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“Then stop behaving like one.” He followed and, genuinely more concerned for her warmth than anything else, quickly fastened it. Ignoring her no-doubt outraged stare, he crouched down and also buttoned her little half boots.

She felt so rigid, he expected her to kick him off the rock, but fortunately she restrained herself.

Taking no chances, he straightened, jumped back down onto the sand, and, seizing her around the waist once more, swung her down beside him.

He then shrugged back into his only slightly damp coat, picked up his own hat from where it had fallen, and offered her his arm.

For a moment she stood perfectly still, staring at him.

Impatiently, he said, “As you pointed out, Blackhaven is not Paphos. Our one hope of outdoor warmth is brisk exercise. Shall we?”

She blinked, and then an abrupt laugh escaped her, an oddly charming sound that also lit up her eyes and lightened her face. “Why not?”

She laid her hand on his arm and they strode forward together.

*

Miss Talbot was not in the sitting room when Jenny Smith rose and went in search of her. A gentle tap on the bedchamber door elicited no response, but if the lady was sleeping, Jenny had no wish to disturb her.

Her stomach rumbled loudly. She wondered what would happen if she pulled the bell by the empty fireplace. Would a maid appear, just as in a private house? And would she bring Jenny whatever she asked for? Like food…

It did seem rather rude without the permission of her hostess.

Perhaps she should just take her mind off hunger by going out to explore the town and the beach.

Even better if she could do so with Joe.

She knew he had the room directly across the passage, so with her old hat and cloak on, she let herself out of the door and tapped at Joe’s, in the pattern they had used since childhood.

A groan sounded within, making her smile. “Joe? Shall we go exploring?” she called softly.

He muttered something that might have been “Five minutes.” So she skipped off downstairs to wait for him in the rather magnificent foyer.

Just as she reached the foot of the stairs, the double doors to her right flew open and two somewhat rumpled gentlemen emerged, blinking at the light flooding into the foyer.

Although the doors were closed behind them again almost immediately, an unpleasant odor of tobacco and stale alcohol had been released with the men, along with something more pungent that Jenny associated with human exertion or anxiety.

The pair must have been the last remnants of the night’s gaming party.

With no desire to draw attention to herself, Jenny turned immediately to one of the large sofas and sat down to wait for Joe.

She was aware that both men had stopped to gawp at her quite rudely and were talking together in undertones, no doubt reviling her ugly clothes.

But she had long since learned to ignore certain types of men when she was alone in public places—which she often had been when sent to the local public inn to collect things at certain times, or when her cousin’s guests had chosen to intrude on her privacy.

She had never confided such experiences to Joe, of course, since he was likely to thrash her cousin as well as the guests in question, and no doubt quarrel with her aunt and uncle too. Which would hardly help their situation.

On the other hand, she could not help wishing Joe were with her now, for the men would not then have dared to approach her.

“You must have been the lucky star secretly guiding my fortunes last night,” said the larger of the men, who at least spoke like a gentleman, although he neither looked nor smelled like one.

“And here I never knew.” He took a roll of paper money from his pocket, waving it under her nose.

“What do you say to being an hour or so late for work this morning?”

Jenny, who had been gazing fixedly at the staircase, felt obliged to spare him a glance when he wafted the money at her a second time, violently enough to cause a draft.

“Oh, I beg your pardon. I did not realize you were addressing me,” she said with false civility. “I don’t believe we are acquainted. I am waiting for my godmother and my betrothed.” My very large and angry betrothed . “So don’t let me keep you.”

The second man snorted with apparent amusement.

“I believe my optimistic friend was rather hoping to keep you .” His accent was not so refined.

He also looked more down-at-heel, and she had the impression he was the one who had lost all the money his so-called friend was waving in her face like some kind of inducement.

Similar to offering a dog a treat to sit or fetch.

Jenny ignored them both and went back to gazing at the staircase. Neither the clerk at the reception desk nor the doorman outside were paying any attention. She kept her attitude distant and forbidding, but to her horror, the first man sat down next to her on the sofa.

“Now, my pretty, don’t cut off your proud little nose to spite your charming face. You come home with me and whatever you have been summoned to clean or sew will still be waiting for you when you come back.”

He swept his arm around her erect back and yanked her to her feet. When she tried to pull away, he seized her hand, yanked it through his arm, and held it there while he tugged her forward.

Outraged, Jenny dug in her heels, for once flummoxed as to what to do next. She could not allow herself to be abducted, and yet the drunken fool was too strong to fight off single-handed. Moreover, it was essential she did not draw attention to herself.

“Sir!” she exclaimed, wrenching her hand free, just as an entirely different voice exploded from the staircase.

“Who the devil are you?”

Joe!

Quite suddenly he was beside her, by the simple expedient of leaping over the banister.

Her chief tormentor didn’t seem remotely put out. In fact, he sneered. “You are this poor creature’s keeper? Don’t you know it becomes a man to dress his whore—”

She knew what was coming, so she simply seized Joe’s clenched fist and hung on to it, bearing down with all her weight.

Which was when the front door of the hotel swung open, and she saw the horrifying sight of Joe’s guardian.