Page 41 of A Daring Desire

Kilbane’s heart gave a most peculiar thud behind his ribs, and he turned to stare at Mr Bancroft, who gave a sheepish grin.

“Swear to God,” he said faintly. “She’s only ever wanted you.”

Kilbane let out an uneven breath and sat down again heavily.

“My lord?” Berrycloth said, hurrying towards him. “Are you quite well?”

“He’s awfully pale,” Bancroft said with concern.

“Irish blood, he generally looks like that,” Berrycloth said, but still hovered about him like an anxious hen.

Kilbane might have protested, but he was too stunned. His nerves had been overset, the onslaught of bewildered shock and too many never before experienced emotions, rendering him mute and bereft of the ability to even think straight.

“Ring for some coffee,” Berrycloth said, sending Mr Bancroft to pull the bell.

“Perhaps a tot of brandy?” Aggie suggested, but Berrycloth routed this suggestion.

“He’s had quite enough of that the past week or so,” he retorted.

Kilbane struggled to rouse himself, to find his tongue, and was disconcerted to discover his voice faint when he finally managed it. “She… She made herself a scandal in order to bring me home?”

“Yes, that’s it,” Mr Bancroft said cheerfully. “She said it was the only chance she had left.”

That Catherine, his innocent wife, had exposed herself to the vitriol and judgement of the ton only to gain his attention and bring him home made him want to howl with rage and self-loathing. Unable to vent his feelings before such an audience, he did the next best thing, springing to his feet and grasping Mr Bancroft by his cravat.

“And you let her?” he bellowed furiously. “How could you? How could you let her do such a thing? Her reputation was pristine, unsullied, despite everything I’d done, and you—”

Before he could indulge his very real desire to choke the life out of the ridiculous creature that called himself Catherine’s friend, Berrycloth and Aggie intervened, forcing him to drop Bancroft, who staggered away, coughing and spluttering.

“You d-don’t know your wife very well,” he wheezed, glaring at Kilbane. “If you think you can st-stop her when her mind is made up, you’re a bigger fool than I suspected. It’s like being caught up in a tornado.”

Despite himself, Kilbane laughed at this description. He remembered many of the encounters he’d had with his wife over the years; a tornado fitted her rather well. She had swept him up and he’d had no choice but to become a part of her world, no matter how hard he’d fought to get free. Sadly, it had taken him far too long to realise he did not wish to be free at all.

“If you’ve decided to stop behaving like a lunatic and listen to us,” Aggie said severely, “we will help you to make amends.”

Kilbane blinked, snapping out of his abstraction to stare at first his sister, then his secretary and the red-faced Mr Bancroft. “Help me?”

Aggie rolled her eyes. “Yes, help you, you great lummox. Why else do you think we’re here?”

“I’ve not the faintest idea,” he said truthfully. “To gloat?”

Aggie threw up her hands. “He’s hopeless!”

“My lord,” Mr Berrycloth said, pushing his spectacles up his nose, his expression grave. “Do you love Lady Kilbane?”

Kilbane felt himself flush, a reaction which provoked him so profoundly he could do nothing but glare in response.

“Oh, come, come, man,” Bancroft said crossly, apparently having recovered himself. “I saw the way you looked when she walked out on you, but I tell you now, we won’t lift a finger to help you unless you mean to be a proper husband to Cat, and that means keeping to the vows you made, love and honour and keeping only to etcetera. Because if you think you’re going back to your old ways—”

“No!” Kilbane said hurriedly. He looked up at Mr Bancroft and held his gaze. “No. I don’t mean to do that. I….”

“Yes?” Mr Bancroft prompted impatiently.

“I—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, stop behaving like a coy schoolboy. Do you love her or don’t you?”

“Yes!” Kilbane snapped, swallowing convulsively as he became aware of three sets of eyes staring intently at him. His heart thudded. “Yes,” he said again, quieter this time, but with more assurance.