Page 44 of The Highlander Who Protected Me

Soon she wouldn’t have him to worry about her, ever again.

She sat quietly, watching as he conferred with his coachman and supervised the grooms who were loading the last bit of luggage. As usual, he managed everything with a natural sense of command.

“That young man is certainly impressive,” Aunt Margaret said as she joined Ainsley. “I confess I will miss him.”

“You’ll miss the fact that he’s so handsome.”

Her aunt gave her a sharp look. “You finally realized that, did you?”

“Aunt Margaret, I always realized it.”

“Then more fool you for not acting on it. Kendrick would have made a better husband than all those frippery Londoners who hang about your skirts.”

Ainsley was well aware of that, which was rather adding insult to injury at this point. “It’s water under the bridge now.”

Her aunt glanced at the baby. “Did you name her yet?”

“Yes, Tira, after Royal’s mother.” She leaned down and kissed her baby’s forehead. “Do you hear that, darling? You have the most splendid name.”

Aunt Margaret sighed. “You’ve spent too much time with her, Ainsley. It’s not good for you.”

She had to swallow before answering. “I know it was stupid. I don’t know how I’m going to say good-bye. It feels impossible.”

To lose either Tira or Royal. Ainsley had thought that grief for her daughter would push everything else to the side, so it shocked her how much she was going to miss him. She’d come to realize that her heart was much bigger than she’d ever thought, which meant there was that much more to break.

Her aunt rested a gentle hand on Ainsley’s shoulder. “You will say good-bye because you know it is the right thing to do. You and this child both deserve a good life, a happy life. Thanks to Royal Kendrick, your baby will have one. As for yourself . . . that is up to you, my dear.”

“As long as Tira is safe, that’s enough for me.” It would have to be enough, because Ainsley knew she would never be truly happy. How could she be, with most of her heart forever left behind at Castle Kinglas?

“Things will get better, I promise,” her aunt said. “Someday you will find a good man to marry, and you will bear more children.”

Ainsley looked into her baby’s face, trying to memorize every sweet curve and line. “I don’t want to get married. I only want to be with her.”

“Fah, now you’re talking nonsense. You were born to marry a great man, my dear, and to take your rightful place in society.”

She cast her aunt an exasperated glance. “Like you did?”

Aunt Margaret waved a hand. “That’s entirely different. I was too independent to be married. Besides, I never found anyone who inspired me to even consider fidelity to one man, much less the wedded state.”

Ainsley shifted, wincing slightly with pain. “Considering what I just went through a few days ago, a life of celibacy sounds fairly appealing at the moment.”

“Now, what would be the fun in that?” her aunt said.

Ainsley shook her head in disbelief. If she never had sex again, she would count herself lucky. In her case, the act of creating a baby had been a great deal more distressing than actually having the baby.

Stays creaking, her aunt bent down to look her in the eye. “Ainsley, you had a terrible experience with a villain, and I’m more sorry for that than I can say. But it needn’t be that way with a man, I assure you. In fact, itshouldn’tbe that way.”

“It’s not something I can think about right now,” Ainsley said, sighing.

Her aunt straightened up. “I would like to murder Cringlewood with my bare hands. Slowly and very, very painfully.”

“Get in line behind me,” Ainsley said.

Royal came back inside, his open greatcoat swinging around the top of his tall, polished boots.

“The carriage is loaded,” he said. “I’m very sorry, but we must be underway.”

“Where is the wet nurse?” asked Lady Margaret.

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