Nick flashed his brother a brief smile but kept his attention on Alec. “We will treat Miss Knight like royalty, I promise.”
Alec snorted. “See that you do.”
Royal sank into the other club chair. “After last night’s performances, I’m amazed the lass didn’t steal a horse and ride pell-mell back to Glasgow.”
Nick caught his brother’s slight grimace as he rubbed his thigh. “Your leg is bothering you again?”
“It’s nothing.” Royal’s voice was tight, and his eyes looked weary and shadowed.
“I can send for the surgeon, if you like.”
“That old sawbones is useless.”
“Very well. But don’t overdo it today. You’ll destroy that leg if you’re not careful.” Nick ignored Royal’s scowl and returned his attention to Alec. “Then we’ll present a united front to Miss Knight when she comes down?”
“For God’s sake,” Royal said, “isn’t it time to give up this mad scheme to turn us into a pack of bloody debutants?”
“Not to stir up the pot, Arnprior,” Alec said, “but whyareyou so determined to pretty up your brothers? They come from one of the most distinguished families in Scotland, so I’m sure they’re capable of making respectable marriages.”
“What if some of us don’t want to get married?” Royal said sharply.
Alec shrugged. “Then I expect you could all take up a profession. Make yourself useful instead of twitting governesses and pretending to be witless boors.”
“The twins were just acting up to prove a point,” Royal said. “And you’re correct. If Nick would leave us alone, we’d figure something out.”
Nick knew that wasn’t the case. “Royal, I know you don’t want to hear this, but your military career is over. You need to accept that.”
“I was a good soldier, one of the best in our regiment,” he snapped. “It wasn’t my fault I was wounded.”
“Of course it wasn’t. And what happened to you was incredibly unfair,” Nick said quietly. “As it was for many men.”
“There is life after the military, Royal,” Alec said. “A good life, if you put some effort into finding it.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Gilbride. You’re heir to a bloody rich earldom. I’m a younger son—just one of several. I don’t know how to do a damn thing except be a soldier, and my brothers know even less. That’s why Nick’s so keen to marry us off to wealthy wives. We’re not good for anything else.”
Alec threw Nick a troubled glance. “Surely some of the lads could take up a profession. Make something of themselves.”
“It seems not,” Nick said. “With the exception of Braden, who wants to be a physician, none of my brothers has shown any interest in the law, business, or even estate management. And God knows the Church is out.” He shook his head. “Could you imagine either of the twins as a minister? They’d probably ruin half the girls in the congregation.”
It was only by some miracle that Graeme had yet to impregnate one of the village girls and get murdered by an irate father. Nick had been forced to put the fear of God into the twins, threatening to permanently run them off Arnprior lands if they so much as thought of taking advantage of one of the local girls.
As for the local gentry, they already viewed his brothers as unacceptable mates for their daughters.
“I see the problem,” Alec said.
“Especially for poor Nick,” Royal said. “And he’s stuck with us for the foreseeable future since none of us can support ourselves.” He gave Nick a rueful smile. “I truly am sorry about that.”
“No,I’msorry. I’ve failed all of you.” He’d failed his entire bloody family, including his wife and little boy.
Even Logan, the brother he’d once been closest to, had run away after Nick all but killed him. Overcome with self-hatred and guilt, Nick had then fled too, joining the army. He’d abandoned his family when they needed him most.
“You did your best for us,” Royal said. “None of us ever blamed you. Never that.”
In fact, they’d all worried about him, instead. Royal had even followed him into the army, largely to keep an eye on him. If not for that, Royal would have stayed at Kinglas, safe from the war that would rob him of his innocence, his health, and perhaps his future.
Nick shook off the despair that was his daily companion. “Nonsense. As the head of this family, Iamresponsible for all of you. That means you and your brothers will do exactly as I say. You will submit to Miss Knight’s direction and hopefully become respectable gentlemen who give honor to the Kendrick name instead of pulling it into the damn gutter.”
His brother rolled his eyes. “Bloody hell, you never give up.”
