He sighed. “Unfortunately, Miss Knight is having some reservations about taking up the position.”
Braden slowly turned to Royal with a scowl. “You’re all causing trouble, aren’t you? What did you do to scare off Miss Knight?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Royal protested.
“Ha,” the governess muttered under her breath.
“Royal is mostly correct,” Nick said. “The lion’s share of the blame rests with your grandfather and the twins.”
“Then forget about them,” Braden said impatiently. “It’s Kade who needs help.”
“I’d sayallyour brothers need help, Mr. Kendrick,” the governess replied. “Not that it’s any of my business,” she added hastily.
“Perhaps, but not like Kade does,” Braden countered. “The others are just being stupid and stubborn, but they’re harmless. It’s different for Kade. He’s just a boy, and he’s had an awful time of it.”
“I’m truly sorry to hear that,” she said quietly.
The sympathetic warmth on her pretty features was in sharp contrast to her rigid posture. It told Nick she wasn’t entirely immune to Braden’s plea.
Solve the biggest problem first, then tackle the rest once you’ve got her committed.
“Perhaps Braden is correct—we needn’t worry about my other brothers,” Nick said, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful fashion.
“Really?” she asked, clearly skeptical.
“Kade is my immediate concern. He would be the main focus of your energies, regardless of any other duties you agree to take on.”
When she opened her mouth, likely to raise an objection, Nick forestalled her. “The choice of what duties to assume is yours.”
Royal rolled his eyes, but he held his fire. He knew Nickwouldthrow him off the battlements if he kept interfering. Besides, he was now as worried about Kade as Nick was. For all of them, that took precedence over everything.
Miss Knight regarded him with a troubled expression. Nick calmly waited her out.
Finally, she let out a sigh. “Very well, my lord. I’m willing to defer my decision, pending the results of this discussion.”
“Thank you, Miss Knight,” Nick said, giving her a warm smile.
She blushed and gave him a tentative smile in return.
Braden whooshed out a relieved breath. “Yes, thank you, ma’am. I don’t know how much you know about Kade . . .”
“I know he’s an accomplished musician,” she said. “But that he suffers from uncertain health.”
“That’s one of the reasons I wish to become a physician,” Braden said.
“Then he’s a very lucky boy,” she said with an approving nod.
Braden threw his brother an anguished grimace. “We never should have let him go away to school, Nick. We should have kept him safe at home.”
“Kade has always been rather sickly,” Nick explained to the governess. “He studied here, with tutors, until last year. That’s when I placed him at Eskbank Academy in Glasgow.”
“It was because of Kade’s blasted music,” Royal said grimly. “We couldn’t get good teachers daft enough to move to a remote castle in the Highlands.”
Her eyebrows went up, but she refrained from pointing out the obvious.
“Kade pestered Nick for months about going to school,” Braden said. “He pestered all of us, actually, and eventually wore us down.”
“I chose Eskbank,” Nick said, “because it has an excellent reputation for academics and music, as well as a headmaster who believes in progressive teaching methods.” He’d had no intention of handing his brother to anyone who would mistreat him or neglect his health. “It’s also in Glasgow, where Braden attends university.”
