by Wendy Vella
“As are we,” Dev said, waving a hand at Cam.
“Yes,” Wolf said before he could stop himself. The men smiled. “But I will need your assurances that you will work this also, as I....” His words fell away. He had told no one about his problem with noise.
“What?” Dev demanded.
“The noise sometimes affects me,” Wolf said slowly. He should have told them before; they deserved that and so much more from him.
“What noise?”
“Loud noise.”
“You live in London.”
“I know where I live, thank you, Dev. It is not the everyday noises, just the loud ones.” Which made no sense to anyone but him.
Cam appeared at his brother’s side. “And you are only telling us this now?”
“I dealt with it,” Wolf said, deciding on honesty. “But sometimes it catches me by surprise.”
“Loud noises catch all of us by surprise sometimes. But this is more, isn’t it?” Cam asked.
It was the Sinclair way to poke at something until it was thoroughly explored. Wolf usually didn’t mind this unless he was the recipient, but after the morning he’d had, he was past caring.
“Loud noises that replicate what you experienced, do you mean?” Dev’s green eyes were bright; he had made the leap and understood what Wolf was saying.
Wolf nodded.
“Perhaps Eden will lend you a set of earplugs then, cousin,” Cam said, lightening the moment.
“Perhaps,” Wolf said. “Now shall we continue the tour?” His cousins nodded, although Dev’s eyes lingered on him.
“Let me show you something else that I think may be of interest,” Max said, leading the way out of the building once more.
The land wasn’t being worked, but it had potential, Wolf thought. He could implement some of the farming practices he’d been researching.
“Who owns this?”
“A Mr. Friedlander, and he wishes to be rid of it,” Max said. “Sees no potential in the place.”
“And yet there is.” Wolf looked around, spinning on one heel. “The land could prosper, and this building produce. With the right investments and time, it could be a worthy venture.”
“Exactly.” James clapped him on the back as they walked. “Friend of yours?”
A small, black, ugly dog sat between Apollo’s front legs as they approached.
“No.” Wolf looked around but saw no sign of an owner. Not overly large, the dog had short black hair and bulbous eyes. In fact, it was possibly the ugliest dog he had ever seen. Scruffy, thin, and obviously in need of food, it looked pathetic. He felt a sharp pain in his chest seeing the animal’s distress.
“He’s hurt, Wolf,” Cam said, reaching out to touch the dog. It snapped at him. “And he’s got your temperament.”
Wolf dropped to his haunches a foot away and held out his hand. “Come here now.”
The dog limped pathetically forward, then sat in front of him, holding up one paw.
It’s all right now.
“Where are your owners, boy?”
He heard the clop of hooves as Apollo moved closer. Stopping when he reached the dog, he leaned down and put his muzzle on its head, blowing softly.
“What’s he doing?” Dev asked.
“He likes him and is trying to shame me into doing the same.”
“He told you that?”
He threw his cousin a disgusted look. “Do I look like I speak horse?”
“You may not want to communicate with them, but you do, so don’t try and fool us.”
Ignoring them, Wolf lifted the little paw and examined it. The pad was worn, suggesting the dog had been walking for some time. It was torn and bleeding, and a cut sliced through the middle.
Digging in his pocket, Wolf pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at it.
“Here, I dipped this in the water.”
James thrust a wet handkerchief at him. The wound was nasty and deep, but the dog let him clean it. He would not be walking anywhere for some time.
“He must be homeless.”
“Poor wee pup, he looks done in.”
“Needs a new owner, is my guess.”
Wolf tried once again to ignore the conversation going on behind him and concentrate on the dog.
“Apollo, move now,” he ordered his horse. With a snort, he shuffled back a step, but was not happy about it.
“Is that beast telling you off?” Max asked.
“He is, and does so constantly,” Wolf said as his horse snorted at him again. “And he will be homeless also if he does not start behaving.” Apollo pawed the ground.
Wolf wrapped a clean handkerchief around the paw, and then rose with the dog in his arms. He carried him to the water and he scooped some into his palm for the animal to drink. He then left him in the shelter of the building.
“I can do no more for him than that. Now lead on, I wish to see what else you want to show me.”
Forcing the dog from his mind, he gave his horse a few stern words before going to inspect the house.
“It comes with this property,” James said, pointing to the building.
Made of stone, it looked solid and had clearly been standing there for many years.
“You spoke to me a few days ago about your war veterans, Wolf, and that you want to do something for them. I wondered if this could be an option.”
“How so?”
“With the revolutionizing of the mill, the machines are easier to operate and some of the veterans will be capable of—”
“Running the entire operation,” Wolf finished for him. “The land, and the machines. They can live in the house. Perhaps even build more on the property.”
“Exactly.”
Wolf let the words settle inside his head. Was it an option? Could he give some of those men back their pride and allow them to work for their livelihood? Whenever he visited a veterans’ house it was always the same. He saw the pain and anguish, and felt frustration that he could not do more for them.
“Yes,” he whispered. “This will give some hope.”
