“It can’t be Tab because when I left her she was all but irrational. She was in one of her states-she would strangle Addison if she could lay hands on him, and as for Barham…well, if she came upon him while searching his house, she’d probably try to strangle him, too, purely on principle. You know what she’s like-the idea of her sneaking into his house and retrieving the letter without some major explosion which will result in the scandal of the year is pure fantasy.”

Ro opened his mouth; she raised a hand, silencing him. “Being quiet-getting things done without causing a stir-is not Tabitha’s strong suit.” She held his gaze. “It is, however, mine.”

Eyes like shards of flint pinned her. “And what do you imagine will happen when you’re caught, as you most likely will be? Do you think the scandal will be any less?”

Calmly confident, she let her lips curve. “Actually, I suspect the tale won’t even get an airing.”

He frowned. “Why? What difference-”

When he broke off, understanding dawning in his eyes, she let the curve of her lips deepen. “Precisely. While Tab is widely known as the firebrand of the family, the termagant, I’m equally well-known as the quiet and reserved sister, the always perfectly behaved, decorous sister. What the ton will believe of Tab, they won’t believe of me. If Barham does catch me-and he’ll be much less likely to catch me than Tab, who’s never been any good at subterfuge-even if he does, and he’s stupid enough to try to spread the tale, even and including the contents of Tab’s letter…what are the odds that anyone will believe him?”

Ro sat perfectly still, his eyes locked with hers. Minutes ticked by, then he stirred. “You’re deliberately risking your reputation in order to save Tabitha’s.”

She let her smile fade until her resolution shone clearly. “It’s the sort of thing a sister does.”