“Avenging knights?” ventured James. “I rather like the sound of that.”
“I think there may be a few missing links in your chain mail.” Letitia lifted a scornful eyebrow. “Kitty should have had the lot of you thrown out on your ears. I would have, quicker than the cat can lick it’s ear.”
“I was close to doing just that,” nodded Kitty. “But Max stopped me and told them about Hecate. All of a sudden they stopped viewing him as the enemy.”
Rosaline snorted. “Remember this, Edmund. Talk to anyone you’re angry withbeforeyou hit them, all right?”
“If I must.” Edmund sounded most aggrieved. “However, if it helps, I will again offer my thanks for your attentions to Hecate, Max.”
“When can I see her?”
Kitty asked the question for the second time in the hour since she and Max had arrived at Ridlington. It had been splendid to see her family again, and take a peek at a blissfully sleeping little Hugh. But she’d been advised to rest up a little before visiting Hecate, who would need to be awoken and told of her sister’s arrival.
“You can visit her a bit later, love,” said Edmund. “She seems to like us there around tea time, and Dal serves her biscuits. She has smiled once or twice.”
“But still not a word out of her?” worried Kitty.
Rosaline shook her head. “No. I’m afraid not. But she’s healing. She’s home, with us, and Dal—who I must say is the most amazingly caring person—so she is surrounded by all the things she loves. We know she will get better, it’s just taking a lot of time.”
“And her leg?” asked Max.
“A bad break indeed.” Edmund frowned. “But our physician seems to think she will recover from that as well. Although she may need to learn to walk again. We won’t really know until she’s ready to get up and out of bed.”
There was silence for a moment in the room, and Kitty found herself leaning on her husband’s arm as he sat next to her on the sofa in the large parlor. He slipped his hand over hers for comfort.
“It was a terrible tragedy,” said James. “I cannot say I was disconcerted by the death of Miller-James, since what I knew of him was not complimentary. But his loss has affected many people, including his family, for whom I feel sorry.”
“That goes for all of us, I think. Besides being grateful Hecate is alive and with us here, we must remember that any death leaves a void in other lives.” Simon nodded.
“I had a brief note from Bishop Miller-James,” added Tabby. “He is naturally devastated, but took the time to express his blessings and warm wishes for Hecate’s speedy recovery.”
“A gentleman,” said Max.
“Indeed,” agreed Edmund.
“Well then.” Rosaline looked around, and her eyes lit on Max. “Now that you’re part of the family, I’m going to call you Max, if you don’t mind. And you must call me Rosaline.”
Max dipped his head respectfully. “I would be honored, Rosaline. And thank you all for allowing me to wed Kitty.”
His wife snorted. “There was no allowing anything. We made our own decision, did we not?”
Edmund rolled his eyes. “Always doing things the difficult way, aren’t you, love?”
He moved toward her with his hand out, but she stopped him with a look. “Ruffle my hair and I will remove your hand with a blunt butter knife and stick it down your throat.”
“You always hated that, didn’t you?” grinned her unrepentant brother.
“Children,please.” Rosaline’s tone stopped the incipient squabble. “Instead of returning to the age of twelve, I suggest we adjourn to our respective rooms and tidy ourselves. I would prefer we visit Hecate looking halfway decent, rather than like a group of raggle-taggles which has been fighting all afternoon.”
They rose, obedient to the lady of the house. Also acknowledging that she was quite capable of delivering a sharp slap to the ear if necessary. It took a firm hand to run the Ridlingtons, and Rosaline had proved herself up to the challenge.
“Come with me, Max. Let me take you to my bedroom.” The silence that followed Kitty’s comment was deafening.
She sighed.
Letitia leaned over to Max. “Never mind, dear. You’ll soon get used to her.”
Max grinned back. “Do you think so? I rather hope not. Not for a long time, anyway.” He took Kitty’s hand and placed it on his arm. “Come along then, darling. Take me to your bedroom. I can’t wait…”
The rest of the family joined in the laughter, which, thought Kitty to herself, was a rather good way to introduce her husband into the Ridlington clan.
Herhusband. It was still a novel and surprising word.
But then again, so was he.
