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moment he stared at it lying on the chair.
    His mother sighed with satisfaction. “There,
that business is settled. Now about my letter. Brendan, are you
listening to me?”
    “That was unforgivably rude, Mother,” he told
her in a low voice.
    She looked surprised. “They’re only servants,
Brendan. They understand their place.”
    Brendan bit his lip to keep from arguing and
picked up his jacket. It was still warm from Shannah wearing it—not
that it came close to fitting her slender frame. He barely noticed
his mother watching him as he slid his arms into it.
    She went to his desk and pulled out a spare
sheet of parchment. “Now, then, about my letter.”
    Brendan looked at her expectant face, then at
the doorway. He should go after Shannah; he had to settle this
business about Royce. But he knew with equal certainty he couldn’t
walk out on his mother.
    “Very well,” he said as he walked around his
desk and sat. “To whom am I writing?”

CHAPTER 10
     
    Shannah cradled her teacup in both hands and
sipped, desperately wishing she could stop shaking. She’d almost
panicked when the Viscountess had entered the study. She was so
wrapped up in her own worries she nearly didn’t hear Millie call
her name.
    “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
    “Poor lamb, you’re all out of sorts.” Millie
put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I was only thinking that
perhaps you should go home. You’ve had a terrible ordeal. We could
call for the carriage; I’m sure Lord Brendan wouldn’t object. I
don’t want you walking alone ever again.”
    For a moment escape sounded ideal, but
Shannah knew Lord Brendan most certainly would object to her
leaving now. She’d gotten a reprieve but eventually he would force
the truth from her, and she had no desire for that to happen in
front of the children.
    “I can’t go home now,” she said, forcing a
smile. “There’s so much to do before the banquet, and only three
days left. We’re shorthanded as it is.”
    “I could prop Jayne in a chair with a pillow
under her foot, and she could peel potatoes or pluck chickens,”
Millie said. “There’s plenty she could do that wouldn’t require
much movement.”
    Shannah patted Millie’s hand on her shoulder.
“I promise you that I’m all right. Matt would only worry about me
if I were to go home now.”
    “You’re such a brave girl.” Millie gripped
her hand briefly before releasing her. “Whatever would I do without
you?” Her kind eyes brimmed with tears.
    Shannah set down her cup and got to her feet,
wrapping both arms around her friend. “There, there, none of that.
I’m not going anywhere.”
    Millie pulled away and wiped her eyes with
her apron. “I feel so silly having you comfort me when you were the
one nearly spirited away.”
    “It’s all right. I’m humbled by how much you
care about me.”
    Millie smiled at her. “But you are right
about all the work to do, my girl. Perhaps if we throw ourselves
into it, we won’t have any energy left to fret.”
    How magical that sounded to Shannah, even if
it would be exhausting. To forget all her worries? Yes, please.
“Let’s get started.”
    But no matter how much Shannah swept,
plucked, chopped, and boiled, she couldn’t forget that any moment
Lord Brendan would send for her. Every few minutes her eyes went to
the doorway, half expecting to see him there watching her. The only
benefit was that it kept the memory of the pirates’ rough hands and
lewd suggestions at bay.
    Luncheon had been served and Shannah was
pulling the last dozen tart shells from the oven before she heard
her name. She turned to find Sithers, the under butler, at her
elbow.
    “Lord Brendan would like a word with you,
miss,” he said.
    She nodded to let him know she understood and
watched him leave the kitchen. Alice stepped forward with
outstretched hands.
    “I’ll take these,” the girl said. “You
go.”
    Shannah set the tray on the counter beside
Alice and took off her apron,