Free The Duke's Night of Sin by Kathryn Caskie

the door and saw that we had a gentleman caller.”
    “Then you must agree with me, he is certainly the most handsome gentleman in all of London,” Priscilla said.
    “Actually, I only saw the top of his hat, and,when he was sitting in the parlor, his back.” Though, lud, she wished she had seen him. The man who had made love to her. The man she must avoid at all costs.
    Siusan rolled her silk stockings and put them inside one of the walking boots.
    “Thankfully, you didn’t come into the parlor,” Grant began.
    Siusan whirled around. “But I very nearly did! I paused at the mirror in the passageway to tuck back a loose hair, when I heard Grant identify him as the Duke of Exeter.” Even now, the stress of the near meeting set moisture beading across her brow. She pressed a cooling palm to her forehead. Lud, her heart was still pounding madly in her chest. “What if I had walked in? What if he recognized me?”
    “I daresay, he likely would have. Out of the hundreds of women at the gala that night,
something
led him here. But it also led him away again.” Grant paced before the pallet. “And I think that something may be that, at this moment, he believes there are only two Sinclair sisters.”
    “What do you mean?” Siusan settled her brush and pin box inside the leather case, then moved around the pallet to Grant.
    Priscilla grabbed her arm urgently. “He had your blue garter, Su. He showed it to us.” Priscilla’s eyes were wide.
    Siusan looked at Grant, horrified.
    “Aye, he did, and yet, he somehow knew it did not belong to Priscilla and that she is not the woman he seeks.”
    “I purposely mentioned that Ivy’s hair is red, in hopes that the charming duke would rule my sister out as his
Critheanach
who’d lost her slipper,” Priscilla added, “though I am sure I made a great goose of myself trying to wedge our own red herring into the conversation!”
    Grant took Siusan’s shoulders in his hands and squeezed gently. “The question remains. How did he know Priscilla was not the woman he sought? He made it as far as our home, so we must assume he noticed your height.”
    Siusan stilled. “I-I said something to him in the library. He heard my voice—and likely determined that I am a Scot.”
    “Aye, that would be enough to bring him to our door. There are few Scots in London Society, fewer still that remained in Town after the Season.”
    “And none possessing our height,” Priscilla said slowly.
    “Still, I am confused,” Grant said. “You andPriscilla greatly resemble each another. Many, even those who have encountered you a number of times, have mistaken each of you for the other. How could he know the difference … when he only met you in the dark?”
    Siusan blanched, and her eyes slowly sought out Priscilla’s. She opened her mouth to reply, but she was too mortified to utter a word.
    Priscilla set her right hand on her narrow hip and gestured to Siusan with her left. “Because Siusan has breasts and hips.” Priscilla looked down at her more girlish form, then averted her gaze, not wishing to draw a comparison. “Fully dressed, the difference between us mightn’t be so evident.”
    “But in the dark …” Grant turned his gaze to Siusan.
    Siusan crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, please do not look at me that way!” She spun around, flung open her wardrobe, and snatched a mantle from one of the pegs. “My course is clear. I must leave London before he learns there are more than two Sinclair sisters, which I am sure will not take long.”
    “But where would you go? We haven’t the money to send you anywhere.” Priscilla shook her head. “Stay. He said his time is short in London.You only need to refrain from attending events until he has departed. You needn’t leave Town.”
    “Priscilla, how can you utter such nonsense?” Siusan snapped. “He knows where we live! He is bound to return. Nay, the only thing to do is leave for a time—that way when you tell him you