Nils made a sound reminiscent of an enraged bull, while Jamie muttered a curse and followed that with a hoarse, “Now, just one damned minute—”

Bliss began to weep, copiously and with suitable drama. Wringing her hands, she paced and wailed, paced and wailed. Alexander sputtered ineffectually, Jamie cursed, and Nils drew a pistol from the inside pocket of his bulky coat.

Everyone fell silent at the sight of the weapon, except for Dorrie, who gave a little squeal of dismay and cried, “Don’t shoot ’im, now, gov. ’E ain’t a bad man, really—”

Bliss would have laughed out loud if she hadn’t been holding her breath.

“Get a preacher,” Nils said, and Dorrie scurried to obey.

Jamie swallowed visibly. “A preacher?” he echoed.

Nils looked as though he might be weakening, so Bliss let out another agonized lament, and Alexander pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead, muttering, “Oh dear, oh dear—”

Jamie, meanwhile, looked at Bliss with utter contempt. “Tell him, Duchess.”

Bliss moved a step closer to her father. “We’ve been together for two nights now, Papa,” she confessed, with proper pathos. “We’ve shared the same bed.”

With the barrel of his pistol, Nils gestured toward the front of the inn. “The blokes out in the dinin’ room, mate—they say you’re a man of property. That true?”

Jamie sighed and gave Bliss a look fit to singe leather. “It’s true,” he admitted.

Nils smiled broadly. “Good,” he said, and then he took out his pocket watch and frowned at it. “What do you suppose is keepin’ that preacher?”

Chapter 5

“TRY AND UNDERSTAND,” BLISS PLEADED IN AN URGENT WHIS-per. “I’m desperate!”

A muscle in Jamie’s cheek twitched, and he kept his eyes fixed on Nils Stafford, who was still waving the pistol. “That makes all the difference, Duchess,” he said derisively. “Why didn’t you say so before?”

Alexander dabbed at his nose with a lace-trimmed handkerchief and gave Bliss a wounded look. “I will, of course, expect to be reimbursed for all my expenditures.”

Nils was glaring at Jamie. “Mr. McKenna will see to that—won’t you, mate?”

Jamie rolled his eyes, but he made no move to escape the small room or to disarm Nils. It occurred to Bliss that he was being remarkably compliant, given the situation. “I’ll double the amount,” he said evenly, addressing Alexander now, “if you’ll go ahead and marry her.”

Bliss felt all the color drain from her face. Oh, she knew well enough that Jamie wasn’t in love with her, but she’d thought he had more consideration for her feelings than this!

Alexander made a snuffling sound and shook his head. “It’s too late for bargaining, Mr. McKenna,” he said primly. “I never deal in used merchandise.”

Several seconds passed before Bliss absorbed Alexander’s meaning. When she did, she gave a cry of outrage and stormed toward him. “Used merchandise? How dare you talk about me as though I were a pickle jar or a piece of furniture? I’m a person, with thoughts and feelings!”