“My sweet Margaret?” Reggie’s eyes widened as he wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist. “What did you do?”
Margaret regarded him with big, innocent eyes. “I merely applied what you taught me.”
Bromleigh stared at his nephew. “Reggie, what in blazes have you been teaching your wife?”
“How to defend herself,” Reggie said with a ring of pride. “I wanted her to be able to protect herself if ever I was not around. I’m so proud of you, love. But…what happened?”
Margaret quickly explained. “You know how you can justfeelmalice in a person?”
Rob supposed it was that same uncanny ability that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle whenever he sensed danger.
“I noticed what she and Cordelia were about to do, so I…” She showed her husband her exact motions, although she did not use any force when digging into his ribs with her elbow.
“Well done,” Reggie muttered, and kissed her on the cheek.
“How did Cordelia take a tumble?” Bromleigh asked, staring at Fiona. “Weren’t you the one meant to go over into the bushes?”
Fiona cleared her throat as she nodded. “I knew to dart out of the way upon hearing Margaret’s warning, so she missed me, and…well, she might have tripped over my foot.”
“You tripped her?” Reggie asked.
Fiona looked marvelously indignant as she tipped her chin up. “My foot was there. How is it my fault she stumbled over it?”
Rob let out a breath and whispered in her ear, “Thank goodness for your big feet.”
She laughed and swatted his shoulder. “That remark is going to cost you.”
He grinned, knowing he could tease her in this manner because she actually had dainty feet, and she knew he adored everything about her.
But the incident had given him a scare, and they all needed a little humor injected to relieve the tension. Finding himself in need of more relief, he kissed Fiona more thoroughly than he ought to have done.
But when would he get away with kissing her in public like this again? After all, they had just announced their betrothal and had been about to celebrate with a champagne toast before those two crones had attempted to harm Fiona.
The betrothal toast was postponed for twenty minutes while he and Bromleigh first dealt with Anne and her parents. They were appalled, ashamed, so disappointed in their daughter, and apologized profusely. They offered to pack up and leave this very night, but Bromleigh took pity on them. “First thing in the morning will do. There are too many dangers in traveling in the dark.”
They next met with Milbury, who attended them without his sister, since she required medical treatment for her broken ankle. Ramsdale, because of his experiences on the field of battle, was able to attend to it without need to summon a doctor.
Cordelia ought to have been grateful, for she would have been left writhing in pain for hours were it not for his capable treatment.
But gratitude was not in her nature.
Milbury appeared quite humiliated as he joined him and Bromleigh in the study. “Durham…Bromleigh… I don’t know what to say. I am horrified by what my sister attempted to do to Lady Shoreham. Obviously, she is not well. I ought to have noticed it sooner, but I was so lost in my own grief, I… Well, thatis no excuse. Thank goodness she managed to harm only herself. But I shudder to think what she might have done to my boys if they ever displeased her.”
“Yes, get her away from them immediately,” Rob said.
“This very night,” Milbury agreed, and then gave an agonized groan. “To think, I considered having her look after them. I expect you shall want me to leave now and want nothing more to do with me or my family, who have caused you so much trouble. I fully understand and will not blame you.”
Fiona had come in to join them and heard most of what Milbury said. “Your sister is the one who must answer for herself. I do not blame you, Lord Milbury.”
He turned to Fiona, not realizing she had been standing at the threshold and listening in. “But I am responsible. I should have been more alert and noticed her behavior had become erratic. She’d seemed a bit withdrawn since coming to Milbury Hill, but I attributed it to fatigue from her travels. Dear heaven, for this reason I had not pressed her to take over the care of my sons.”
“Who has been watching them?” Fiona asked.
He winced. “I have. They’ve been in my care these past few days…my incompetent care. But she was meant to take over the task starting tomorrow. Thank goodness I delayed it. The idea of having her watch my sons? No, it is all my fault.”
Fiona frowned. “Why are you placing all the blame on yourself? You are a good father who was trying to do right by his children.”
“And might have exposed them to great danger,” he said with a wealth of feeling to mark his continued anguish. “Lady Shoreham, I shall understand if you refuse to ever speak to me again or ever have anything to do with me or my boys.”
