“And what will you do, carry me?”
“I will try if I must.”
Neither of them had raised their voice, but anger was starting to simmer beneath the surface.
“But it will not come to that.” Essie bustled into the room with clothes in her arms. “You will come to please me, Rory.”
“Why would I do that?” And yet she was right, because he did not think he could refuse her anything. The woman had a way about her that made him want to please her.
“Because I am asking you to.”
“My injury—”
“Will not suffer for a gentle carriage ride up the mountain.”
Rory knew this for the truth, as his strength was already returning. He could leave today if he wished… the hell of it was, he didn’t want to. A lot of that he attributed to Kate Sinclair, who he had not seen since the day he’d been rude to her. Rude, coarse, and vulgar, and any number of other words. He owed her an apology and wanted to deliver it before he left. Why? He had no idea, only that her opinion of him mattered.
“Rose and Samantha will be there,” Essie added. Max stayed in the doorway, silent and watching. “They deserve this from you at least, Rory.”
She was right of course. What man did not want to meet the sisters he’d recently learned he had?
“Come, I am having a bath brought in for you, then you will dress, and we’ll leave.”
“I can wash and dress myself, thank you.”
“Very well, but you cannot tie a necktie or do up buttons. Max will help,” Essie added. The look she threw him would have shriveled his nether regions were he not made of sterner stuff. “Josiah and Bertie are busy,” she added before he could speak. “They will bring the bath, then leave for the fair. I also want you to wear a sling, Rory.”
“No.”
“Yes. It will take the weight off the shoulder.”
“Stop fighting her, you won’t win,” Max said.
He watched the bathing tub be carried in, the brothers bringing in the water, and soon it was filled and steaming. Essie then followed Josiah and Bertie from the room.
“I need no help.”
“And yet I will stay.”
He bit back any further insults and stripped off his nightshirt, uncaring that his brother saw him naked, then stepped into the tub. The warm water made him moan.
“Good?”
He grunted a yes.
“How did you get those scars on your back?”
Lying back, he closed his eyes. The water felt blissful on his body.
“Please answer me, Rory.”
“Four weeks after you left, Mother brought home two men who paid her money to have fun with me. They had a fondness for whips. I fought them, and this is the result.” He kept his voice even, but the pain of that memory was still fresh even many years later.
“Christ!”
“I stabbed one, and the other… well, let’s just say he won’t be walking the same, ever again.”
“I don’t know why anything you tell me about that woman shocks me. I’m sorry that you suffered.” Max had walked to the fireplace and now stood staring into the flames.
