He’s big as an ox. Even bigger than you, Joshua.”
“Big pain in my arse, too. Stubborn oaf.”
Holly rolled her eyes and gave an impudent cough. “And you’re not?”
“No, love. I’m perfect. You tell me so often enough. Especially at night, when in my arms, right after I–”
“Joshua! My sisters!” But now that Joshua was home safe, Holly seemed much more composed. She shot him a warning scowl, and then faced them all with an expression of determination that commanded everyone’s attention. “Let’s get down to important business. There’s also been rumblings in the gossip rags about who is going to be blamed for this blunder. Ronan’s name was mentioned.”
She pointedly eyed her sisters. “You tossed the paper into the fire, but burning that trash will not erase the fact that someone is already working to pin the blame on Ronan.”
Joshua appeared stunned. “You must be jesting. He almost lost his life saving that vessel.”
Holly pursed her lips. “I wish I were. We cannot ignore this news item, even if it is obvious nonsense. The Braydens are a powerful family, and several hold important titles. But we Farthingales also have our connections.”
“Indeed, we do. And I won’t hesitate to call on them to help Ronan.” Dahlia’s thoughts were already on the same path as her sister’s. “He is not going to take the fall for this blunder.”
Heather chimed in, too. “Knowing our cousins, they are going to insist on helping whether asked to or not. And Robbie is the grandson of an earl. Scottish,” she said with a shrug, “but an earl nonetheless. Not to mention that Poppy is married to the Earl of Welles, and Honey is married to the Earl of Wycke.”
Joshua groaned. “Enough with the Farthingale marriage connections. I am vastly impressed. But we don’t need the Earl of Caithness or you meddlesome Farthingales stepping in and starting an insurrection.”
Holly curled her hands into fists. “We will fight for your brother if we have to. Don’t ask us to sit idly by and watch him get battered any worse than he already is because all those lords who are to blame for putting Hawley -that incompetent - in command in the first place are looking to save their hides and offer up your brother as the scapegoat.”
Joshua held up a hand. “Sweetheart, I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. Yes, we will flex some Brayden muscle to make sure the right men are called to account. And yes, it is good to have the Farthingales on alert if more is needed. But Ronan is well respected. He’ll also be mad as hell if we interfere before he’s had a chance to deal with the matter on his own.”
Dahlia was still worried. “How can he help himself when he is hardly able to move out of bed?”
Joshua sighed. “We are Miranda’s sons. I did not even bring her into the equation, but rest assured, that woman will personally light a torch under any of those pompous arses who dare falsely accuse her baby boy. Indeed, I think we can all sit back and watch the spectacle unfold while safely perched in the House of Lords spectator’s gallery.”
Despite their concerns, Dahlia and her sisters could not help but laugh. “Hooray for Miranda,” Dahlia said, and her sisters cheered.
“Indeed,” Joshua said with a roll of his eyes. “And now I really need to go upstairs and see what is going on with my brother.”
But their lively moment came to an abrupt halt as their Uncle George suddenly walked in, almost bumping into Joshua on his way up. He looked as though someone had just died.
“No,” Dahlia said in an agonized whisper, putting a hand to her heart that was now beating with unrestrained frenzy. “Uncle George?”
Her uncle said nothing for a long moment.
Dahlia was sure her heart was about to burst. “What’s wrong? How badly is Ronan hurt?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dahlia’s uncle cleared his throat. “I haven’t completed my examination yet. But he is insisting his Queen Pea stay by his side. I cannot claim to approve of his behavior, Dahlia. But he is going to do serious damage to himself if he attempts to get out of bed.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “So come back up with me, at least until I’ve finished looking him over. The good news is that he has no punctured lungs. Nor any broken bones along his spine, which was my greatest worry the moment I heard the height from