Page 48 of The Highlander Who Protected Me

“And this is Mrs. Monroe,” he said. “My daughter’s wet nurse. If you could get her settled, I would be—”

“Royal, what the hell is going on here?” his oldest brother barked from the back of the hall.

Nick strode toward him, looking thunderous. Victoria scurried along in his wake, trying to catch up with him.

“You really brought a baby here,” Nick said when he reached them. “I could hardly believe my eyes when I read that nonsensical message you sent.”

“Yes, and if you wake her, I’ll have to murder you,” Royal said in a low voice. The baby had stirred at the commotion but thankfully, still slumbered.

“I’ll take Mrs. Monroe to the kitchen,” Taffy said. “And then send tea up to the drawing room.”

“The library is warmer,” said Angus, popping up seemingly out of nowhere. “Don’t want the wee one catchin’ a chill, now.”

Royal frowned. “Where did you come from? And where are the blasted dogs?”

Angus was invariably followed about by a pack of Skye terriers. His grandfather’s darlings, they were badly behaved and yappy. Royal had every intention of keeping them as far from Tira as possible.

“I locked them in the stables.” Angus leaned in to peer at the baby. “They won’t be disturbin’ the bairn.”

“Oh, she’s beautiful,” said Victoria, crowding close behind Angus to look at the baby. “Can I hold her?”

For the life of him, Royal couldn’t help gazing at Tira with pride. Victoria was right—shewasbeautiful. And she was now his, to love and cherish. She would be the only child he would ever have, and was all the more precious for it. She might not be his by blood, but she would be his daughter by every other measure that mattered.

“In a bit,” he said, smiling at his sister-in-law. “She just fell asleep, and I don’t want to jog her awake.”

Victoria wrinkled her nose. “Spoilsport. I do think, however—”

“AndIthink someone had better explain himself,” Nick said, thankfully keeping his voice down. “What are you doing with a newborn infant, Royal? Or do I even want to know?”

Royal calmly met his brother’s gaze. “She’s my daughter.”

His comment was met by stunned silence. Nick’s imperious features went completely blank for several long seconds before his brows snapped together in a monumental scowl. Stormy weather was definitely blowing in.

Royal glanced over to the central staircase where Andrew and Robert, the other footman, were taking a great deal of time to organize the luggage. The Kinglas servants were devoted to the family, but except for Taffy, they tended to be a rare pack of gossips. In this case, that served his purpose. The more word got around that Tira was his natural daughter, the better.

“Your daughter,” Nick blankly repeated.

Royal nodded.

“Now, don’t overreact, my lord,” Victoria said to her husband.

Nick stared at her in disbelief before his flinty gaze snapped back to Royal. “Who, may I ask, is the mother?”

“You don’t know her.”

“Tell me anyway,” Nick said.

“She’s a barmaid from Inveraray. Obviously, the lass was not in any position to raise a child, so I offered to take her.” He glanced down at the sleeping babe in his arms. “How could I not?”

Nick scoffed. “Inveraray. That doesn’t make any sense. Nine months ago, you could barely sit a horse.”

“I took a carriage up north for a week or so, remember? Visiting friends?”

“But you don’t have any friends up—”

Victoria clamped a hand on her husband’s arm. “Perhaps we should repair to the library for this discussion.”

“Aye,” said Angus, who’d leaned in even closer and was making ridiculous faces at Tira. “Don’t want the bairn to catch a chill out here in the hall.”

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