Rory (27 page)

“How could you be so cruel?” she asked, not expecting an answer.

He merely shrugged.

“What do we do with him?” Marcus asked Rory, and Rory looked to Shannon.

“If I had my way, we’d hang him from the nearest tree,” Johnny said under his breath, blinking back tears as he watched his friend being carried out of the shack. “Or I’m happy to put a bullet in his black heart.”

“No,” Shannon said. “Death is too easy.” Shannon thought back over the years of all that her parents had done for him. Of the times that she, Clinton, and Zachary had played in the fields near their Dublin mansion, how the entire family had embraced him so readily.

“You will be an orphan,” Clinton said again, laughing under his breath.

“That is where you are wrong.” Rory slid a hand around Shannon’s shoulders. “Shannon is part of my family now, as is Zachary, and you will rot in prison for what you have done.”

M
arilyn looked out the window at the fading light, then turned to her aunt, who had been silent for the past hour since retiring to her chamber.

Despite Lord Rochester’s arrival at Claymoore Hall, the overall uneasiness of the mansion’s occupants had a sobering affect on everyone.

Lillith had greeted her father-in-law with warmth but had been unable to keep from pacing the length of the parlor. Lady Rochester had suggested a bath with lavender, but she had declined.

“They should have heard something by now. Why have we not heard anything?” Katelyn said, her hand splaying over her slightly swollen belly.

“Dear, please sit down,” Lillith said, motioning for her to take the seat beside her. “You are not doing the child any good by fretting.”

Anna took a long swig of brandy. “If only I had come earlier.”

“Do not be silly. Had you not come at all, then we would
not know the danger that Shannon and Zachary were in,” Lillith said earnestly.

“She is right.” Katelyn patted Anna on the shoulder. “You are a good friend, and I am glad you are here.”

“Thank you,” Anna replied.

Marilyn smiled at her sister, grateful for her compassion. On the long ride here, she had come to accept that Anna would never be anything more than her friend, and she was at peace with that. It seemed they both were, as Anna had talked incessantly about her American beau and how she was ready to leave England behind. She had even invited Marilyn to come visit, but she knew that the visit would never happen. Her place was with Stanley. Sweet Stanley who had constantly stood up for her regardless of his family’s lack of acceptance.

How she missed him.

Katelyn joined her at the window and looked out. She squinted and leaned closer, her head making contact with the glass.

“Do you see something?” Lillith asked, rushing toward her.

“Yes, it’s two riders,” she said, excitement in her voice.

Anna joined them at the window, standing on her toes so that she could see over Marilyn’s shoulder.

“It is Sinjin!” Katelyn was already rushing toward the door.

All of them flew downstairs and were met in the landing by Lady and Lord Rochester, who looked as anxious as they were. Sinjin walked in, his gaze going to Katelyn, who rushed into his awaiting arms.

“Well, what news?” Lord Rochester asked.

“Nothing.” He kissed his wife on the forehead and looked around at the somber group. “Do not tell me I am the first one to return?”

Betsy nodded. “I fear you are, my dear boy.”

Lord Rochester squeezed her shoulders. “Do not fret. Vic
tor and Rory shall return with Shannon and Zachary, and when they do, we will be waiting for them.”

Sinjin embraced his father, and Anna ran a hand down her face. “I am tired. I shall be in my chamber if you hear anything. Please let me know when you do.”

Marilyn nodded and watched her go, worried about her friend’s well-being. She had been extremely quiet since arriving on her doorstep with the news about Shannon and Zachary.

Shannon had fallen asleep in the chair beside her brother. The surgeon had done all that he could, and now Zachary’s life was in God’s hands. He had lost an enormous amount of blood, the surgeon had said, and he did not know if he would live through the night.

Even a priest had been called to deliver Last Rites.

Rory put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, resting her cheek against his chest. “I cannot lose him, Rory. I cannot.”

“You should go to bed.” His hand slid up and down her arm in an effort to comfort her. He’d been a rock since coming on the scene yesterday, and she was so incredibly grateful for his presence. “You need to rest, my love. Mrs. Clemens has set up a chamber for you.”

“No, I cannot leave him. I will not leave him.”

“You will not be of service to him if you are exhausted.”

“Have you sent word to your family to let them know where you are?” she asked, knowing Lord Graston and his family would be beside themselves with worry.

“Johnny has returned to Claymoore Hall to tell the others that you have been found.”

She nodded, glad to know the family had received word. “What happened to Clinton?”

“The men took him into custody. From what I understand, he will be transported back to Ireland soon.”

The fury she felt toward her cousin ran deep, and whatever happened to him, he had sealed his own fate. “I will never understand how he could have done something so horrific, and to the only family he has ever known.”

“Greed does strange things to a person. I’m sorry, Shannon. If I could take your pain away, I would.”

“I know.” She slid her arms around his waist, taking the comfort he offered, savoring the feelings of being in his strong arms. “I’m sorry I was not honest with you from the very beginning. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I promised Zachary that I wouldn’t.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I understand. You did what you had to in order to survive.” Had she just been honest, the outcome could have been so very different.

“I would do the same for my brothers.”

“I don’t want to lose him, Rory,” she said, once again speaking her fears aloud.

