A Kiss Before Dawn Read Online Free Page B

her throat. She and Tristan hadn’t always been close. In fact, when he had first returned home to assume guardianship of her upon their father’s death when she’d been fourteen, she’d viewed him with anger and resentment. But over the years, their relationship had grown and flourished into a deep and abiding affection.
    â€œAs if that were even a remote possibility,” she sniffed, releasing her stranglehold on him. “I can’timagine why I would ever miss anyone so vexing.”
    Tristan chuckled, then his smile faded and he gave a slight start as he focused on his sister’s disheveled appearance. “Good God, Emily! What happened to you? You look as if you’ve been dragged backward through a briar patch.”
    Aware all the while of Peter watching them quietly from a short distance away, she felt her cheeks flush and lifted a hand to push a tangled curl back behind her ear. “Er, I took a bit of a tumble off Artemis during my morning ride, I’m afraid.”
    â€œAre you hurt?”
    Before she could reply, Peter stepped forward. “She twisted her ankle,” he interjected with smooth aplomb, his tone deep and even. “But otherwise, she appears to be unharmed.”
    Emily turned to face him. As if she needed him to speak for her! “Yes, Mr. Quick happened by just in time to offer me his assistance,” she told Tristan. She met Peter’s gaze for a long, drawn-out moment, arrested by the shadows she could see swirling in their blue depths. “I’m most grateful.”
    The earl grinned, seemingly oblivious of the powerful undercurrents arcing between his sister and the Bow Street runner. Strolling forward, he clapped the younger man on the back. “Ah, Peter. You made it.” He glanced back over his shoulder at Emily. “I suppose he told you that he’ll be staying here at the house for a while.”
    Emily’s stomach lurched. Surely she must have misheard? “Here? At Knighthaven? Not Willow Park?”
    â€œThat’s right. He has agreed to lend the local authorities a hand in apprehending the Oxfordshire Thief.”
    Oh, dear God!
    Emily felt all of the blood in her body drain into her toes and her pulse start to pound in her ears as her world narrowed down to Peter’s piercing eyes, staring at her with a disturbing intensity. She should have known, should have suspected, but she’d been so caught off guard by his unexpected arrival that the possibility hadn’t even occurred to her.
    How would Peter react if he discovered that the girl he’d grown up with, the girl he’d once taught to pick pockets for the sheer fun of it, was now using those very skills to rob the good citizens of Oxfordshire?
    She was very much afraid she knew the answer. With his newfound sense of duty, he would feel honor bound to turn her in. She doubted he would hesitate for even a moment, for he would never understand her actions, regardless of the reasons behind them. He would arrest her, and everything she’d done in order to save her family would have been in vain.
    â€œEm?”
    She looked up to find her brother watching her with curious eyes, and she fought to paste a smile on her face despite her growing panic. “That’s wonderful news, of course.” She turned to Peter, her smile wavering a little at the corners. “But I am a bit surprised. Surely you must be much too busy to spend your time searching for a simple country thief? You—”
    â€œFar from simple, Em,” Tristan cut her off, his jaw setting at a stubborn angle. “The brigand has robbedthree homes in Little Haverton in the last month, one of them the home of very good friends of ours. And I needn’t tell you what sort of problems he has caused for Willow Park.”
    â€œYes, but—”
    â€œI am never too busy when it comes to aiding my family, Lady Emily.” Peter took a step forward, coming to a halt