"I wondered if you have any news of your brother. Surely he would have sent word by now."

She gave him a tired grin. "Obviously, you do not know Collin all that well if you believe that." She took a sip of her tea. Real tea. Something she had not had in years. She closed her eyes for a moment to savor the taste. It was much richer than anything she could recall.

He watched her drinking and her reactions. "Is there something wrong with the tea?"

Her eyes snapped open. "Heavens, no! It's lovely." She gave him a reserved smile. "Was there anything else, my lord?" That did not seem much of a reason. Still, she was glad for it had got them inside and this delightful tea.

"I had not expected you to leave your home so quickly."

"It seemed the best thing to do, my lord. I have not heard from Samuel, so I can only assume that Lord Hawke has taken possession."

"He has. I am puzzled about something. He seems to think that Collin is in possession of some items."

Jane set her tea carefully on the table. "I did not remove anything of import," she said thinking guiltily of Evangeline's doll.

"May I have another cake, Jane," one of the twins interrupted in a whisper. At least he assumed it was to be a whisper; it was rather loud.

Jane looked at the plate in front of them. She could see why her sister was tempted. She was herself. With true regret, she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. She had to remember why they were here.

"Please, Jane." That came from the other twin.

Before she could answer this time, Brayden did. "Of course you may," he told them. Turning to Jane he said, "It is far enough to dinner that it will not spoil their appetite."

Jane couldn't even answer. She was sure of that! It also served as a reminder of why she was here. She sat up a bit straighter in the chair and placed her cup on the table. "I have some business I would like to discuss with you, my lord."

Now that was intriguing. "If you think we can trust the moppets with the rest of the cakes, we can go to my study."

She raised stricken eyes to his. She had not wanted them to take more, and certainly she needed him to think well of them. "They will not touch any others," she assured him, and stood.

"It was a jest," he said, standing also, and guiding her to the room across the hall. He couldn't help but notice that she did not smile in return. Whatever was bothering her was weighing heavily indeed.

Ushering her into the room, he gave her a seat in front of his desk. Rather than sitting behind it, he hitched one hip on the edge, so that he was fairly close to her. He noticed her rough hands again as she twisted them together.

"Come," he told her, "it can't be that bad. What can I do for you?"