“Of course. It will make it easier to bring this lunatic in.”
The man still struggled wildly in his grip. “This is only a taste of what you deserve,” Cage growled. Then he threw the man down into his chair and knocked him out cold with one powerful punch.
Chapter 40
“They’re here!” Abby ran into Emma’s sitting room and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “The carriages have just pulled in the drive.”
“Goodness child, there is no need to shout,” Caroline’s mother said.
Caroline turned from her easel. “They are? How exciting.” She thrust her paintbrush into the jar and hurried to untie the strings of her smock. They’d been expecting Vivian and Jack and the children today. Margie jumped up from where she’d sat reading aloud to Emma and her grandmother. She raced out of the room with her sister to tell everyone else the news. Caroline walked over and held out her hands to help Emma rise from the couch.
“Don’t wait for me. It will take me ages to make my way downstairs. You two go on. Fergus will escort me.” Fergus ambled over to sit next to his mistress. His tongue lolled out as he waited patiently.
Caroline exchanged a look with her mother. “All right, if you’re sure.”
“Go on.” Emma shooed them with her hands.
Caroline and her mother were just at the main stairs when Jack and Vivian came in through the front doors, each with a child on their hip. “Hello everyone!” Vivian beamed.
Petite and fair-haired, Vivian was the inverse of Caroline’s brother Jack, who had the dark hair and height of the Langdons. Jack and Vivian lived in the Caribbean, where Vivian grew up, but visited every summer for several months. Last summer, Vivian had been too far along in her pregnancy to make the journey. Caroline had missed her friend so much. She ran down the stairs and flung herself into Vivian’s embrace.
“I have missed you!” Vivian said into Caroline’s hair as they hugged. The baby in her arms let out a wail. “Careful, I think little Lizzie objects to our exuberant greeting.”
Caroline pulled back and smiled at the little girl. “Oh, look at you! You are so pretty, yes you are,” she crooned. Her niece rewarded her with a big smile. Elizabeth had the same pale blond curls as her mother. The baby’s eyes grew wide, and she reached out to grab Caroline’s amethyst necklace.
Vivian pried her daughter’s fingers off the jewels. “Oh no, you don’t, girlie. Hands off.”
Jack laughed. “Just as much trouble as her mother, that one. Now, didn’t you miss me too?”
Caroline laughed and let herself be pulled into a bear hug by her older brother. Then she greeted her nephew. “Hello, Sir Robert. You have grown into such a big boy. Do you remember me?”
The three-year-old held out both arms to her. Jack happily transferred his son to Caroline. “You do.” She hugged the boy. “So tell me, how do you like having a sister?”
Robert shrugged. Then he dug into his jacket pocket and produced a small tin soldier. “Look what I have. And not just one but a whole army!”
“Well then, I’m sure you will have lots of fun playing soldiers with your cousins this summer,” she replied.
There was lots of chatter and greetings as everyone got a chance to coo over the children and greet the tired parents. Then the four boys tumbled in through the front door, flushed and smiling from their daily constitutional outside, adding to the chaos. Nanny Fischer was a proponent of lots of outdoor exercise for her charges.
“Where is Emma?” Vivian asked as she passed the baby to her grandmother’s waiting arms.
“I’m here,” Emma called out from the top of the stairs. “I’m just slow these days.”
Andrew took the stairs two at a time to go escort his wife safely down the staircase. Emma grabbed hold of his arm with a grateful sigh. “Thank you, dear,” she said.
Caroline’s mother clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Everyone, move into the drawing room.”
Vivian embraced Emma. “Goodness, your belly is huge. Was I this large, Jack?” she asked over her shoulder.
“There is no way I am answering that question.” Jack moved in to kiss Emma’s cheek. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
“Of course, she looks beautiful!” Vivian retorted, her cheeks flushed pink. “I was just speaking of the belly. I’m sorry, Emma. I can never control my tongue.”
Emma chuckled. “It’s all right. We think perhaps it's twins, like Will and Max.”
Vivian wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders. “Tell me again, how many months along are you?” The two women walked toward the drawing room, and Caroline was left alone with her brothers.
She put an arm around each of their waists and gave a squeeze. “It’s so nice to have everyone together.” They followed her sisters-in-law but made it only a few feet when the bell at the front door rang. “I wonder who that could be.”