They talked some more, discussed costs and what would be needed to move forward, and he felt it again, the fledgling stirring of excitement that had been missing in his life for so long.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Wolf said as they walked back to their horses.
“It has you excited, and that is an excellent thing.” Cam slapped him on the back. “In fact it has been a day of excitement.”
“It has.”
“Your face is bruising, by the way. Your jaw should be the color of a ripe plum by morning.”
“Always something I’ve aspired to.”
They were soon mounted, and Wolf tried to ignore the little, black dog that had staggered back out of the building to sit at Apollo’s feet. He would find a home and somewhere to sleep. There were plenty of buildings on this property.
But what about food?
He tried to shut out his inner voice—and his horse’s anger.
I have nowhere for the little beast to live!
“Walk.” He squeezed his thighs, but his stallion refused to move. “Now, Apollo!”
“Problem?” Dev asked.
“Don’t you dare,” Wolf ordered his horse as he felt him start to bow.
“Good Lord!” James let out a soft whistle. “He’s kneeling.”
“Stand, Apollo!”
The horse refused.
“I think your horse wants a new companion, cousin,” Dev said, and Wolf could hear the laughter in his voice.
The little dog stumbled forward and licked the horse’s nose.
“Give in gracefully, Wolf.”
“I have no wish for a dog, Cambridge. Nor anywhere to house him.”
“Not exactly true, as you are taking that house. Plus, your horse loves the little creature.”
“He won’t have to care for him.”
“For pity’s sake, man, have a heart. The dog needs a home and has picked yours.”
Wolf looked at the little dog, who was licking Apollo’s muzzle. Muttering something foul beneath his breath, he leaned down to pick up the little creature, opened his jacket, and tucked him inside.
“Not one bloody word! Now stand, you miserable beast, or it’s dog food you’ll become.”
Apollo rose gracefully, tossed his head, and began to prance down the road as if he were royalty.
Chapter 11
Rose swung the basket from side to side as she walked through the market stalls after leaving the tea shop. With her work for the Duke and Duchess of Raven, she now had enough money to ensure she and Kitty ate well.
Selecting some cheese, she added a loaf of bread. The smell was heavenly.
“You’ll be wanting pickles to go with that. No point in eating either without them.”
“And which pickles do you suggest, sir?” The man stood behind his stall, sharp eyes intent on a sale.
“These are my favorites.”
The words were spoken by the Duchess of Raven, who appeared at Rose’s side. Behind her stood a footman, and in his hand was Whiskers’s leash, Lady Samantha’s dog.
“Your Grace.” Rose sank into a curtsey.
“Miss Abernethy, how lovely to see you here today. I hope you and your friend have recovered from your ordeal last week? It sounded terrifying.”
She wore emerald today. Deep and rich, the spencer and bonnet were velvet, and the dress beneath a paler shade. She was an extremely beautiful woman, and out in the sunshine, more so.
“We have, thank you for asking, your Grace.”
“I will take two, if you please.” The duchess held up two long, elegant gloved fingers as she pointed to her selections.
“A-at once, y-your Grace,” the vendor stuttered, completely overcome to have a duchess at his stall.
“I hope Captain Sinclair suffered no ill effects from the incident, your Grace.” Rose had asked Samantha, but she’d been annoyingly vague, only stating she had not seen a great deal of the captain so could not say.
“He is quite recovered, and only a small amount of bruising is left on his jaw. He and my husband are nearby doing business, so I have wandered over here to get something to eat. I have no wish to discuss the ratio of water needed to run a mill, you see.”
“Of course.” Rose only just managed to stop herself from curtseying again.
“I have this little fiend with me as Samantha left him home when she went to visit the twins, and he has been making so much noise, I feared the staff would all walk out.”
The little dog tilted his head to one side as if he knew he was under discussion.
“Well then, I shall leave you, your Grace.” Rose had no wish to see Captain Sinclair again.
“Oh don’t leave me. Come, we shall walk, Rose.”
“Oh... ah.”
The duchess ignored her attempts at refusal and simply started walking, which meant Rose had to either follow or be rude. As her position rested upon this woman liking her, she walked.
“Did you know my cousin has moved on to our street, Rose?”
“Yes, your Grace. Samantha told me.”
She put her arm through Rose’s; shocked, Rose did not move for several seconds, which was lucky as the Duchess had stopped to inspect the fudge. Once it was purchased, she opened the bag.
“Try some. It really is the best you will ever eat.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t.”
“Why?” She was subjected to the steady green-eyed look she’d been the recipient of from Captain Sinclair.
Rose couldn’t come up with a single reason why, except that the duchess was a duchess and Rose was a nobody. She took a piece.
“Good?”
“Very good, thank you.”
“I remember the day he returned to us.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Wolf, Captain Sinclair. The day he returned to us, we were there to meet the ship carrying him. I did not recognize him when they brought him out. Two men were carrying him. I remember Dev making a moaning sound, as if he was in pain, then he and the others ran up the gangway and retrieved him.”
