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She half swallowed a sob and nodded. But she maintained a deathlike grip on his shoulders.
“He didn’t hurt you?” he asked.
“I’m fine, and so is Tira.”
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs with a maid. And a guard.”
“That’s enough, Ainsley,” came a haughty voice from behind them. “Not another word. And step away from Kendrick immediately.”
Royal turned, still holding Ainsley in a loose embrace. The soldier in him was already taking over, walling off his emotions and helping him to focus on the enemy and the battle ahead.
The marquess stood on the other side of the formally appointed drawing room, looking as if he’d just dropped in for afternoon tea. He gently swung a quizzing glass in one hand. His demeanor was almost languid, as if bored by the scene playing out in front of him.
But his expression gave the lie to that. It was frozen in lines of utter hatred.
“I said, step away, Ainsley,” he repeated. “I allowed your good-byes to your erstwhile husband, but that’s over now. Do not make the mistake of disobeying me.”
She responded with a suggestion that turned Cringlewood’s face a bright red. It had Royal mentally blinking that she knew such language.
“Not a particularly helpful suggestion, love,” he murmured.
“Sorry,” she whispered, “but I’ve been holding that back for the last two hours. It simply had to come out.”
God, he loved her.
The marquess took a hasty step forward. “Ainsley, I order you—”
“You’re a bloody idiot, Cringlewood,” Royal interrupted. “You kidnapped my wife and my daughter. Step away from this now, or face the consequences.”
“Really? What might those be?”
“My brother, Lord Arnprior, will be taking legal action against both you and your men. You attacked my grandfather and abducted a woman and her child at gunpoint. You can’t possibly hope to get away with that.”
“Nonsense. Tira is my daughter, and her mother voluntarily chose to come rather than be separated from her child. Nothing illegal about any of that.”
“You coerced me,” Ainsley said. “You left me with no choice.”
“You came of your own free will, which I expect you to make clear to Kendrick and then we’ll be done with it. My intention is to leave for England tomorrow, taking my daughter with me. If I do so, however, you will never see Tira again. The choice is up to you.”
“You’ll never separate me from her,” Ainsley exclaimed. “No matter what.”
Cringlewood flashed a malicious smile. “Then the choice is made. In that case, we will remain in residence here for the obligatory six weeks, and then you can sue your husband for divorce. So, say good-bye to him now, Ainsley. It’s the last you’ll see of him for some time—possibly forever.”
She turned a white, anguished face up to Royal. “Can he really do that? Can he really keep me away from Tira if I don’t do what he wants? I can’t bear to lose her, not again.”
“No one will take her away from us, I promise,” Royal replied.
“Kendrick, you are as big a fool as I thought.” The marquess glanced at Smith. “Get them out of here, and make sure it hurts.”
“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” Royal said. “The Kendricks have friends in high places. Lady Arnprior, in particular, has a great deal of influence.”
The flicker in Cringlewood’s gaze told Royal he’d scored a hit. The marquess obviously knew of Victoria’s close connection to the royal family.
A moment later, however, he shrugged it off. “I also have connections in high places, Kendrick. And, in case you’ve forgotten, the law is on my side. Tira is my daughter, not yours.”
Ainsley breathed out a tiny, heartbreaking whimper.
