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T hey had been riding for a few miles before Mary Kate felt she had given her husband enough time to tell her what on earth he was thinking. “Are we really just going to leave? You aren’t going to let me say goodbye to Lady Calliope and little William?”

When he grunted, she poked him in the side of the head to get his attention. His gaze slid to hers, and she could see hurt mixed with anger in his expression. She had her answer. “I see. Do you want to tell me what prompted your decision to leave the duke’s employ?”

“Ye were there! Ye heard what the viscount expected, but I can tell ye this—if Chattsworth were in me boots, he would have checked on his wife first, too. Ye cannot tell me he would do otherwise.”

She sighed. “You’re right, Seamus. He loves her.”

“I would never put ye second, lass, and I’m thinking none of me cousins would put their wives or babes second either. Though I’m not sure if any of them have been challenged the way the viscount challenged me right to do so.”

“Emotions were high just now.”

“’Tis no excuse, lass. ’Tis a slight to ye and the other men’s wives and families.

” He was silent for a moment. “I’m thinking someone needs to speak to the duke and let him know that he has to take a hard look at the vows the sixteen of us took—and amend the rules and whatever else needs amending.

The married men of his guard should not be expected to put their wives and families last. They should at least be on equal footing with the duke and his family.

Don’t ye see, lass? Without ye, I’d be nothing.

Ye’re me life now, and deserve to be first.”

As they rode away from Chattsworth Manor, she was sorry not to have been able to bid Calliope goodbye, but knew that she would be sending her ladyship a heartfelt letter as soon as they stopped at one of the inns on the road to London.

She would encourage Seamus to write to the duke and state his case.

One thing was certain—he needed to alert his brothers.

If they were as close as she’d heard they were, they may feel the need to resign as well in support of Seamus.

As that thought whirled around in her brain, she made her decision. No matter what he decided, she would write to Her Grace.

Her stomach growled. First they needed to stop for a meal. She was starving!

He snorted. “I’d best be feeding ye, and may need to see to renting a carriage. ’Tis over fifty-five miles to London, and although ’tis a pleasure to carry ye the whole way, I’m thinking ’tisn’t wise for me horse to carry us double for that long.”

“I remember Lady Calliope and I were constantly changing horses on our journey from Wyndmere Hall to Sussex.”

“Not constantly, lass, just every twenty miles. Did ye forget Michael O’Malley and I were yer guards on the journey?”

She sighed and settled more securely in his arms. “You and Michael were the perfect distraction for the unknown that lay ahead of her ladyship and myself. Have I thanked you lately?”

“Aye, wife. Just last night.”

Mary Kate sat up and brushed her lips to her husband’s cheek. “I did not have a chance to tell you how I was feeling today.”

His eyes met hers. “Oh, and how are ye feeling, lass?”

“Woozy.”

His eyes seemed to change in hue to a lighter shade of blue. “Were ye now? Anything else I should know?”

“I did not mean to sleep all day. I only meant to close my eyes for half an hour.”

He shifted his large hand to rest low on her abdomen. The warmth of his touch seared through her gown and chemise. She wondered if the imprint of his hand would appear on their babe when he or she was born.

“Well then, it’s a fine thing that ye won’t be working yerself to the bone for her ladyship.

I’ve something else in mind for us now, lass.

I’m hoping that ye’ll not fight me on this, and know that ye’ll be vexed with me for the near future, but I had to stand up for ye, lass.

Ye are more important to me than me own life.

No one is above ye. No one . We said vows before witnesses, the vicar, and the Lord.

Anyone who expects a man to just toss the woman he pledged his life to aside in favor of the man who pays his wages is dicked in the nob. ”

Her lips twitched as she fought not to smile. “Did you say dicked?”

“Aye.”

“In the nob?”

“Aye. Have ye never heard the expression before. ’Tis English.”

She had to smile. “Ah, in other words, you would say fecking eedjit .” His snort of laughter warmed her heart.

There was the man she loved. “Seamus, I love you, and I know it’s hard to understand, but I do not think the duke would ever expect you to set your own wife below his.

If I’m remembering the sequence of events as it was told to me, when the sixteen of you vowed to protect the duke and his wife with your lives, he was newly married to Her Grace. ”

“Aye. What of it?”

“But then Their Graces’ twins were born, and it added to those you were expected to protect.”

“The earl and countess married, and it was somewhere around that time that the duke received letters from his two distant cousins, the viscount and the baron. Both of whom married not long after, and the sixteen of us were put on a rotation between the duke’s properties, and the viscount’s home, and the baron’s home. What are ye getting at, lass?”

“That the duke has continued to add to those whom you were expected to protect since you vowed to do so, without asking you to include them—it was assumed you would.”

“’Twas our job, lass.”

“I understand that, husband, but you are missing the point. When did the duke finally decide that you no longer had to move from estate to estate to familiarize yourselves with his homes, staff, and local villagers?”

“I’m thinking it may have been around the time four of the O’Malleys had married and Garahan was about to be.”

“So His Grace did think enough of the married men in his guard not to take them away from their wives while they were stationed at his other residences.”

