“She is a . . . er . . . Bird-of-Paradise,” she whispered, glancing up the hall to be sure there were no servants about to hear.

“A Bird-of-Paradise?” Robert bellowed. “For God’s sake, Lisa. You are friends with a brothel owner and a Bird-of-Paradise?”

She scowled at him for shouting, but said, “Of course not, Robert. I read Sophie’s memoirs. And I didn’t know Mrs. Morgan was a brothel owner.”

“The memoirs of a Bird-of-Paradise,” he muttered, running his hand wearily through his hair. “Dear God, you read the most horrid . . . Does your father know about these books of yours?”

Lisa rolled her eyes and turned toward her door, only to be swung back by Robert’s hand on her arm.

“Lisa Madison, I forbid you to allow anyone to kiss you,” he said firmly. “It is—”

“My choice,” she interrupted firmly, and then said more gently, “Really Robert, while I love you like a big brother, you aren’t one, and have no right to forbid me anything.” Tugging her arm free, she shook her head and turned to enter her room, adding, “I fully intend to kiss whomever I wish. I don’t know why you care anyway. It is not like you’re jealous.”

The door closed behind Lisa, leaving Robert standing there staring at it blankly with her words echoing in his head. She loved him like a big brother? When had that happened? She used to adore him. Good Lord, had a couple of days of having men like Findlay, Pembroke and Tibald fawning over her made that much difference? Impossible.

Or was it? he wondered. Other than servants, he had been the only male around while the Madison sisters were growing up. Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that she would have a crush on him. But now she was surrounded by men. They were flocking to her like bees to honey. It seemed that was enough to cool the longstanding ardor she’d had for him and turn her adoration to filial affection.

He should be relieved, Robert supposed. But, oddly enough, he wasn’t. He felt . . . betrayed. Abandoned. And even . . . Dear God, he was jealous. The very idea of her kissing any man, let alone several, had him wanting to gnash his teeth. The problem was, he didn’t know if he was jealous because he was just used to her being in love with him, or because he actually wanted her for himself.

Robert really had thought of Lisa as something of a little sister for years, finding her adoration of him amusing and annoying by turn. But finding her in that brothel, dressed in that damned see-through gown . . . the one she planned to wear on her wedding night to another man.