The top of a wooden ladder was barely visible along the roofline in front of his window. What in the…? He watched in disbelief as Veronica’s dark head came into view. She looked terrified and was clinging to the ladder as if she would never let go.

Sebastian scrambled onto the snowy roof wearing nothing more than his dressing gown. He slid over to the top of the ladder and grabbed her, hauling her onto his lap in one swift movement. “Veronica, what are you doing? You could kill yourself in this snow and ice.” His voice sounded harsher than he’d meant it to, but fear had made it sharp.

“I…I know,” came Veronica’s shaky reply. Her teeth chattered and besides not wearing a hat, he realized she wasn’t wearing a coat or anything other than a shift and a dressing gown herself.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Yes,” she replied, nodding vigorously. “I have.”

Pulling her with him, he clawed his way through the snow back to the window and pushed her through before tumbling inside himself and closing the window to keep out the freezing air. She shivered and shook off the snow, then rubbed her hands together, watching him warily as if she expected him to toss her back out the window at any moment.

“Where did you get pebbles in all this snow?” Sebastian asked, shaking the snow off himself.

“I don’t know,” she replied, still shivering. “Justin gave them to me.”

Sebastian stalked to the bed and pulled off a quilt. He quickly brought it to her and wrapped it around her. “Come stand by the fire,” he said, gently steering her in that direction with a hand at her back. “And tell me what in God’s name you think you were doing.”

“Something grand?” she replied uncertainly as she tugged the quilt more tightly over her shoulders. The moment they made it to the fireplace, she leaned in and warmed her hands in front of the flames.

“Grand?” Sebastian grabbed the poker to move the logs. “What are you talking about? And where did you get a ladder in the middle of the night?”

“Justin carried it over. I needed to talk to you.”

“You couldn’t have simply knocked on the front door? Wait. Is Whitmore outside?” Sebastian asked incredulously.

Veronica bit her lip and nodded.

Sebastian returned to the window and pried it open once more. “Whitmore, are you there?”

“Yes,” came Whitmore’s unrepentant voice.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian demanded.

“Helping my sister,” was his answer.

“You might have got her killed,” Sebastian yelled back, wanting to punch Whitmore in the gut for his recklessness.

“First, she insisted, and I don’t have to tell you how stubborn she is. Second, I was holding the bottom of the ladder and watching the entire time. I would have caught her if she’d fallen. Now, are you two going to make up? I’d like to go home and get a decent night’s sleep.”

“Thank you, Justin,” Veronica called from her spot in front of the fire.