“Perhaps you’d better.”
By the time the butler had explained the wild series of events, Ashton was no closer to understanding what he had been told.
“Rafe has taken a fatherly fancy to an orphan? Shelton, are you quite certain it is my brother were talking about, not some other fellow? The last time he was left alone with a child he threw himself out a window and into a prickly patch of roses to escape the child . . . who couldn’t even walk.”
“Quite certain, my lord. Miss Isla is a darling child, and she has been through too much for one so young. Even the staff here adore her, and she was only here a day.”
“And you’re certain they are bound for Castle Kincade?” Brock asked. Shelton answered with a nod.
“How did we miss them on the road coming in last night?” Ashton asked his brother-in-law.
“It isna hard. Brodie knows many ways to reach the castle. They could have easily avoided the main roads.”
“Just like you did when you stole Joanna away?” Ashton’s tone was sardonic.
“I didna steal my wife, man. She came willingly. You know that as well as I do.” Brock’s expression turned into that thunderous look only the Kincades seemed to manage.
“Regardless, we’ll have to wait for the women to arrive before we head off again. Damn Rafe and his cat-and-mouse nonsense.”
“Well, taking the back roads will add time to their travel, which works in our favor. Still, I worry about Joanna and all this travel. She thinks I dinna ken her little secret, but I do.”
“What secret?” Ashton said, worry suddenly knotting his stomach. If anything was wrong with his sister . . .
“She’s in the family way. She’s been sneaking out of bed in the morning and becoming sick each day in our bathing chamber. She’s been hiding it from me, but I sleep lighter than she thinks I do.”
Ashton stared at him. “Joanna is with child? Why, that’s wonderful. I have the strangest urge to shoot you and then pour you a drink.” Ashton grinned. “And so long as we are sharing secrets, Rosalind is two months along. We have been waiting until we are sure, but I might as well share the news with you.”
Brock returned Ashton’s smile. “Let’s say we both forgo the pistols and find the whiskey instead.”
“Excellent idea.” Ashton led Brock into the drawing room, all thoughts of Brodie momentarily forgotten.
Castle Kincade looked like something out of a fairytale to Lydia. As she and Isla stepped out of the coach, Lydia got her first true look at the tall, gray stone castle, which stood like a protective wolf on the sloping hill. A person could see it from miles around, since the castle was on high ground. A lovely lake lay in one direction and a vast forest in the other.
“It’s lovely,” Lydia told Brodie as he joined her next to the entrance. A tall wooden door covered with ironmongery made the entrance look rather imposing. Brodie raised the heavy knocker and brought it down on the wood four times.
The door opened a minute later, and a man stared back at them.
“Master Brodie!” the man exclaimed. “We didn’t know ye would be coming. His lordship just left for Edinburgh yesterday to find you.”
Brodie winced a little. They got lucky missing them along the way, but how long would their luck hold out? “Morning, Tate. How about we keep my coming home a secret for a few days, eh?”
Lydia bit her lip nervously as the man called Tate nodded and called for two footmen to remove the luggage from their coach.
“I shall endeavor to do my best. Master Aiden will wish to see you. He remained here, should you arrive,” Tate said.
“Good to know. Oh, Tate, you must remember Mr. Rafe Lennox from a few weeks ago?”
“Indeed, sir. Welcome back, Mr. Lennox.” Tate bowed to Rafe. He had been here only a few weeks ago to visit Joanna, something Lydia had learned while they rode here.
“This is Miss Lydia Hunt, and the wee one is Miss Isla Mackenzie.”
Tate smiled at Lydia and blushed when Isla grinned up at him and held out a tiny hand, which the steward shook with great solemnity.
“Miss Hunt will stay with me. Please see that Isla has a room close to ours.”
“Yes, Master Brodie.” Tate did not question that Brodie and Lydia were to share a room, and Lydia was grateful for that. She had no desire to face the scandalized glares of servants.
“Where is Aiden, Tate? I might as well face him now.”
“Out, sir. For his usual walk.”
“Bloody hell,” Brodie muttered.
“What’s the matter?” Lydia asked in a whisper.
“He’ll be gone a good three or four hours,” Brodie replied with a frown.
“Why would he be gone so long?” Lydia asked.
“Aiden is the gentlest of the four of us. Our father saw that gentleness as a weakness and hurt Aiden at every possible turn. My brother only feels safe when he’s in the woods amongst his wee beasties.”
Lydia put her arm through Brodie’s and leaned into him, hugging him from the side. “I hate that you’ve all suffered so much.”
Brodie gently shrugged free of her touch. He bent down and scooped up Isla and started telling the child all about the old lairds of the castle. Lydia tried to ignore the prick of pain in her chest as he walked away from her. It felt like a dismissal.
“Do not take it personally, kitten,” Rafe said. “No man likes to share the darker parts of himself, especially with a woman he cares about.”
“Why not?”
“Men think they must be impenetrable and without weakness. For one who has lived a charmed life, like myself, it’s of little matter, but Kincade has a dark and painful side that he will never wish to share with you. It’s best to leave it alone.” Rafe gently patted her shoulder before he followed Brodie and Isla upstairs.
Lydia lingered in the grand hall for a time, looking over the woodland tapestries and a pair of portraits from the eighteenth century. She couldn’t resist taking a closer look at those. She could see Brodie in the faces of the two Scottish lords who were proudly wearing their kilts with the unique Kincade plaid. She explored the corridors of the lower part of the castle and stopped at the library.
It was a grand room with shelves that went fifteen feet high. Tall ladders with wheels on the bottom could roll along the shelves to aid someone exploring the topmost parts of the library. Sunlight came into the room, illuminating the gilded spines of the books.
Lydia’s heart stirred with excitement. Already this was her favorite room. She trailed a finger down a row of books that led to a cozy window seat. She heard a soft fluttering above her head and discovered a tiny owl that could fit in her hands was watching her from its nest.
“Hello there,” she said, smiling up at the owl. It gave a soft series of hoots, as its head rotated toward the door.
“Ach, I see you found our resident librarian.” Brodie stood in the doorway, relaxed with his arms crossed.
“Yes, he’s quite a handsome one.” Lydia turned her gaze back to the owl. The boundary of the sunlight from the tall windows just reached the base of his nest, making the loose feathers glint silver and gold.
Brodie joined her, winding one arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. He did not apologize or explain why he had pulled away earlier, but Lydia wasn’t angry with him, only sad that he didn’t wish to let her in.