AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I suggest you sit down,” Royal said as he kicked Cringlewood’s sword out of the way.
The marquess staggered around to stare at Ainsley, who was standing by her chair.
“You . . . you shot me,” he croaked.
She finally lowered the small pistol. “And I would do it again,” she said in a voice that barely trembled at all. “No one hurts the man I love.”
“Good for ye, lass,” Angus said. “That’s a nice little popper ye have there. Where did ye find it?”
“I had it stowed in my reticule. They never thought to search it.”
“You goddamn whore,” Cringlewood choked out.
Royal grabbed the marquess by the back of his shirt. “That’s enough out of you,” he said, shoving him onto the chaise.
Cringlewood yelped and collapsed into a half swoon.
Ainsley rushed across the room and threw herself into Royal’s arms. “Are you all right?”
He held on as tightly as he could, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. “I’m fine, my love, thanks to you. You truly saved the damn day.”
“As usual.” Then she pulled back to anxiously inspect him, and a sob caught in her throat. “I thought he was going to kill you.”
“Nay, lass, Royal would have gotten the better of him in the end,” Angus said. “Although yer intervention was most timely,” he added when Royal stared at him with disbelief.
“Tira’s upstairs under guard,” Ainsley said. “We need to get up there.”
“I’ve got her,” said Logan, striding through the door with a cashmere-swaddled bundle. “All is well.”
With a cry, Ainsley hurried over to him, and Logan carefully placed Tira in her arms.
“She slept through the whole thing,” he said, “even when I tossed the guard into the wall. The wee lass is a grand sleeper, she is.”
“What took you so long?” Royal asked his brother.
“Sorry. Just a spot of trouble in the kitchen with one of the guards, but it’s all sorted now.”
Ainsley nestled the baby against her chest. “Can we go now, please?” she asked Royal.
“Yes.” He nudged Cringlewood with his boot. “Wake up, you idiot.”
The marquess roused long enough to glare up at him. “I’ll see you hang for this, Kendrick.”
“If you ever come near my wife or daughter again, I will slit your throat. I’d gladly hang to protect them, Cringlewood. Don’t forget that.”
“Royal, time to get a move on,” Logan said.
As he passed Smith’s body, Royal threw Angus a glance. “Good work, but it’s unfortunate you had to kill him.”
His grandfather shrugged. “Didn’t want to take any chances with the bastard.”
“True, but it’s thrown a spanner in the works,” Logan said as he led them down the hall. “It’ll be harder to hush this up with a dead body lying about.”
“Och, Nick will handle it,” Angus said, not sounding particularly bothered.
When Royal put an arm around Ainsley to guide her down the stairs, she gave him a worried glance. “What’s going to happen now? The marquess is sure to send for the magistrate and anyone else he can think of.”
“Just watch your step, sweetheart. We didn’t go through all this trouble to see you pitch headfirst down the stairs.”
