Page 24 of The Duke’s Sharpshooter (The Duke’s Guard #14)

Incensed that the man and her daughter were not listening to her demands, or thinking of Maddy’s safety, she yelled. “Now!”

“Now what, Mum?”

“Madeline Mary Johnson!”

“Uh oh… Mum used all my names, Just Flaherty.”

“Don’t worry, Maddy-lass. I’ll protect ye.”

She heard her daughter gasp, and worry for her daughter’s safety and what she could not see had her yelling, “There had better not be any truth to gargoyles of stone turning into gargoyles in the flesh at twilight, Flaherty!”

Her mind envisioned all sorts of disasters happening just out of her sight until she heard Maddy say, “I saw that statue move! Come up, Mum. You can watch them come alive with us!”

Frustration abruptly exploded into fear-laced anger.

Incensed, Temperance hiked up the hem of her gown, draped it over one arm, and grabbed hold of the ladder.

She would show those two! One rung at a time, she pulled herself to the top of the ladder.

She was afraid of heights, but did not give in to the temptation to look down.

Reaching the top, she tried to step off the ladder, but her hem got caught, and she made the mistake of looking over her shoulder. The ground seemed so far away!

Just like she had in the kitchen, Temperance froze. Unable to move or make a sound, she gripped the top rung until her knuckles turned white.

“Easy, lass. I’ve got ye.”

Her eyes met Flaherty’s. The concern in his gaze was her undoing. She wobbled.

Before she could scream, she found herself wrapped tight in his arms. “If ye’re afraid of heights, why in the bloody hell did ye climb up?”

“I did not give you permission to bring my daughter up here!”

“Forgive me. Maddy has been asking me to bring her up. I thought it would make her happy and give ye more time to rest.”

“Rest? How can I close my eyes when I’m afraid she’ll disappear again?” She hated losing her temper or her composure.

“I wanted to see faeries, Mum. A maid said they live by the meadow pond.”

“Why didn’t you wake me? I would have taken you.”

“You were worried about that man this morning. You would have said no.”

How could she respond to that without admitting that her four-year-old knew more about her than she knew about her own daughter? She was more than worried about the man who’d been spying on them—she was terrified. When her emotions were high, she tended to lash out in anger.

As she did so now. “You are never to leave without telling anyone ever again—no matter where we live! Understand?”

Maddy’s shoulders sagged. “I uverstand .”

A deep rumble that sounded like a growl had her glancing at the man standing beside her. “Ye’ll not take yer ire out on the wee lamb when ’tis meself ye’re truly angry with.”

“Are you telling me how to raise my daughter?”

“As she’s been following me everywhere these last few days, telling me how many times she’s slept in a barn, or under the trees, eaten what she knew was yer last crust of bread?

Ye’d best believe that I am! Ye haven’t enough sense left to realize that ye need looking after, or that I’m the man ye need! ”

Temperance could not believe the gall of the man. “You are not her father.” As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. But Flaherty absorbed her barb without returning fire. “Well?” she demanded.

“Ye’d be right about that, Temperance.” He held her gaze and rasped, “’Tisn’t for lack of trying. I offered marriage to ye, but I’m thinking I should have offered to take ye to see the physician so he could examine yer hard head.”

“How dare you speak to me like that?”

“As a man of sense, how could I not?”

“Maddy, come here.” Temperance held out her hand. “We’re leaving.”

Flaherty slowly smiled. “And just how do ye plan to climb down if ye’re afraid of heights?”

“I never said I was.”

“Ye did not have to, lass. ’Twas plain as day to anyone watching ye.”

She swallowed against the tight lump in her throat, and asked the question she had an overwhelming urge to know the answer to: “Have you been watching me, Flaherty?”

“Aye.”

“Why?”

“I’m not blind, lass.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Maddy-lass, has yer ma hit her head lately?”

Temperance snorted, then immediately tried to cover up the fact that he’d made her laugh when she was trying to stay mad at him.

Instead of laughing with her, he frowned. “’Tisn’t funny, lass. I’m worried about yer brainbox, and ye’re standing beside me insisting that ye’re going to leave, hauling yer daughter down the ladder, when I’m concerned that ye’ll drop her when ye pass out from yer fear of heights.”

“I am perfectly capable.”

He closed the small gap between them and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “I never said ye weren’t, lass. If ye are bound and determined to leave, let me take Maddy down first. Ye’ll have to sit and wait for me to come back and help ye descend the ladder.”

“But Maddy will be all alone down there.”

“According to ye, she’ll be safer on the ground than up here in the dark with the shadows and gargoyles.”

He was right. She did not want her daughter on the roof at all.

Temperance inclined her head. “You do make an excellent point.”

