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“I know you did not,” he said gently. ’Twas time to move from the most depressing subject. “Now, the first order of business is to get you bathed and fed, and then possibly I will take you for a walk.”

“But what of the battle?” she wanted to know. “Surely yer men need ye back to fight with them.”

“You need me more,” he touched her cheek. “There are more soldiers and knights defending Northwood than the Scots have ever seen, and with William leading….”

She jumped, interrupting him. “William is leading them? But I thought but you said….”

“He did not die,” he supplied with a grin. “Thank God for Jordan and her Scot stubbornness. She would not let him die.”

Jemma graced him with a faint smile. “She loves him too much to let him die. I wanted so badly to go with her to London when ye said he was injured. I was a-feared he would die and she would be all alone with no one to comfort her,” she let out a sigh, nodding as the news sunk in. “Aye, thank God for Jordi’s stubbornness. And English’s strength.”

“English?” Kieran lifted a brow. “How do you know about that?”

She gave him an impatient expression. “Good Lord, man, I am her cousin. I know everything about them.”

He smiled, rising from the floor with her in his arms. Jemma wrapped her arms around his neck, relishing that his great strength was once again holding her. She let her hand drift over his shoulder as he turned to the bed, caressing his skin. He felt so good to her and she had missed him dreadfully.

“The babe was huge, like her father,” she said distantly. “I pray that the rest of our children aren’t so large. I had a hell of a time pushing her out through that small hole.”

He smiled and lay her down on the bed, lying beside her and half covering her small form with his big body. His hands stroked her face, her arms, and drifted lightly over her slightly rounded tummy.

“That small hole is my greatest source of pleasure,” he whispered seductively into her ear, sending shudders drilling through her. “It suits me quite nicely, as do you, Lady Hage.”

She closed her eyes, melting against his touch. “Dunna torture me, husband. ’Tis far too soon to make love to me.”

“I know,” his face was buried in the crook of her neck. “But I can still hold you and feel you. Can’t I?”

“I thought ye were going to get me a bath?” her hands were stroking his warm flesh wondrously, not wanting him to leave her for a moment.

“Later,” he told her huskily.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

William, newly returned from Langton on the morn, found Adam in de Longley’s former bower. He entered the room slowly, his eye sweeping the room for any sign of the new earl and quickly came to rest on the massive high-back chair near the hearth. Even though the chair was facing away from him, he could see Adam’s long legs spilling over the side and the top of his red-gold hair as his head rested on one hand.

“Adam,” William called to him softly.

Adam startled, whirling to face Northwood’s former captain with astonishment. William knew immediately that the lad had thought he was dead, as had everyone else. He put up his hands quickly.

“You see not a ghost, I assure you,” he said. “May I come in, my lord?”

Adam nodded, still quite overwhelmed. “Sire, we thought you were dead.”

William gave him a lopsided smile. “Indeed not. All that reminds me of that grievous injury is this pirate patch over my eye,” he said, strolling casually toward the lad. “My wife thinks it quite…sexy.”

Adam smiled broadly, realizing he wasn’t seeing an apparition and glad his hero had not perished, as he had been told.

“God’s bones, am I glad to see you,” he exclaimed softly.

“And I, you,” he clapped the earl on the shoulder and bade him sit. William took the chair opposite him. “ ’Tis under tragic circumstances that I congratulate you on your new title and position. You will represent the de Longley name well. Your father would have been thrilled.”

Adam’s smile faded and William could read the turmoil. He decided to get right to the point, for the young man’s sake. No use in pretending he didn’t know what had happened. “Tell me what happened with Alexander,” he asked gently.

Adam’s handsome face was pale. He was a sensitive lad and had obviously suffered a great deal.

“Alexander had become unreasonable after father died,” he began quietly. “He had power and a name, and he acted as if he were God. He began ordering all sorts of extravagant renovations to Northwood. He began planning a huge party. Then he decided that Northwood was so powerful that she need no longer be loyal to the crown.”

“You mean he intended to declare himself independent of England?” William asked with astonishment.