time for it to hit the wall behind him, shattering into several pieces. He turned toward her. “Do I need to remind you we have an injured personinhere?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry—I wasn’tthinking.”
A moan filled the room. Killian’s attention once again turned toward the woman he’d brought home. He couldn’t wait for her to wake so he could question her. What had she been doing on his land? Where had she come from? He had a myriad of questions for her and they grew with each passingmoment.
“Do you know who she is?” Odessaasked.
He shook his head. “No. You don’t recognize her?” The lass was closer to Odessa’s age than his. Not many years separated them. Less than four years after he was born, his sister entered the world. She was bordering on becoming an old maid, but she had her heart set on Gavin. So shewaited…
“I’ve never seen her before. I wonder whosheis.”
As did he… There was something about her. It was more than her beauty—it was almost as if some part of her called to him. He couldn’t explain exactly what it was. All he could determine with a certainty was he had to help her. She needed him, and he had never been able to resist a damsel indistress.
“We’ll find out soon enough, Iexpect.”
Odessa stared down at the woman lying on the bed. She walked over to her and pulled a blanket over the lass’s body. The woman sighed and curled into it, clutching it closertoher.
“She was shivering,” Odessa said almost apologetically. “Did you notnotice.”
He had, but Odessa reacted to it faster than he had. “Aye,” he agreed. “The doctor shouldarrivesoon.”
Killian hoped she wasn’t badly injured. He hated the idea someone had hurt her. He’d investigate and ask his people. Maybe they had an idea who she was and what may havebefallenher.
“Do you think it was wise to put her in thischamber?”
Killian made himself look at Odessa. He wanted to keep vigil over the lass on the bed, but realized that wouldn’t be a good idea. Too much interest would give his family ideas. They all wanted to see him settled. Odessa wasn’t any different, but for the most part, she respected his wishes. His mother was a different story altogether. She claimed he had royal blood, and it was his duty to marry and have children. He couldn’t care less about anyofit.
“It was the only one available. Where else would you have had meputher?”
Yes, the chamber was directly next to his, and attached through a set of doors, but that didn’t mean he wanted to marry her. If, one day, he chose to wed, this particular set of rooms would belong to his wife. As he had no intention of falling into that particular trap, he saw no reason why the injured lass couldn’tuseit.
“You’re right,” Odessa said. “The servants would have had to prepare another one. I suppose we should be glad mother insists this one is keptclean.”
A large part of the castle wasn’t used. The servants dusted and cleaned the unused portion every other week. This happened to be the off week, and the rooms were sure to be a taddusty.
“Aye,” he agreed dryly. “We’re fortunate mother has unrealistic dreams of me wedding and giving her grandbabies to spoil. She’s better off waiting for you to make Gavin accede to yourwishes.”
A soft knock on the door gained both their attentions. They turned to find a small man with white hair in the entrance. “I’m told you have a needofme.”
Killian nodded at the local doctor and gestured to the lass on the bed. “I found her in the valley. I’m not sure what is wrongwithher.”
“I’ll have a look,” he said. “But you’ll both need to leave the room to give the girl the privacy shedeserves.”
“Of course,” Killian agreed. “Please come to my study after you finish yourexamination.”
The doctor inclined his head. “As soon as I’m finished, I’llfindyou.”
Killian glanced at his sister, lifting a brow. “Odessa?”
His sister was staring at the lass with a puzzled expression on her face. He couldn’t be certain what she was trying to figure out and wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to either. In some ways, his sibling could be as meddling as their mother. The sooner they helped the injured woman and sent her home, the betterhe’dfeel.
“I’m coming,” his sister said and followedhimout.
The lass was in good hands. There wasn’t anything else, at that point, Killian could do for her. He’d go to his study and work. When the doctor was finished, he’d get a full report and decide what to do from there. He hoped the lass was all right, but sadly, a part of him also wished for a reason to keep her there. If she was healthy, what reason would he have? What kind of man did that make him? Perhaps he was becoming a bit deranged in hisadvancedage.
He’d not stress over any of it until he had to. There would be answers soon enough, and he’d have to make a decision. Until then, he’d try his best to remove the ethereal beauty from his mind. Somehow, he didn’t think that would ever be possiblethough…
