Free Ripe for Scandal by Isobel Carr

cutting over.”
    Beau felt the tension drain out of her. Whatever happened, she trusted Sandison to keep her safe. Foolish as many would consider
     such conviction, it was true all the same. Though Leo would never forgive him, Sandison would do it for his sake as much as
     for hers.
    “Abducting heiresses is a great deal of trouble,” she said, poking Sandison in the shin with her toe.
    “Being abducted by them seems every bit as much work to me,” he replied with perfect seriousness, though this smile had grown
     into a full-fledged grin.
    “I did
not
abduct you.”
    “Didn’t you?” His dark brows rose in the center, mocking her.
    Beau narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that he’d still see the smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. When you came right
     down to it, she had, hadn’t she? And she’d do it again.
    “I rescued you,” he continued, “but here we are fleeing your brothers and running toward the border. One of us
must
have abducted the other. And since it most certainly wasn’t I…”
    “And it is my family after all which has the reputation for outrageousness?”
    “It is, isn’t it?” He sounded almost cheerful at the thought.
    “As well you know, sir. Fine, I give in.
I
abducted
you
. What are you going to do about it?”
    Sandison stretched out his legs and propped his booted feet up on the seat. “Sit quietly and pray for deliverance?”
    Sandison leapt down from the coach, but before he could turn to assist Beau out, he was thrown back inside. Beau cracked her
     head against the far wall. Sandison’s weight crushed her into the floor, her petticoats indecorously high about her knees.
    Backlit by a rising moon, her brother Leo stood framedin the small doorway. Beau froze, heart squeezed into a tiny, nonfunctional ball. Leo reached in, took hold of Sandison’s
     coat, and hauled him out. Beau tumbled out after them, tripping on her skirts and landing in a crumpled pile.
    She hadn’t seen Leo this angry since the night he’d found her at a courtesan’s masquerade at Vauxhall. “No, Leo!” She scrambled
     up and grabbed her brother’s arm, clinging to it like a terrier with a rat when he tried to shake her off. “It isn’t what
     you think.”
    Leo stared down at her, eyes blazing. Beau rapidly reassessed her opinion. She’d never seen him this angry. Never.
    “Go inside, Beau.”
    Beau squeezed tighter onto his arm. “Leo, I swear to you—”
    “Inside!” He peeled her fingers off his coat sleeve and shoved her toward the small inn. “Now, Beau!”
    Beau took a step back and glared at him. He had to understand—had to be made to understand. Sandison was holding his jaw,
     waggling it back and forth, as though testing to see if it were still in one piece.
    Leo glared back. “Glennalmond will be along in the carriage soon enough. Until then, wait inside. I’ve a parlor already hired
     for your use.”
    “Do as he says, Beau,” Sandison said, the sound of his voice breaking the silent detente between Beau and her brother.
    Without a word, Leo launched himself at his friend. Sandison blocked the first blow, but the second rocked his head back,
     and the third doubled him over. He wasn’t going to fight back. Wasn’t even going to try to defend himself.
    Stupid man. Honor didn’t demand that he allow Leo to beat him senseless. Or if it did, she wasn’t about to stand by and watch.
    Beau waded in and pulled her brother out by the skirts of his coat. Sandison pushed himself upright, wiping blood from his
     chin.
    Leo spun toward her, yanked his coat from her grasp, and took one awful step toward her. Beau could feel her temper eating
     away at her self-control. She and he were very much alike when it came to that. Very much like their mother. But if she gave
     in and hit him, he might just be angry enough to hit her back.
    “I said get inside.” Leo’s words were clipped, enunciated with awful precision. “If you choose to make me drag you there,
     so be it. But