“Has anyone ever told you that ye’re a—”

“Anyone need help climbing down?” Garahan was grinning at the two of them from his perch at the top of the ladder. “We heard the commotion and came to offer assistance.”

“Who is we ?” Temperance asked.

“Patrick O’Malley and meself. He was the one who suggested we both come looking for ye when I told him Maddy was up here with Flaherty and ye’d gone to fetch her. I’ll hold on to Maddy and climb down, while O’Malley waits at the bottom of the ladder in case I lose me hold on her.”

Flaherty retorted, “ I’ll be bringing the lass down. Then I’ll be climbing back up for her ma. Is that clear?”

Garahan laughed in his face. “As mud.”

Maddy wrinkled her nose. “Mud isn’t clear.”

Flaherty sighed. “Ye have the right of it Maddy-lass. Now then, since Garahan is already here, and O’Malley is waiting on the ground to help, why don’t I carry ye over to the ladder? Ye’re to hold tight to Garahan while he takes ye down.”

Maddy was quick to agree. “He can help me because he’s not arguing with Mum.”

Garahan sounded as if he were choking and about to burst into gales of laughter. Flaherty glared at his cousin, sending a silent message to shut his mouth, or it would be shut for him.

Flaherty led Maddy over to the ladder, where Garahan waited. “Put yer arms around Garahan’s neck and do not let go. Understand?”

“I uverstand .”

*

“Yer ma is worried about ye being up here with meself and the gargoyles. ’Tis the quickest way down if Garahan takes ye. When ye get to the bottom, let Patrick take yer hand and stay with him. He’ll protect ye the same as Garahan and meself would.”

Maddy stared at her feet long enough that Flaherty worried that the little girl would refuse to go. Finally she asked, “Why would they help me?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Garahan asked. “Flaherty loves ye like ye were his own. As his cousins, we vow to protect whoever Flaherty takes a shine to.” He looked over his shoulder and called down, “Isn’t that right, O’Malley?”

“Aye,” his deep voice boomed. “Now hurry it up—we’ve shifts to man, and a duchess’s worries to soothe.”

Temperance grabbed hold of Flaherty’s free hand. “What’s wrong with the duchess?”

“Do ye mean ye don’t know?”

“I’ve been up here. How would I know?”

Garahan cleared his throat, and Flaherty scrubbed a hand over his face. “She’ll be worried about yerself and Maddy because by now she’s heard that ye were screeching at me.”

“I never raised my voice to you!”

Flaherty smirked. “How is it then, that Garahan and Patrick heard ye clear as day?”

“Sound carries from the rooftop,” Patrick rumbled from the bottom of the ladder.

“There ye have it, lass,” Flaherty said. “Sound carries.” Turning to Maddy, he asked, “Are ye ready?”

“It’s wee cailín !”

Flaherty grinned. “That ye are, mo chroí .”

“What’s that mean?”

“Me heart.”

She wrapped her arms around Flaherty’s knees. “Will you be my papa?”

He couldn’t speak for a moment and had to collect himself.

God help him, he wanted to be her da almost as much as he wanted to be husband to her ma.

But it was not up to him. Temperance had to accept him for who he was…

the duke’s sharpshooter! He rarely missed whatever he aimed at.

The duke counted on his skill to protect his family.

Temperance had not confided much, if anything, about her first husband, but Flaherty had heard the man was rumored to have perished in a cave-in at a coal mine.

Would she accept him if he left the dangerous job he’d sworn an oath to?

That was a question for another time. Not now. Now he had to hug Maddy and help her grab hold of Aiden. “Garahan’s waiting.”

“Will you say yes, if Mum does?”

“In a heartbeat.” He passed her to Garahan, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his cousin’s neck to the point where Garahan sounded like he was gagging.

“Not so tight, Maddy,” her mother implored her.

“Aye, Mum.” She loosened just a bit, but it was enough for Garahan.

“There’s a lass. Hold tight, don’t look down, and above all—don’t let go!”

“I won’t!”

Flaherty watched the little charmer bury her face against his cousin’s neck and make herself into as tiny a ball as possible. Without turning around, he said, “Ye’ve raised her to be a brave lass, Temperance. Her da is smiling down on ye right now, as pleased as I am.”

She placed a hand to his chest. “Do you think so?”

“Aye, mo ghrá .”

“What does that mean?”

“Me love.”

Temperance leaned into him, close enough that his lips were a whisper away.

“We’re safe on the ground!” Garahan said.

O’Malley called out, “Kiss her already, so ye can return to your posts!”

Flaherty did not bother to ask how his cousin knew he was about to kiss the lass, nor did he bother to answer him. Temperance did not bat an eyelash at O’Malley’s suggestion. She was waiting to see what he would do.