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J onas had been so busy concentrating on Ailis that he did not realize someone was standing at the door and watching them until he heard a gentleman clearing his throat. “Why would the lady put a stop to your charity donations, Jonas?”

Blessed saints.

“What are you doing here, Edward?” Jonas’s brother had his arms folded across his chest and was casually leaning one shoulder against the door while grinning at him and Ailis. “More to the point, how did you get here?”

Edward winced. “I will admit to rather foolishly riding out in the midst of the worst blizzard in recent history, but I only did it for your sake.”

Jonas stared at his youngest sibling, noting his dark brown hair was quite windblown and his ears were still red from the bitter cold. “Let me see your hands,” he ordered his brother, leaving Ailis’s side to stride toward him.

“Whatever for?” But Edward held them out for Jonas’s inspection.

“You could have gotten frostbite, you idiot,” Jonas said with a growl, but was relieved that his brother’s fingers showed no sign of damage. “Whatever possessed you to put your life in danger this way? And what have you done with our mother?”

“Not to worry, I did not abandon her in a snowdrift. She is several days behind me, and cozily settled in one of the more elegant coaching inns until the storm passes. However, she is most eager to arrive here with her bevy of ton beauties for your perusal, so I expect she will resume her travels without delay as soon as the storm passes. You know, tempus fugit , and all that.”

Yes, time was flying by, and what did Jonas have to show for it?

Edward walked toward Ailis, his leering gaze ever on her. “And who is this delectable morsel?”

Jonas cursed under his breath.

Ailis looked incredibly lovely with her hair in a loose braid that fell below her hips, not to mention she did look delectable wrapped in his too-big robe.

Her eyes widened and she gazed at Jonas in alarm.

He made matters worse by placing his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him, but how else was he to convey that she was his to protect and his brother was not to touch her?

As for Edward, he was enjoying Jonas’s discomfort immensely. “Ah, but I now understand why you did not want us coming here. Seems you are already having your own private party. Will you introduce me to this charming gift so temptingly wrapped in your robe?”

Jonas growled. “Not another word, you dolt.”

Ailis looked like she wanted to bury herself under a mountain of snow.

He knew there was no help for it but to explain the situation to his brother.

“Miss Temple, this is my wayward brother, Edward, the current Lord Langford. Edward, I suggest you apologize to Miss Temple immediately. She is the vicar’s niece and here only because she fell off her horse while paying a call on me on behalf of the vicar.

She has dislocated her shoulder and suffered a mild concussion, as you might have noticed had you not been too busy ogling her. ”

His brother, now noticing her arm was in a sling and her forehead had the lingering traces of a bruise, had the good grace to look embarrassed.

“Do forgive me, Miss Temple. It’s just that I never expected to find any young lady ensconced in my brother’s bedchamber, especially one as beautiful as you, and wearing his… Well, do forgive my mistake.”

She nodded, trying to remain poised, but her embarrassment was obvious to both brothers, since her cheeks were ablaze. “Your Grace, you and your brother must have much to catch up on. Jane will return with my milk in a moment, and she can assist me with my breakfast. I do not mind eating alone.”

“Nonsense,” Edward blurted. “I shall join you both. I am fascinated to learn more about you, Miss Temple.”

“Oh, I think you shall find me eminently forgettable.”

He glanced at Jonas and cast him another irritating grin. “I doubt that. Let me see where Mrs. Fitch has put me for the duration of my stay. I’ll wash up and join you in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”

“Let me escort you out.” Jonas wanted to box his brother’s ears for the smirks he was tossing at Ailis. He grabbed his brother firmly by the elbow and dragged him down the hall toward the room farthest from his own quarters.

No one would get near Ailis tonight but him .

Oafish? Yes.

Possessive? Without question.

However, this little incident proved Ailis could not stay beyond tomorrow. His mother’s friends would destroy her if they ever found her here.

Fortunately, his brother had come ahead to give him warning. And Edward, despite his annoying smirks and leers, could be trusted to keep quiet about Ailis.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked. “Not to the castle dungeon, I hope.”

“Shut up,” Jonas grumbled. “I’m putting you in the West Room.”

“As far away from the lovely Miss Temple as possible,” Edward remarked, casting him a knowing grin. “I have never seen you behave so possessively over a woman. What are your intentions toward her?”

