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Chapter Twenty-Four

S everal minutes later, Kitty and Hastings arrived in the foyer, as promised.

Caden and Randall swooped in to escort Kitty to the shoot site. “We promise not to start without you,” his brother said with a grin before the three disappeared down the hall.

Zeke turned to Hastings. “If you’ll follow me?”

They walked a short distance in silence during which Zeke considered mentioning anything from the weather to what he’d almost eaten for breakfast. For some reason, he didn’t feel comfortable with the lapse in conversation.

Maybe because he and Hastings were strangers with a lot at stake between them, all housed in the form of one pretty package named Kitty.

He drew a deep breath and pushed past his instinct to hide behind small talk. “Lord Hastings, you can’t know what your return means to my fiancé. She has spoken of you so often, I feel I almost know you.”

“Lord Thurgood, I have missed my sister every bit as much as she’s missed me, I assure you.”

And there it was, Zeke realized grimly. He had claimed Kitty as his fiancée, and Hastings had responded in kind, referring to her as his sister.

He was probably making something out of nothing. What had that woman done to him?

Hastings shook his head and continued, absently twisting a pinkie ring. “These last two years, there were times I longed for home so much I almost wished for death, rather than face another day in the hands of my captors.”

Zeke’s brows shot up. “It was like that, was it?”

They had nearly reached the bachelor’s wing, and Hastings’ guest bedchamber.

“Touching foot on English soil never felt so good. Of course, the first thing on my agenda was to make my way back home to my sister.”

“Of course.” Zeke fought the urge to claim her again. “I hope you’ll share a bit of your recent history with the earl and I. If there’s anything we can do to help smooth your return, please let us know.”

He drew to a halt in front Hastings chamber. “Here we are.” He opened the guest door and stood aside.

“Certainly I’ll bore you all with tales of my trials and tribulations. We’ll have time enough for that, now we’re to be family.” Hastings punctuated his words with a warm smile, giving Zeke a glimpse of the famous charm Kitty was always boasting about.

Hastings hesitated, one foot across the threshold. “Lord Thurgood, tell me, is my cousin staying in a room in this wing, as well? Perhaps one near mine?”

“Yes. Is it going to be a problem, being near him?”

Hastings patted his waistcoat absently, and Zeke noted the flash of gold on his hand. The pinkie ring he’d been twisting. It looked similar, if not an exact replica of the ring Kitty wore around her neck, the one having belonged to the recently deceased baron.

“Oh, gracious, no. I simply need to have a talk with him, sooner than later, preferably.”

“I imagine you have many things to discuss with the man,” Zeke said.

“Yes.” Hastings once again twisted his ring.

“I couldn’t help noticing your pinkie ring. It reminds me of one Kitty once showed me,” Zeke said, curiosity getting the better of him.

He held out his hand, regarding the band. “One and the same. It belonged to my grandfather. Kitty just gave it to me. It feels like a good omen, wearing the old man’s ring.”

So she had given her brother the ring, the sentimental fool. The backs of Zeke’s eyes stung suddenly.

“Your things should already be unpacked, the bed turned down. There’s a toilet with running water just there.” He pointed to a door down the hall.

“And, uh, you’ll let me know which is James’ chamber?” Collin asked.

He was in a hurry, then, wasn’t he? Zeke supposed he couldn’t blame the man, considering he’d come home to find his grandfather dead, his sister gone, and his inheritance relinquished to another.

“The one at the end of the hall on the left.”

Hastings reached out to squeeze his shoulder. He fixed Zeke with a steady gaze. “Thank you, Lord Thurgood. For everything. For taking care of my Kitty, seeing to her wellbeing when fate took me away from her. Hopefully it hasn’t been too much of a burden on your family.”

“Kitty is…” He paused and blew out a breath. “She’s worth any amount of trouble,” he said finally, finishing with a soft laugh when he realized he meant every word.

***

“I thought we’d take the long way. We have some time to kill since Zeke’s meeting us, and if I haven’t missed my guess, you’ve never taken this particular route.” Caden guided her to a narrow footpath opening off the eastern edge of the property, with Randall taking up the rear.

“Thank you, my lord. You guessed correctly.” Holding her hat with one gloved hand, she tilted her head up to regard a cloudless, blue sky.

It would be hot later, but at not quite ten o’clock, the air still held a pleasant chill.

