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“Wretch,” she said with a reluctant smile. “You’rethe one who needs to be careful. You hurt your leg, didn’t you?”
“It doesn’t feel particularly good at the moment, but I’ll recover.”
“Don’teverscare me like that again, Mr. Kendrick.”
“I might say the same to you, Mrs. Kendrick.”
Henderson was standing by the front door, next to Lady Montgomery’s footman.
“Everything all right, Henderson?” Logan asked.
“Yes, sir. The rest of the villains are tied up and locked in the pantry, and I’ve explained the situation to the butler and the housekeeper. Needless to say, they are extremely perturbed by Lord Cringlewood’s gross abuse of Lady Montgomery’s hospitality.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” Logan said wryly.
Royal nodded to the footman. “Lord Cringlewood will need a surgeon, and with some urgency. You might want to inform her ladyship’s butler.”
“But not too quickly,” Angus added.
“We don’t need another dead body on our hands, Grandda,” Royal said.
“I’ll take care of it, sir,” the footman weakly responded.
Royal escorted Ainsley out to the waiting carriage. Angus climbed in first, then turned to take the baby.
“Henderson can go with you,” Logan said. “I’ll round up the others and meet you back at the house.”
Ainsley put a hand on Logan’s arm. “Thank you, sir. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He briefly enfolded her in his massive embrace. “Just make that brother of mine happy. That’ll be thanks enough.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said with a teary little sniff. “Although I’m clearly a terrible wife.”
“Don’t be daft.” Royal picked her up by the waist and plopped her onto the carriage step. “In with you, now.”
Once she was inside, he hauled himself up and settled next to her with a quiet groan.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked, twisting to get a good look at him.
His leg was killing him, but he didn’t give a tinker’s damn. “I’ve never been better.”
“You’re lying,” she fussed. “We need to get you to a doctor.”
He put an arm around her shoulder. “Hush, love. I’ve got you and Tira back, and that’s all that matters. Everything else can wait.”
Angus, who’d drawn back Tira’s shawl for a quick inspection, gave a satisfied nod. “Aye, and ye both seem fine, thank the good Lord.” Then he sniffed. “Although I’m thinkin’ the wee one might need a change. She’s smellin’ a bit ripe.”
Ainsley let out a watery laugh. “I didn’t have a chance to change her, what with the kidnapping and dueling and such.”
“God, Ainsley,” Royal said, hugging her close. “I’m so sorry I put you through that. Can you ever forgive me?”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing,” she said, her voice muffled against his coat. “I should have told you the truth long ago.”
“You did nothing wrong. You were trying to protect your daughter and yourself in the best way you knew how. I was simply too pigheaded to see it.”
“Maybe just a little bit,” she said. “But I didn’t wish to criticize.”
“He gets that trait from the Kendrick side of the family,” Angus said with a twinkle. “Thick as planks, the lot of them.”
