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Mulberry threw horse blankets over the crimson leather seats. The children clambered in and promptly seated themselves on the floor, hovering over the cage. It occurred to Torie that a mother likely should tell her children to seat themselves properly, but she was too fearful to bother.

“I suggest you join the children, my lady,” Mulberry said. “Best you’re not standing here, twinkling like a lighthouse and attracting pickpockets. His lordship is a master with that blade of his, so your ladyship shouldn’t worry about that.”

Torie climbed into the carriage, feeling sick with worry. The men had such cold eyes, like those of dead codfish. Moreover, there were four of them, and only one Dominic.

Which was precisely when she realized that she had made two cardinal errors: taking the family to this dreadful market and falling in love with her husband.

The emotion must have snuck up on her since their wedding; she could have sworn that she wasn’t in love with him yesterday. She had been coolly contemplating jilting him, and would have, if it hadn’t been for the twins.

Except . . . that wasn’t exactly true. She herself had acknowledged that the twins would still love her even if she didn’t marry their guardian.

According to Clara, most of polite society believed she would jilt him; their guests had arrived at the cathedral with all the relish with which they’d attend a melodrama. Her father wagered money on his certainty. Even her fiancé had walked to the altar expecting her to fail to show up, or worse, to blurt out “I don’t” rather than “I do.”

Whereas she had behaved with the consistency of a woman in love. She’d ignored everything and everyone, including her best friend’s advice, and married the viscount.

Even though he was the most infuriating, condescending, belligerent man whom she could have chosen.

Which brought her shocked thoughts back to the fact that Dominic was even now fighting off four villains with a decorative rapier. She longed to jump out of the carriage, grab that huge gun, and run back to the rabbit hutch.

When Mulberry finally rumbled, “Your ladyship,” she shoved open the door and jumped out. Simons was standing at the horses’ heads, and Mulberry was on the box, blunderbuss pointing to the ground.

Dominic was sauntering toward them. She couldn’t see any wounds, but she wouldn’t put it past him to hide an injury so as not to frighten the children. Yet his cheekbones weren’t tight, so he wasn’t in pain.

When their eyes met, he smiled—smiled, dimples and all—as if he’d merely been taking a stroll. “Dominic,” she said, the word a whisper on her lips. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Dom, are you injured?”

“Certainly not.”

He had a cage tucked under one arm. Could he have purchased another rabbit? She knew from watching the glade that two rabbits quickly multiplied to twenty rabbits.

“All’s well,” Dominic told Mulberry. “Thank you, Simons, for escorting my family safely back to the carriage.”

“Dom,” Torie managed.

“One moment, darling,” he said. He leaned past her and slid the cage onto the carriage floor.

“What is it?” she heard Florence ask, and then, “Babies!”

“The rabbit family is too young to escape on their own,” Dominic said, returning to Torie’s side. “We can set them free in one of the parks.” He took her hands and brought her close. “Were you frightened?”

“Horribly,” Torie admitted, wrapping her arms around his large, solid frame and burying her face in his chest. “You still smell citrusy. The children and I reek.”

“I am in need of a bath.” Dom leaned down and said in her ear, “And a nap.”

Torie managed a shaky smile and allowed her husband to hand her into the carriage. He sat next to her, casually dusting some dirt from his breeches.

“How very tiresome that was,” Torie said, managing to keep her tone light, even as her eyes widened at the sight of blood splattered on his lace cuffs.

“Please excuse my sartorial deficiencies,” her husband said, stuffing the soiled lace up his sleeve. “I hope that my carriage doesn’t permanently carry the aroma of this adventure. I fear for my clothing.”

“We had a calamity in your absence,” Torie said.

He raised an eyebrow.

“First, Florence fell down in the mud.”

“Then Oddie defecated on me,” Florence said brightly. “That’s why he is back in his cage. Twenty-three little pellets. We threw almost all of them out.”

“Almost?” Dominic repeated. He looked as if he’d like to add defecate to the Prohibited List but thought better of it.