She inhaled and caught the sweet scent of yesterday’s rains hanging in the air.

“My dear, let me say again I fully understand if you want to cry off. It’s not every day one’s long lost brother returns to the fold.” Caden fixed her with an assessing eye.

She linked her hands behind her back, and regarded the tips of her boots as they peeked out from the folds of her yellow walking skirt.

“Collin has the right of it. If I stay indoors, I’ll be climbing the walls, waiting for him to emerge from his chambers.

A day spent out-of-doors while he rests is just the thing. ”

“In that case,” Caden said with a jaunty grin, “the markers are in place, the targets spaced properly and staked into the ground, pistols are oiled, bullets laid out—”

“—I’ve brought refreshments.” Randall cut in, patting a canvas bag he wore slung over his shoulder.

“Oh?” she asked.

“Whiskey,” Caden and Randall said in unison.

Kitty laughed. “I see.”

“We have much to toast,” Randall said with a wink at Kitty. “Seriously. With the return of Lord Hastings, not only do you get your brother back from the dead, but your whole world changes for the better.” He paused. “Your brother will take over as your guardian, will he not?”

“Randall, no need to get into the nuts and bolts of the thing just now. It’s enough to celebrate he’s alive at the moment,” Caden said before Kitty could answer.

“Quite right,” Randall agreed. “Please know we are very, very happy for you, my lady.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

The group fell into an easy silence, punctuated by the sound of boots scraping along the stone path.

But Kitty’s mind was far from quiet. Her thoughts spun so fast she felt dizzy.

Lord Randall was right. Everything was different now Collin was back. Garrick’s guardianship would be no more. His say over her life, null and void. Which meant…

She was free. No more looming threat of a lifetime of marriage to Garrick.

She didn’t have to marry Zeke.

She stumbled a little, and Randall caught her by the elbow. “My lady, are you all right?”

She nodded numbly and murmured an apology.

Collin was back, she scolded herself fiercely. She ought to be thrilled, and she was. So why did she feel like she might be sick any moment? Like she’d had too much candy. Like she’d just lost someone dear to her forever.

She concentrated on breathing. On placing one foot in front of the other. On not stumbling again or doing anything equally as foolish— like crying.

Silly little fool. She had her brother back, alive and well. Everything else was secondary.

Besides, now Zeke could keep running toward whatever it was he sought out there in the great unknown, and she wouldn’t have to suffer a lifelong commitment to a man who openly avowed never to love her.

To think, just an hour ago, she’d wrestled with how best to accept his marriage proposal. Thank goodness she hadn’t actually spoken the words. How much worse it would have been to have him rescind his offer.

What was she thinking? Zeke was honorable to his toes. He wouldn’t break things off. Instead, he’d feel honor bound to marry her.

“Hello, brother.” Caden’s voice crashed through her private storm of emotions.

Heading in their direction, Zeke’s long legs closed the distance with ground eating strides. “I hurried down and found the match site very much deserted. I’d begun to think Kitty had changed her mind about the outing.” He maneuvered himself into position beside her.

“Our Kitty’s a trooper,” Caden said.

“Why the devil did you come this way, anyway?” Zeke asked.

“Because I wanted to give you time to take care of Hastings, and because I figured our girl hadn’t taken this route.” Caden craned his head to see past Zeke to Kitty. “I’ll be happy to point out some interesting sights we’ll be passing shortly.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I would appreciate it ever so much.”

Zeke picked up his pace, all but dragging her with him so they moved ahead of Caden and Randall. “That’s all well and good, but we haven’t the time,” he said crisply. “I’ll be happy to take you on a tour of the property another afternoon, my lady.”

“Very well,” she said, slightly taken aback.

“Are we in a hurry?” Caden asked Zeke. “If it’s Lord Hastings you’re worried about, I gave specific instructions for a footman to send word if he should awaken before we return, as you very well know.”

Kitty glanced behind her at Caden in delighted surprise. “Did you? How very considerate of you.”

“I live to serve,” he said with a grin.

“I only meant the weather may turn foul again,” Zeke muttered.

Randall darted a few paces ahead of them and pivoted in a broad circle, his hand to his brow, his face upturned to the blue skies. “Because the clouds on the horizon look so fierce?”

Kitty laughed.

“Everyone made fun of Noah, as well,” Zeke groused, though a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, then covered her hand with his. She delighted in the small gesture. For now, she belonged here, with Zeke.