“So it would seem. As I wasn’t even thinking of marrying yet, I paid it no mind.”

“But now you are married, and I think it’s important that you bring the matter to His Grace’s attention.

He needs to meet with Patrick O’Malley and discuss it.

Attempts have been made on the lives of your cousins’ wives as well as the duke’s family.

Surely he must understand that his men should not be expected to believe their wives do not matter and are last in the line of those to protect. ”

“When ye put it that way, lass. I’m thinking it makes sense. But the viscount—”

“Let us not talk about his lordship right now. I’m hungry.”

Flaherty pressed a kiss to the top of her head and breathed deeply. “I don’t know that I deserve yer love, lass, but I’m willing to fight to keep it.”

“Then I expect that you will take this fight to the top and speak to His Grace.”

He eased back to glare at her. “And where will ye be?”

“Right beside you, Seamus.”

“Well now, we’d best see about feeding yerself and our son.”

“Daughter.”

He laughed. “Mayhap both. How do ye feel about twins?”

It was a bit later than she’d hoped to eat when they finally were able to stop at an inn. She remembered being here more than once, traveling back and forth to the duke’s town house on Grosvenor Square and Lippincott Manor and Chattsworth Manor in Sussex.

“Promise me that ye aren’t planning to leave me now that I walked away from me duties to the earl.”

“I promise, and it’s rude of you to think that I would. I don’t just love you because you are a member of the duke’s guard.”

“Were, lass. I left, remember?”

“You need to send a written resignation to His Grace for it to be official.”

“I’d better feed ye, lass. Ye’re peckish and getting grumpier.”

“I’m tired and hungry, Seamus.”

He nodded to the hostler at the inn, dismounted, and handed over the reins.

The older man smiled. “I thought I recognized you as one of the duke’s men. Flaherty isn’t it?”

“Aye. Me wife isn’t used to her condition yet,” Flaherty confided. “She’s tired and hungry.”

“Congratulations. I hadn’t heard that another of the duke’s men married. It’s not easy on our womenfolk when they are expecting. Happened to my wife all eight times.”

“Eight?” Just the idea had Mary Kate’s head feeling light and her limbs unsteady.

Flaherty scooped her off the back of his horse. “I do not want ye to faint on me, lass.”

“I’ll send one of the lads ahead of you to ensure they have a nice spot for you in one of the rooms at the back of the inn,” the hostler said. “A pot of tea and warm meal is what your wife needs.”

“And rest,” Flaherty added.

“Aye. I’ll take care of this fine gelding for you. I realize it is still early, but given your wife’s delicate condition, will you be staying the night?”

“We will.”

“I’ll settle him in for the night, and you can continue on your way in the morning, though if I may make a suggestion, you may want to think about renting a carriage.”

Flaherty frowned. “I’ve been discussing that with me wife, and think we should. Thank ye.”

“Mr. Flaherty, Mrs. Flaherty,” the innkeeper greeted them as Seamus carried Mary Kate inside. “Welcome to our inn. It has been a while.”

“Thank ye. Aye, it has.”

“Glad to have you back. I understand you’ll be staying the night, and that your wife needs a hot meal and pot of tea. Poor dear. Women have the hardest road in the making of a family.”

Mary Kate could not hide the fact that she was embarrassed by the innkeeper’s frank talk with her husband. Her face flamed, but she pretended not to notice and let Flaherty continue to do the talking. She was too tired to think, or talk, as she had done most of the talking on their way to the inn.

“I’m thinking it’ll get harder before it gets easier,” Flaherty mumbled.

“Follow me,” the innkeeper said. “I have just the spot where you can have a bit of privacy at a table off to the side in the back room.” He led them through the great room into one of the smaller rooms. Only one or two patrons were seated at the smattering of tables.

The man nodded to the customers and led Flaherty and Mary Kate to a table separate from the others.

“Your tea and a hot bowl of stew with dumplings will be served in just a few minutes.”

“We’re grateful. Thank ye.”

“My pleasure.”

Flaherty sat, but seemed loath to let go of Mary Kate. “Isn’t it going to be hard to eat and hold me at the same time?” she asked.

His expression darkened. “I’m afraid if I let ye go, ye’ll change yer mind and demand that I take ye back to Chattsworth Manor.”

She cupped his face in her hand. “I won’t change my mind. You are my husband, and I love you. I may not always understand the reasons you do things. I may, however, question what in the bloody hell you were thinking, but I won’t gainsay you.”

“Ah, Mary Kate Flaherty, ye are the only woman for me.”

“I should hope so. You married me.”

“That I did, lass. Now rest just a bit more in me arms. I’ll set ye on yer own seat when yer meal arrives.”

She soaked up some of his strength as they waited for their food to arrive.

One thing was certain—it was going to be a battle to ensure that the duke heard and understood just what his men had been going through.

It was high time someone pointed out to His Grace that he was ignoring the changing needs of his men as they married and started their own families.

Mary Kate believed she was going to be the one to do so—with a little help from Her Grace.