The Heiress Bride - Catherine Coulter [42]
“It’s not bad at all,” Colin said.
Ryder moved him aside. “An odd cut, Sinjun, but I don’t think you’ll be scarred. What do you think, Douglas?”
“It doesn’t look like a simple scratch; rather, it looks like something sliced across your cheek with great force. How did you do it, did you say, Sinjun? You really didn’t expect me to believe this is from a fall?”
Sinjun, without hesitation, collapsed against Colin and moaned. “It hurts so much. I’m sorry, Douglas, but it does hurt.”
“It’s all right,” her husband said quickly, “I’ll see to it.”
While Colin was dabbing some alcohol on the cut, Douglas was frowning.
Sinjun didn’t like that frown at all. “I don’t feel well. I daresay I’ll be ill very soon. My stomach is turning over.”
“It’s only a small cut,” Douglas said, his frown deepening. “Something that wouldn’t even slow you down.”
“True,” Colin said, “but sometimes a sudden injury knocks the body off its bearings. I do hope she won’t retch.” It sounded like a threat, and Sinjun said, “My stomach is settling even as you speak, Colin.”
“Good. Look, Douglas, she’s very tired, as I imagine you can understand.”
There was dead and utter silence. Both brothers stared from their new brother-in-law to their little sister—their little virgin sister, their former little virgin sister. It was a huge pill to swallow. It was difficult. Finally Douglas said on a loud sigh, “Yes, I suppose so. Go to bed, Sinjun. We will see you later.”
“I won’t bandage the cut, Joan. It will heal faster.”
She gave her husband a brave smile, yet a smile so pathetic and wretched that Ryder began to frown.
“I don’t like this at all,” he said to the kitchen at large. “You have no more guile than a pot of daisies, Sinjun, and you’re a wretched actress and—”
It was then that Agnes walked in and Sinjun closed her eyes in relief. The three men were given to know in short order that they were all next to useless and they’d gotten blood on the kitchen table. And here was the poor little missis, all hurt and them carrying on like three roosters with only one hen.
Ten minutes later Sinjun was lying on the bed in the earl’s suite, two blankets pulled over her.
Colin sat down beside her. He looked thoughtful. “Your brothers suspect your retching and moaning was an act. Was that an act?”
“Yes, I had to do something quickly. I wanted to faint, but neither of them would have believed that. I’m sorry, Colin, but I did as best I could. We can’t have them know the truth. They’d never leave here, else they’d cosh you on the head and steal me. I couldn’t allow that.”
He laughed even though he was amazed. “You’re apologizing because you got shot and tried to pull the wool over your brothers’ eyes. Don’t worry, I’ll maintain the charade. Rest whilst I speak to them, all right?”
“If you kiss me.”
He did, another light, disgustingly brotherlike kiss.
Sinjun wasn’t sleeping when Colin came into their bedchamber. She was scared, excited, and at the moment she was holding her breath. He strode to the bed and stood there, staring down at her, the branch of candles raised high in his hand.
“You’re turning blue. Breathe.”
Her breath came out in a whoosh. “I forgot to for the longest time.”
“How does your cheek feel?”
“It’s fine, just throbs a bit. I thought dinner went off smoothly, don’t you?”
“As well as can be expected with each of your brothers taking turns studying your cheek. At least Agnes sets an excellent table.”
“Is all my money in your hands now?”
He thought it a rather odd way of putting it, but merely nodded. “Douglas has written me a letter of credit. In addition, we will visit the manager of the Bank of Scotland tomorrow. He will have his man of business send me all the information I will need for any future financial transactions and the status of all your investments. All is done. Thank you, Joan.”
“Was I as much an heiress as you hoped I’d be?”
“I’d say you were more than an adequate