Page 27 of The Homecoming (The De Montforte Brothers #6)

W ith Lucien leading the way astride Armageddon, they arrived back at Blackheath to a small crowd.

Servants, family, children, and dogs, even Mary’s kitten, now safely cradled in Charlotte’s arms—they were all there, and they sent up a rousing hip hip, huzzah!

as Armageddon’s shod hooves clattered over the moat’s bridge, the coach right behind him.

Gabriel, running headlong, was the first to reach the vehicle as it came to a stop in front of the ancient, iron-banded doors.

“It worked!” he crowed. “Mary, you did it!”

She just smiled shyly and ran to her mother, who folded her in her arms and hugged her tight.

Charles swung down from Contender and handed the reins to a groom. He cleared his throat and waited for the clamor to subside, and his sister and her family to alight from the coach.

“Everyone,” he said loudly. “If I might have your attention.”

Voices stilled, and the small crowd looked at him, some in confusion, some in anticipation, one or two in worry. Lucien, still high atop his stallion, was gazing at something in the grass near the door.

“I want it to be known that from this day forward, I welcome Ruaidri O’Devir into this family with the same warmth, affection, and commitment that the rest of you have done.

I have been an absolute boor, unwilling to give my new brother the chance he deserved, unwilling, even, to accept that my little sister has the right to make her own choices and set the course for her own life.

She is all grown up now, and it has been hard for me to see that.

To acknowledge it. To accept that her protector is no longer a brother but a husband.

Ruaidri has proven his love for her, and he has done more for this family in the few days that he’s been here than some have done in a lifetime.

” He turned to Ruaidri, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

“Ruaidri, I apologized earlier, but I wanted these words said for all to hear. Welcome to the family.”

More cheers, and Ruaidri bowed his head in acknowledgement of his brother-in-law’s earnest apology.

“You’re not still leaving, are you, Uncle Charles?”

Charles flashed a smile. “No, Laura, we are not. And neither are Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Ruaidri and little Aidan. I think it’s safe to say we’re all starting over.”

Reaching down to hug little Mary, he made his way to the house.

Lucien’s gaze went again to the spot in the grass toward which his brother was heading, his brother who had managed to salvage both his pride and his relationship with his sister and her husband, his rather stiff, rather upstanding brother who didn’t see—

“ What the— ”

Lucien merely arched a brow and stifled a grin as Charles’s shoe slid in the grass and he went down in a heap, landing hard on his bottom.

“That infernal puppy!”

The children howled with laughter as their uncle, the taciturn military officer who was always so serious and dignified, hurriedly got to his feet. He took a step, frowned, and then lifted his foot, grimacing as he examined the bottom of his shoe.

Gareth was snickering, Andrew’s mouth was twitching, and even Lucien’s dark eyes were sparkling with mischief.

“Guess we missed one,” Gareth said, without contrition.

Charles started to head to the boot scraper mounted on the steps when Lucien’s voice drifted down from aboard Armageddon.

“I daresay, Charles, there is something in that ... pile, that bears closer inspection,” he murmured.

“What?”

“The dog shit,” Ruaidri whispered, leaning close so the children couldn’t hear. “There’s something in it.”

Charles opened his mouth, shocked. He looked up at Lucien. “You want me to go digging in ... in dog diarrhea?”

“Get your uncle a stick, Gabriel,” Lucien said, and the boy ran to the copper beech that had broken the night before, its great limb still sprawled over the grass, the russet leaves already beginning to curl. He snapped off a branch, raced back to the group, and offered the stick to Charles.

“What is it, Uncle Charles?”

Laura, Mary, and even Charlotte, wrinkling her nose, moved forward, watching as their proud, dignified uncle took the stick and started poking around in puppy poop.

“I’ll be d—” Charles caught himself before he could curse in the presence of women and children. “Is that—”

“Sure looks like it from up here,” Lucien drawled.

Charles dug the stick into the grass and lifted something high, his mouth falling open.

“It’s Mama’s ring!” Mary cried.

“How did it get in ... in puppy poop?” Laura asked, stepping backward in horror.

“My dear children,” Lucien said smoothly. “Little Turnip ate everything else he could find. And he was still in the room where the ring was set on the table when most of us retired for the night. It’s obvious his stomach is where the ring has been the entire time.”

The children squealed, proper exclamations of disgust were made, and a servant, holding his nose, stepped forward and accepted the stick from Lord Charles on which hung the priceless band of gold and the jewels that encrusted it.

“I will take care of this and see that it is properly ... cleaned, my lord ... your Grace.”

“Thank you, Puddyford.”

Lucien swung down from the stallion, gave him over to a waiting groom, and headed toward the stairs, carefully avoiding the spot where Charles had come to such grief.

Two by two they went up the steps and then back into the ancient home that had witnessed births and deaths, weddings and funerals, the comings and goings and daily life of generations of de Montfortes.

The children first, racing back into the castle with whooping, uncivilized cries of joy that had the adults pretending such behavior was to be lamented while they themselves held back such outward expressions of their own delight.

Andrew and Celsie, with the puppy gnawing on the tongue of Andrew’s shoe as he tried to move.

Gareth and Juliet, glancing over their shoulders at Nerissa and Amy, who walked just behind them, and a few feet farther back, Charles and Ruaidri, sharing tentative grins as they followed the others inside.

“Let’s have a second cup of tea, Ruaidri, and then it will be my pleasure to give you a proper tour of the house and grounds.

I’ll show you where Nerissa rode her first pony .

.. where the view of the downs is the very best .

.. where a long time ago, we found a hedgehog before we knew not to touch it and paid dearly for our curiosity. ”

“On horseback?” the Irishman asked, raising a brow.

“By God, no. We will walk. There is so much more to see on foot, don’t you think?”

A distance behind them, the fifth duke and duchess of Blackheath, arms linked, followed, sharing a secret smile between them.

“Did you know that ring was in the dog’s poop?” Eva asked. “Is that why you didn’t have it cleaned up and allowed Charles to step in it?”

“My dear Eva ... there are many depths to which I might sink but that, I can assure you, is not one of them.”

“I wonder,” she said, giving him a sideways glance.

“In any case, the mystery is solved, our new brother is absolved, and that is that.”

They paused, arm in arm, lingering a moment on the steps before heading inside to join the others. He drew her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh.

“All’s well that ends well,” Eva said, with relief.

Lucien just smiled. “Ah, my dear... Nothing is ending,” he murmured. “Indeed, I daresay it is just beginning.”

— The end —