She sounded exhausted. Hugh had held her the entire ride home, until her sobs had given way to a gut-wrenching stillness. When he’d looked into her eyes, they had been blank.

Shock. He knew it well.

But she looked more like herself now. If not better, then at least improved.

“Please,” he said, directing the single word to her cousin.

Honoria hesitated for a moment, then stood. “Very well,” she acquiesced, “but I will return in ten minutes.”

“An hour,” Sarah said.

“But—”

“What is the worst that could happen?” Sarah asked with an incredulous expression. “We could be forced to marry? That’s already been taken care of.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

Honoria’s mouth opened and closed as she looked from Sarah to Hugh and back. “I’m supposed to be your chaperone.”

“I don’t believe that exact word crossed my mother’s lips when she was here earlier.”

“Where is your mother?” Hugh asked. Not that he was planning to make any untoward advances, but as long as he was going to be alone with Sarah for the next hour, it did seem a good fact to know.

“Supper,” Sarah replied.

Hugh pinched the bridge of his nose. “Lud, is it that late?”

“Daniel told us that you took a nap, too,” Honoria said with gentle smile.

Hugh gave a tiny nod. Or maybe it was a shake. Or an eye roll. He was turned so inside out he couldn’t even be sure. He had wanted to stay with Sarah when they’d got back to Whipple Hill, but even he had known that such a liberty would not be tolerated by her cousins. And more to the point, he had been so exhausted himself that it had been all he could do to climb the stairs and crawl into his own bed.

“They’re not expecting you,” Honoria added. “Daniel said . . . er, I don’t know what he said, but he’s always been good at credible excuses for such things.”

“And his eye?” Hugh asked.

“He said that he had a blackened eye when he met Anne, so it was only fitting that he’d have one when he married her.”

Hugh blinked. “And Anne was all right with this?”

“I can honestly say that I have no idea,” Honoria said in a prim voice.

Sarah snorted and rolled her eyes.

“But,” Honoria continued, her smile sneaking back onto her face as she rose to her feet, “I can also honestly say that I am very glad I was not present when she saw him.”

Hugh moved to the side as Honoria made her way to the door. “One hour,” she said. She paused before stepping into the hall. “You should lock the door.”

Hugh started in surprise. “I beg your pardon?”