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“But I doubt his lordship would ever do anything like that. He’s so devoted to his family.”
“That he is, but he was so torn up with grief back then. Royal insisted on joinin’ the Black Watch, too, and thenhewas the one who caught a bullet for his troubles,” Angus added bitterly. “Abandoned and left to die in a ditch, like a wounded animal. If Nick hadn’t found him when he did—”
Angus clamped his mouth. Tina whined and nudged his hand with her wet nose.
“Abandoned?” Ainsley asked.
The old man’s demeanor became rather brusque as he gave Tina a quick pat. “I’ve said too much. Ye’ll nae be draggin’ any more family secrets out of me, lassie.”
“It’s hardly a secret that Royal was wounded in battle,” she said, frustrated. “And in case you’ve forgotten,I’mfamily now too.”
He stubbornly shook his head. “Royal will nae thank me for tellin’ war stories to his bride. He hates even talkin’ about it, which ye ken very well. Makes him feel less of a man.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never met a finer, stronger man.”
“Don’t tell me, tell him.”
“I intend to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t finish the story.”
“He’ll tell ye himself in his own time. Ye just need to be patient.”
“That is not one of my virtues, as you might have noticed,” she said tartly. “And may I just state that your family has a ridiculous number of secrets. It’s incredibly annoying.”
Angus stuck his pipe between his lips. “What’s the old saying yeSassenachslike so much?” he mumbled around the stem. “Something about the pot callin’ the kettle black.”
She let out a grudging chuckle, even though her heart ached over the suffering of Royal and his family. It now made perfect sense that he’d be so alert to her various moods, that he’d be so patient with her. Royal recognized her pain because he was intimately acquainted with wrenching emotion himself.
“Point taken,” she said. “But—”
The bedroom door opened and Taffy bustled forth with a bundle of clothing in her arms.
Ainsley jumped to her feet. “Is Royal feeling better? I’m sorry I missed the surgeon when I was upstairs with Tira.”
The housekeeper’s gaunt features eased into a smile. “Dinna fash yerself, my lady. Mr. Royal is resting more easily, though he’s still in a bit of pain. Not that he’ll complain about it, mind ye.”
“Stoic, the lad is,” said Angus. “Never wants to cause a fuss.”
“Unlike some people in this household,” Taffy said, narrowing her gaze on the old man.
The housekeeper, who’d been with the family for decades, was the only person at Kinglas who could boss Angus with any success. Ainsley had her own theories about why that was so, and had quizzed Royal during her first stay at Kinglas. Looking vaguely appalled, he had abruptly replied that it was best to leave some questions unexplored. His answer had confirmed her suspicions.
It was really rather sweet when one didn’t think about it too much.
“Ye canna be talkin’ about me,” Angus protested. “I’m as meek and mild as a pudding sleeve in a pulpit.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Ainsley said, “but I suspect it’s not true.”
“It means a parson,” Taffy explained. “And we’ll no be mistakin’ Mr. MacDonald for one of them.”
“Quite the opposite, I would think,” Ainsley said.
Taffy let out a little snort, and Angus bristled. “Now see here,Sassenach—”
Ainsley held up a quick hand. “I’m teasing, my dear sir. And since I’m just as responsible for Royal’s predicament, Taffy may as well scold me, too. We’ve both been perfectly dreadful. I’m astonished my husband didn’t toss us out the window days ago.”
“Mr. Royal loves ye both,” Taffy said, “so there’s no need to be fightin’ for his attention.”
Ainsley scrunched her face in acknowledgment of that truth. “I suppose that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. Goodness, we’re worse than Tira.”