“I have none. Nor should you.”

“Why not? What is wrong with her?”

Jonas gaped at his brother. “There is nothing wrong with her. Can you not see she is a lady in every way? You are not to trifle with her affections.”

“I would never be so disrespectful,” Edward said, then held back further remarks as a footman entered the room carrying his travel pouches. “Thank you, Williams. I’ll unpack them myself.”

“Very good, my lord,” Williams said, and then bowed and walked out.

“You already know the names of my staff?” Jonas was surprised his brother had bothered to make the effort.

“Of course—why would I not take interest in them, since I stand to inherit this place if you refuse to get about the business of marrying and siring an heir? You really have been most neglectful. Mother carps about it all the time.”

“And that stupid betting book has set her on the warpath,” Jonas grumbled.

“Oh, yes,” Edward said, laughing. “Prepare for the siege. Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war. This is all-out war your Silver Duke friends have unleashed on you. But you mustn’t blame them. They do this because they wish to see you happily settled.”

“And they’ve told you this?”

Edward nodded. “Mother and I had the pleasure of dining with Bromleigh, Lynton, Camborne, and their charming wives shortly before departing London. I’ve never seen more blissfully enraptured men in all my life.”

“Oh, Lord. This is going to be worse than I ever imagined, isn’t it?”

Edward winced. “Afraid so.”

Well, if any good had come from those stupid bets, it was that Edward had proven smarter than Jonas had ever given him credit for. Obviously, his brother had been paying attention in his literature classes if he knew the lines spoken by Marc Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar .

Havoc, indeed. Just what Jonas wanted at Christmastide.

“Competition will be fierce for your affections. Possibly, blood will be shed. Hopefully not yours,” Edward teased. “The young ladies our mother has brought along are quite determined.”

“How delightful.” But this meant Ailis would be eaten alive if caught here, even if she did not consider herself in the competition.

Jonas’s mother would not partake in Ailis’s downfall, of course. She was meddlesome but never heartless or manipulative.

However, winning a duke was a high-stakes game to be played by these ton diamonds and their families. Cheating was not out of the question.

Once Edward had unpacked and quickly washed up from his trek in the snow, he turned to Jonas. “Here, take this letter. But do not open it until I give you the nod.”

Jonas frowned. “What is it?”

“I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

“That’s it? You won’t give me any hint?”

Edward grinned at him. “No, you’ll just have to be patient. Promise me you won’t open it until I say you may.”

Jonas shrugged and stuffed it in his breast pocket. “All right. You have my word.”

The two brothers marched back to the ducal chamber, where Ailis was no doubt fretting and hopefully not in tears.

On their way to his chamber, Jonas noticed the door to the East Room was open, since the maids were cleaning it after his use. This was where he had been washing and dressing these past mornings.

Edward stopped in his tracks and peered in. “Did you stay in here while giving the lovely Miss Temple your bed?” he whispered so as not to be overheard by the maids bustling about the room.

“I slept downstairs in my study,” Jonas responded quietly, “but readied myself for the day in here.”

“Ah.” Edward adjusted his spectacles to properly set them on the bridge of his nose. “You did not trust yourself to remain too close to her. I cannot blame you. That is one delicious crumpet you’ve— Ack! ”

Jonas yanked him out of the chamber and continued to his bedchamber. “Stop making those crude remarks about Miss Temple.”

Edward grinned. “You like her. What is going on between the two of you?”

“Nothing. She’ll be returning to the vicarage now that the snow has finally stopped. I would have taken her back today, but I thought the roads would be too treacherous.”

“They are,” Edward confirmed. “Mother thought I was mad to set out amid the ongoing storm. She was right. I almost landed headfirst on the icy ground at least a dozen times along the way. My horse will no longer speak to me.”

Jonas laughed despite wanting to be angry with his brother for ignoring those dangerous conditions and invading his home. “You are such an arse.”

“I know, but you love me anyway.” Edward turned serious a moment. “You spent a year as a prisoner of war because of me. Do you think that is a sacrifice I will ever forget?”

“I did not enlist to fight in the war because of you,” Jonas insisted, for he would have purchased his commission at some point to join the battle against Napoleon even if his brother had not been the one expected to serve in the military.