Page 103 of If the Slipper Fits
“That you ended up in the right place at the right time. Crossing paths with Caden was the best thing that could have happened for both of you.”
“Both of us?”
“It’s obvious he cares for you very much.”
Anna’s cheeks went instantly hot. “I’m not sure where you got that idea.”
She gave Anna a bemused look. “He asked you to marry him—”
“—Oh, but”
“—He secreted you out of harm’s way in the dead of night—very romantic, by the by.”
“Yes, but—”
“Finally, he brought you here, to the breast of his family. That alone tells me everything I need to know.”
Despite her need to set the lady straight on nearly every point she made, her curiosity got the better of her. “Why do you say that?”
She rested one elbow on the window sill. “Has Caden mentioned anything to you about his…er…relationship with his brother, Zeke?”
“You refer to their recent argument?”
Her green eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as if Anna had just proven her point. “Precisely. When Caden left, I feared we would not set eyes on him for a long, long while. Yet, here he is.”
“He came home because he understood the earl to be ill.”
“And to get you to safety—and introduce you to us.”
“I believe I explained I stowed away in his vehicle.”
“He discovered you”—she cleared her throat discreetly—“afterstopping for the night at a roadside inn?”
Blood flooded her cheeks. She must be glowing a bright shade of red. “Yes, and there procured two rooms for us.” He had. At first.
“Of course. Caden is nothing if not a gentleman. My point is, he could easily have left you behind, rather than bring you with him and place himself on the mercy of his brother, for that is exactly what he has done.”
Horror filled Anna. “But I have no wish to cause him distress. I’ve told him so repeatedly.”
Lady Thurgood took both of Anna’s hands in hers. She squeezed gently. “Please, do not trouble yourself. Distressing or no, mending the rift between the two of them is the best possible outcome for both of them regardless of who blinked first. I’ll add Caden used a largemeasure of wisdom in turning to his family for assistance. Zeke did the same when faced with our particular crisis.
“The point I’m trying to make is, I believe Caden chose to swallow his pride and make amends…” she paused, “…for you.”
Anna batted back a rush of tenderness and a sense of belonging she had no business feeling. “My lady, forgive me, but you’re overlooking Caden’s nature. He could never leave me behind once he understood my predicament. Defending those in need is a part of who he is.”
The lady's knowing laugh conveyed an obvious fondness for Caden. “He is a good man, I’ll grant you. But he could have helped you without bringing you here, Mrs. Jones. Miss Masters. Bah, either sound so horribly formal. May I call you Anna?”
“Of course, my lady.”
She smiled warmly. “And you must call me Kitty—especially as we’re to be sisters.”
Anna sucked in a breath and her cheeks pulsed with heat. “Oh, dear. I thought I made it clear. Caden made-up the part about us being engaged in order to explain my presence.”
Lady Kitty laughed with delight. “You hadn’t a notion of him saying so? More of his gallantry at work, then, do you suppose?”
“Well, yes. I mean, no. I mean, I wondered how he planned to explain my presence. When I asked him, he told me he meant to tell you all the truth.”
Lady Kitty gave Anna a delighted smile. “Are you so sure that is not precisely what he did?”
