Watching anxiously in War’s case.
“They will take good care of her,” William assured War quietly. “But I will tell you that the two men you killed were Jemma’s nephews.”
War was resolute. “Though I am sorry for their demise, they left me with no choice,” he said. “Any man who would think of touching Annie will face my wrath. I will kill for her, as I have proven. I will also gladly die for her.”
William could hear the passion in his voice and he looked at him, studying the man’s features. He did indeed look like William’s father, Edward. Even more so at close range.
He allowed himself to feel some pride in the man, after all.
“If Annie is what you truly want, then you will have no argument from me,” he said softly. “I will speak to her father, Ian, and when I tell him how you saved her life, I am certain you will have no argument from him, either. Given the way you two met, I believe you are destined to be together. I know my wife and I were. It seems that you are to follow in our footsteps in that way.”
War looked at William, the anxiety on his features changing into that of joy. Tempered joy, as if he wanted to become excited about it but truly couldn’t. Not until he knew Annaleigh was going to be well again. But that didn’t stop him from giving William a grateful nod of the head.
“Thank you, my lord,” he said sincerely. “Your blessing means a great deal. And if Annie and I could be so fortunate to have the years of happiness between us that you and your lady wife have had, then I will consider us most fortunate, indeed.”
Before William could reply, Annaleigh’s foot twitched. Both William and War saw it, with War stepping forward to see if he could get a look at Annaleigh’s face. He wanted to see if she was awake. William remained back by the door as Kieran came to stand in the doorway, looking with concern at all of the activity.
“How is she?” Kieran asked.
William shook his head. “I do not know,” he said. Then, he looked at Kieran. “What did you do with Argyle and Brendan?”
Kieran lifted his eyebrows. “We’ve collected their body parts and put them in canvas sacks,” he said. “War made quick work out of them.”
William grunted as he returned his attention back to the bed, where Annaleigh was now moving around a little more. “He is a de Wolfe,” he said softly. “I expected nothing less from the man when the woman he loves is threatened.”
There was something in his tone that made Kieran peer at him closely. “Have you two spoken again?”
“We have.”
“And?”
William wouldn’t look at him. “And he and Annie shall be married at some point, I’m certain,” he said. He looked at Kieran again, a smile on his lips. “We have made peace and I am glad. He’s a worthy man, Kieran. Worthy of my bloodlines. But the world will never know it.”
Kieran understood much in those few words. “You will not tell anyone?”
“Nay,” William said. “To honor Edmund Herringthorpe and to honor Jane de Percy, who most certainly would look like a trollop if the truth were revealed, no one will know. If you’ve told Jemma, you will make sure she doesn’t tell a soul.”
Kieran nodded. “I will,” he said. “You’ll not even tell your sons?”
William shook his head. “Why?” he said. “There is no reason to. War is a Herringthorpe and that’s all they ever need know. It is better that way.”
Kieran understood and he was surprised that two men with such great pride were able to see beyond the situation and how it would affect the legacy of others. Truthfully, he wasn’t surprised that William saw it because he knew William as well as he knew himself. He knew that in a situation that really didn’t matter in the long run, protecting a man’s– and woman’s– legacy was more important than feeding his pride in a newly discovered and important son. And War… clearly, he had William’s sense of compassion and good judgment.
A Herringthorpe he would remain, as a tribute to the man who raised him.
As William and Kieran contemplated the secret de Wolfe cub, War was completely focused on Annaleigh as she came out of unconsciousness. The physic, along with Jemma, had cleaned up the rather large gash on her head and just as she was coming around, the physic began to stitch it up. Annaleigh winced with pain, disoriented when she opened her eyes. She saw Jordan and Jemma and the physic, her eyes wide with confusion. The physic threw in another stitch and she gasped, her hand flying to her head, but War was next to the physic and managed to grab it before she could touch her wound.
“Annie, you’ve been injured and the physic is tending your wound,” he said softly and steadily as he held her hand. “Just a stitch or two more and he shall be finished. You’ve been very brave, angel.”
Jordan and Jemma looked at him in surprise as he called her a term of endearment, but he did not look at them. He was completely focused on Annaleigh, who fixed on him with her groggy eyes.
“Injured?” she repeated. “What… where am I? What happened?”
“You are in your bedchamber,” War said. “Look around but do not move your head. Do you recognize it?”
She blinked, looking around as much as she could but obeying his request not to move her head. “Aye,” she said hesitantly, but her eyes abruptly widened and she tried to propel herself off the bed. “Argyle and Brendan! They want tae take me back tae Langton! Where did they go?”
Many hands reached out to still her, including War’s. “They are no longer a concern,” he said, still holding her hand but also making sure she didn’t try to jump up again. “They will never threaten you again, I promise.”
