Read Amethyst for Free Online Page A

delicately, but what I meant was, why not just get her with child?"
    Colin had held his tongue during Ford's tirade—facts were facts, after all—but this went beyond his gentlemanly sensibilities. "I cannot believe you'd suggest such a thing."
    "I cannot believe you haven't thought of it. I'm sure you all have, in fact, and you just won't admit it!" Kendra's lips thinned with irritation. "You and your honor . If Priscilla Snobs had half the honor of any one of you, she'd swallow her pride, marry the man she supposedly loves, and help him rebuild his home. She can afford to live simply for a few months; it wouldn't kill her. Or she could move in with us, or live in the town house."
    Colin gave a resigned shrug. "We've been over all our options." One by one, he took four goblets off the shelves and set them on the table. "The town house always has people coming and going—it's no place to actually live—"
    "I like living there." Kendra reached for some napkins and started folding them into triangles. "London is exciting."
    "Well, Priscilla feels differently. She's a very calm person. I like that, you know. Having been dragged halfway around the world most of my life, I'm looking forward to staying in one quiet place, with my own quiet family."
    She straightened the fourth triangle, then looked up. "You'll be bored to tears in no time."
    "Kendra's right enough," Ford put in. "It sounds like Priscilla's main attraction, other than the aforementioned enormous fortune , is her talent for putting one to sleep—"
    "Enough!" The word burst out of Colin like thunder. His gaze flashed around the table, resting on each sibling in turn. "Perhaps I've yet to set a date, but I am marrying Priscilla Hobbs, and I won't have you discussing her this way any longer. I like her. I like her appearance, I like her demeanor, I like her background, and yes, I like her title and her fortune. She's exactly what I've been looking for, and I'm not going to let any of you ruin it for me!"
    There was a rare silence among the Chase family. Colin considered they might even have stopped breathing; the only motion seemed to be the candlelight that flickered against the whitewashed stone walls.
    "I'll be right back," he muttered after a minute, then stalked off down the corridor to the buttery.
    Though he took his time selecting a bottle of wine, the silence still reigned when he returned. Jason shifted uneasily on his feet, Ford traced aimless circles with his finger on the tabletop, and Kendra seemed to be studying her shoes.
    Colin almost felt sorry for them.
    "Colin?"
    "Yes, Kendra?"
    "Do you love her?"
    He sighed impatiently and set to uncorking the wine. "Our parents were in love, and what did it do for all of us? They were very passionate people, weren't they? Passionate about each other, the monarchy…we were born of their passion, not because they wanted children." He looked straight at Kendra, his eyes burning into hers. "No, Kendra, I don't love Priscilla, but I do like her. And I think it's better that way."
    He filled the goblets, the sound of pouring wine unnaturally loud in the tense atmosphere.
    Jason took a careful sip, then set his goblet back on the table, his expression tinged with sadness. "You've thought about this a lot, have you?"
    Colin's chin went up. "Yes, I have."
    Jason shook his head, almost imperceptibly. "It wasn't really like that, you know. Our parents—all of us—were victims of the times. I felt very wanted as a small child. During the fighting, I missed them terribly, and I'm certain they missed us. Damn Cromwell!" He slammed his fist on the table, making the empty bottle dance and the wine sway in their goblets.
    "I miss them now," Kendra said quietly. "I always will."
    "Well," Colin began—then broke off, interrupted by Benchley's sudden return.
    The small man skidded into the kitchen, panting, water from his freshly washed hair puddling on the stone floor.
    "My lord, you must come!" A lantern bobbed in Benchley's