Julia stared at the darkened ceiling for a moment and scowled. She blinked several times to remove the fatigue from her eyes. What exactly had awoken her?

“Mama do not answer it!” screeched Catherine. “It could be a robber.”

With a groan, Julia forced herself up out of bed and wrapped herself in a robe and pressed her feet into slippers. A bang rattled through the house and she understood what had awoken her now. In her dream, it had been something else entirely. Some muddled images of mills being hammered together while she was torn between kissing Guy and pushing him into the river.

The bang came again and footsteps echoed through the house. She could hear Emma now but her voice was muffled. In the dark, Julia opened the door and hastened downstairs to find her sisters and mother huddled around one lone candle in the hallway.

“Let me in,” came a voice. A male voice. Julia scowled.

“He has been banging away for a good half an hour,” whispered Catherine. “He will not go away.”

“Perhaps we should just see who it is,” Emma suggested.

“And let them enter and murder us all?” Catherine exclaimed. “I don’t think so.”

“Are you not a master of fighting?” Julia asked, wryly. “You can defend us all.”

Catherine lifted her chin. “I can if I know who my enemy is.”

“Bloody let me in,” came the voice. “Guy, doggammit.” The words were slurred and mixed.

Julia shook her head. “I think I know who it is. He sounds drunk.”

“If only your father were here.” Mama clutched her robe about herself. “He would send him on his way.”

“Papa would likely sleep through it all,” Julia pointed out. “Let’s open the door and let him in. I think it’s Lord Weston’s brother. He’s only a young man. What harm can he do?”

Emma paused to listen to the stranger’s complaints. “I think you are right. We had better let him in.”

Their mother nodded frantically. “Goodness, yes. We cannot leave a duke’s brother outside to die in a drunken stupor. We would never hear the end of it. It would be a worse scandal than Cousin Bess’ hasty marriage.”

“I do not think Lord Weston would blame us,” Catherine said. “I heard he is trying to get his brother’s behavior back on track.”

“A fine job he’s doing of it,” muttered Julia.

“You can hardly blame him.” Catherine jumped as Stephen hammered the door again. “How many times did Amelia try to get us to behave and fail? One cannot govern a grown man or woman no matter how much one would like to.”

Mama nodded. “I know it well. Now get this door open and be prepared. Who knows what he might do? Catherine, do stand back. You are too small. He will mow you down if you are not careful.”

“I will knock him out if I must.” Catherine lifted her fists.

“You will not!” Mama pushed her fists down. “Imagine the scandal.”

Julia sighed and pushed to the front of the group. Hand to the latch, she glanced at her family. “Ready?”

They all nodded and huddled closer together. On the next thud of a fist, Julia hauled open the door. Stephen peered at her and swayed forward. “About damn time.”

He fell heavily into her arms, knocking her backward into Emma. Were it not for Emma and Catherine’s quick reactions of supporting her and snatching Stephen’s arm, she would have crumbled to the floor under his weight. Stephen might be a few years younger than her but he was certainly a grown man in size.

“Let us get him down somewhere.” Julia tried to twist with him in her arms but his knees gave way and he began sinking to the floor, taking her with him. “Goodness, he’s heavy,” she groaned.

“I can’t hold him!” Catherine warned.

“Uh oh,” said Julia.

Stephen’s legs went out from underneath him and he slid down Julia’s body slowly. She tried to cushion the fall as best as she could, moving down with him until his face ended up in her lap. She looked up at her sisters and mother who stared down at her, their faces lit by the lone candle that her mother held aloft.

“Goodness,” said her mother.

“No one mentions this.” Julia thrust a finger at them. “No one.”

They all shook their heads and crossed their hearts. Her mother muttered something about wishing she could have a normal life as she went off to light the candles and lamps. Julia pushed Stephen’s head off her lap and it made a dull thud against the wooden floor. Thank goodness they had no live-in servants or this whole scene would be gossip for the village tomorrow.

“Help me up.” Julia held up her hands and Emma and Catherine dragged her to her feet. “We will have to drag him.”

“I cannot believe he did not wake up after all that.” Emma nudged him with a foot. “He must be truly inebriated.”

Julia could not help wonder where he had learned such behavior. It had been clear on their few meetings that he was disinterested in country life but to get so drunk that he could not even remember where his house was, was unthinkable. Was he mimicking his brother’s behavior? Or was Catherine right, and Guy was trying to help him? She wished she knew.

“We shall have to drag him,” Emma concluded.

Julia nodded. “You grab one arm, I’ll grab the other. Catherine, can you clear a path to the chaise? We will put him there.”

Catherine scurried off while they grabbed an arm each. With a grunt, they began to move him though it was slow going.

“Why is he so heavy?” Emma said through gritted teeth.

“The drink does it.” Julia shook her head. “He’s going to be sore all over in the morning.”

“Do you think he will be missed? Will Lord Weston be looking for him?”

“Perhaps.” Julia eyed the sorry mess that was Guy’s brother. “I shall go and tell him.”

“No,” Emma said when they paused to take a breath. “It is too dark. Mama will have a fit.”

“Any more than she already is, having a drunken duke’s brother in her house?”

Their mother could be heard in the parlor, fussing at Catherine. “Get some blankets. Oh dear Lord, what if he is sick? What if he dies? We shall never live it down if he dies in this house. Lord Weston will not forgive us.”

“Once we have him settled, I’ll ride over. I can get there in half an hour if I hurry.”

“If you do not hurt yourself or get attacked,” Emma added.

“I will be fine, and Mama won’t notice I am gone. Not with Stephen to fuss over.”

“If you die, do not say I did not warn you.” Emma pointed a finger at her.

“If I die, I won’t be able to.” Julia nodded at Stephen. “Come on, only a few more tugs and we can get him laid down.”

They dragged him the rest of the way to the chaise and Catherine helped them haul him up onto it while their mother clucked at them that they were doing it all wrong. Stephen did not stir once as the women fussed about them.

Catherine poked him. “Is he alive?”

“Oh dear lord,” their mother cried out.

“He’s alive.” Julia pressed a finger to his neck. “I can see him breathing and I can feel a steady pulse. He’s just extremely inebriated.” She looked at Emma. “Why do you not get Mama back to bed or sat down in the second parlor? She looks a little faint.”

“I do?” Mama asked and put her hand to her head. “Oh yes, I do feel a little faint actually. I shall go to bed, but if he awakens, you must come and get me.”

“Of course, Mama.” Julia waited until her mother and Emma had gone before turning to Catherine. “I am going to hurry to Guy’s. He should know that his brother is safe.”

A smile slid across Catherine’s face. “Oh really? Guy should know, should he? I imagine you do not want him worrying. Perhaps you do not hate him quite as much as you thought.”

Julia ignored her sister. She did not have time for her teasing. Guy could be out searching for his brother at this very moment. She dashed into the hallway and slipped on her boots before throwing a pelisse over her nightgown.

“I will be back within an hour or so,” she told Catherine. “With or without Lord Weston. If Stephen awakens, try to get him to drink some coffee.”

“Be safe, Julia. Amelia will never forgive us if we let something happen to you.”

“I’ll be fine. You are not the only one who can fight, you know?” Julia winked at her sister.