Will was shaking from head to foot. He had no idea if it was because of the kiss or because some madman was hammering on his door. The hammering persisted, so he dragged the coverlet over the bed.
“Hold your horses, I’m coming,” he yelled. He checked the kitchen, there was nothing of Dearne’s on view so he ran his hands through his hair, took a breath, and opened the door in his nightshirt and bare feet, knuckling the sleep from his eyes as he did so.
“What?” he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the two men who stood on his doorstep.
“You Marsden?”
“What if I am?”
The two men were burly brutes, and didn’t appear to bear the Holbrook livery. An unmarked open carriage stood waiting for them, and Will was momentarily appalled he had not heard the wheels arrive, so