Rose wasn’t sure why she was hearing this story, but as she wanted to hear the rest of it she kept quiet.
“He’d been shot in the leg, and the surgeons had wanted to remove it. The leg, not the bullet, fearing that infection would kill him otherwise. But Wolf fought them off. He came home close to death, delirious, hardly aware of who we were.”
“I’m so sorry.” Rose didn’t know what else to say.
“I remember Essie, who is very good with healing, weeping in my arms, telling me that it would be a battle, but she would heal him if it was the last thing she ever did.”
“He must have suffered terribly.” Rose’s chest hurt thinking of Captain Sinclair in pain. Such a big, strong man; to see him brought low would have been hard on his family.
“The man who returned to us was almost indistinguishable from the man who left. He still is in some respects.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m not entirely sure. But I wanted you to realize why he is the man you see today. He carries demons, Rose. Dark, angry ones that he hopes to shield us from. Yet we know, and can do nothing for him but offer our love. It is very hard sometimes.”
“I know him no more than others, your Grace. And it is unlikely we will meet again.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. But one thing I do know is he’s changing, and while I have a hunch why, I cannot as yet confirm it.”
The duchess released her, turning to face her.
“Now, I must leave you or my husband will worry. I have been gone too long. Good day to you, Rose, and I shall see you for Samantha’s next lesson.”
“What just happened?” Rose wondered out loud as she watched the elegantly dressed woman walk away. Shaking her head, she put it down to the eccentricities of the nobility.
He carries demons, Rose. Dark, angry ones.
She now had an insight into the man who had captured her interest... an interest she had no right to have. His suffering explained a great deal about the man he was today. Stuffy, she’d called him, and felt shame for that now. He was so much more than that. A warrior and protector, and a much-loved family member who was suffering quietly.
She left the market and walked back to her lodgings, having no wish to run into the duchess or her cousin. There was no getting around the fact that the conversation she had just shared with the duchess was an odd one and that now she had an entirely different view of Captain Sinclair.
But then hadn’t everything about her interaction with that man been different? From the first day he’d rescued her, something had changed; a connection had formed between them no matter how hard she tried to deny it. He’d thrown his body over hers to protect her from that arrow, and that was after fighting to protect Kitty, whom he barely knew.
Her friend had discussed the incident endlessly. Last night Rose had begged her to shut up. It had not worked, so she’d thrown a boot at her.
“Help!”
Rose searched for the owner of that cry.
“Please help me!”
It appeared to be coming from inside that building. Looking around, she saw no one close enough to help, so she moved into the open doorway and looked inside. Squinting to search the dark space, she found a man lying on the floor.
“Are you all right, sir?”
“It’s me leg.”
“Have you injured yourself?”
“It’s from the war.” He sounded in terrible pain.
“Oh dear, what can I do for you?” Rose entered and took a few steps. The door slammed shut behind her. Turning, she found another man advancing on her.
“What are you doing?”
He didn’t speak, just kept walking. Looking at the man on the floor, she found him now on his feet.
“Why did you lure me in here?”
Neither man spoke.
“I will not let you hu
rt me.” She made herself sound strong, as if her knees were not knocking together and fear sluicing through her body.
She screamed as the man wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Raising her legs, she kicked out at the man in front of her and caught him in the chest, sending him reeling backward.
“Someone help me!”
Rose jabbed her elbow back hard. The man grunted, and his grip on her eased. Twisting, she forced her palm upward into his jaw, causing his head to snap back.
Cursing, he released her just as the other man came at her. Rose heard scratching at the door then, followed by high-pitched barking.
“Help!” She kept screaming as loud as she could.
The man lunged at her. Rose swung her fist as hard as she could, and it connected with his jaw, sending him backward once more.
The door burst open, and in strode Captain Sinclair. On his heels was the Duke of Raven and his duchess.
“Whiskers, stop!”
Ignoring the duke’s command, the little dog ran at the man she’d just felled, and the ensuing cry told her he’d sunk his teeth somewhere. What followed was a blur of activity. The duke grabbed the man by the door, and the captain the other.
“Rose, are you hurt?” he asked her.
She shook her head.
His eyes ran over her face, then he turned to deal with the man.
“We didn’t mean to hurt her, she bloody attacked us.”
“But you were going to hurt her,” he growled. He knocked him to the floor, and there the man stayed, huddled in the corner.
“Call Harry. He and Nigel will deal with them.”
Rose heard the duke’s instructions but she could not take her eyes off the man who now stood before her.
“I-I told you I could protect myself.”
“You did, and I’m glad to see you were able to do so until we arrived.” He sounded calm, and yet his eyes told a different story.
“I don’t understand any of this,” Rose said, looking around. “Why does this keep happening to me?”
His palm felt warm on her cheek as he cupped it. She wanted to fall forward once more, knowing instinctively he would catch her. But she could not do that... would not do that again. Rose was strong, had to be, so she instead stepped back. He had other ideas and pulled her into his big body, holding her tight.