He held her close, his hand moving up and down her back. “There’s nothing we can do but wait now.”

Sliding his free hand in hers, he brought it to his lips. “And now I must insist you get some rest. If only for a little while. I shall alert you the second he opens his eyes.”

She took a seat in the chair beside the bed. “I’ll rest my eyes for just a second,” she said.

She was asleep within minutes.

Rory woke to the sun shining straight into his eyes. He lay on the settee in the Clemens’s guest room. Shannon was on her knees beside the bed, her hands wrapped around her brother’s hand.

His heart gave a lurch. Dear Lord, had the boy died during the night?

Shannon turned and looked at him, a wide smile on her face. “He woke just minutes ago. His breathing is so shallow.”

Zachary was extremely pale and looked barely able to keep his eyes open.

“What of the surgeon?”

“On his way,” she said, hope shining in her beautiful eyes.

Zachary blinked a few times and glanced at Rory. “Thank ye.” His voice was hoarse, but Rory could not help but smile because he had clearly heard the boy’s true accent come through.

“Clinton?” he asked, struggling to swallow.

“Will soon be on his way to Dublin to account for all he has done,” Shannon said, not hiding her anger. “We will have our lives back now, Zach. We will return to Dublin and start over.”

“Yes,” Zachary said, closing his eyes once more, but the slight smile remained on his lips. “We shall rebuild the manor.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Shannon stood.

Mrs. Clemens appeared, an anxious expression on her face, and the surgeon was fast on her heels. The baldheaded man rushed into the room and looked stunned to see Zachary awake and alert.

“How are you, young man?”

“Alive,” Zachary replied, the word barely more than a whisper.

“Come, let us allow the physician to do his job,” Mrs. Clemens said, motioning for Shannon and Rory to follow her from the room.

They stood outside the chamber with Mrs. Clemens and Rory, who was thankful for the older woman’s wonderful gift of conversation. The time flew and soon the physician stepped from the room.

“He needs a lot of rest,” he said, and Shannon could tell by his expression that her brother was not yet out of the woods.

“Of course, and he shall have it,” Mrs. Clemens said matter-of-factly. “No one will be allowed to disturb him.”

“He is not able to move the limb at all, and I honestly do not know if he will ever regain use of it again.” The physician glanced at Shannon. “Only time will tell.”

Rory felt sick to his stomach. If he could not use his leg, then he could not walk, and the boy had not reached his seventeenth birthday.

Shannon had gone pale, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

“We must be vigilant when it comes to fever,” the doctor said. “The last thing he can afford is infection.”

“We shall keep a close eye on him.” Rory extended his hand to the other man, who took it.

The physician nodded. “He has asked to have a moment alone with you, Lord Ambrose, but I urge you to keep it brief. He needs to rest.”

“Of course. I’ll be right back,” Rory said, giving Shannon’s hand a squeeze before walking into the room. The physician had pulled the heavy drapes and a candle gave off a small amount of light.

Zachary sat up the slightest bit, a pillow beneath his back. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Rory silently commiserated with the young man. Having been in a similar situation not so long ago, he knew the pain involved. However, Zachary’s wound was far graver than Rory’s, and it would take a long time for him to heal.

“You wished to speak with me?” Rory said, sitting down in the chair.

Zachary opened his eyes. “Aye. What are your intentions with my sister?”

Rory smiled. That was not the question he had expected. “I wish to marry her … with your permission.”

“She said ye asked her to be your mistress.”

“I made a mistake,” Rory said sheepishly. “For that I am sorry.”

“She’s in love with you, ye know.”

His stomach clenched, and the words filled him with joy. “Did she tell you as much?”

“Aye, she did.”

“I love her, too, and I’ll make her extremely happy.”

“Ye had better.” He tried to get comfortable but gave up with a sigh. When Rory tried to help, he shook his head. “She is the only family I have left.”

“No, she’s not.”

His brows furrowed. “I will marry your sister, Zach, and soon my family will be your family.”

The sides of his mouth curved. “I would like that.”

“I want you to know that you’ll never have to worry about having a home. You can stay with us for as long as you want.”

“Thank ye, Rory, but Ireland is where I belong.”

He understood the boy’s need to return to his roots and begin again. He just hoped that Shannon would understand and be at peace with her brother’s decision.

“I hope we can move you to Claymoore Hall soon. You need time to convalesce.”

His gaze shifted toward his legs. “The physician said I could have trouble walking.”

Rory saw the fear in the boy’s eyes. “I understand there might be damage to the nerves.”

“What will I do if I can’t walk or ride my horse?”

“Nothing is for certain. The main thing you must focus on now is healing. Your sister is an excellent nurse, and I have a feeling she will not leave your side … even for an instant.”

Zachary smiled softly, but Rory clearly saw the concern in the young man’s eyes, and he made a pledge to himself that he would do everything in his power to help the boy regain that which he’d lost.

M
arilyn watched the carriage drive out of sight, taking Lady Anna away from Claymoore Hall, back to London.

Stanley stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He had arrived at Claymoore Hall this morning, concerned by the news that had hit London a few days ago about Zachary.

He had come all this way for her, and seeing him, all windswept, his clothing splattered with dirt, concern for her and her family in his eyes, she had burst into tears, happy to have him with her.