Gillian stopped on the last step, astonishment writ clearly on her face at the sight of her husband charging down the pavement toward her. “Noble?”

“Yes, Noble,” he snarled and lunged toward the Scot.

“Noble! How wonderful you could join us! Nick, my dear, your papa has come to join us, isn’t that wonderful?”

Noble stopped, his hands a mere fraction of an inch from Carlisle’s throat. “Nick?” His voice was thick as he flexed his fingers. She had brought Nick with her? She had brought Nick with her while she kept an assignation with the man who was responsible for the death of his wife? She had brought his son with her while she tore out his heart and killed any last vestiges of human kindness left within him?

“Good afternoon, Lord Weston.”

Noble blinked at the sight of a lovely blond woman, a familiar blond woman, a woman who, if the maidenly blush and shy eyes were anything to go by, had just been released from a convent.

“You remember my cousin Charlotte, don’t you, Noble?”

“Ah…”

“’Ere ye are then, yer lordship. I was tellin’ the mistress that it weren’t right ’er payin’ this call without yer, but ye know ’ow the ladies is.”

“Er…”

“Charles, Dickon, ’elp Tremayne up there with those ’orses. They don’t like the looks of Piddle and Herp.”

“Uh…” Piddle? Erp? Noble peered between his wife and his enemy. Was there anyone from his home not present? As the heat from the suspicions of a moment before faded, a new fire roared to life when his eyes narrowed at the sight of that murdering bastard McGregor’s hand resting possessively on Gillian’s.

“Mine!” he roared. and scooped Gillian up and deposited her on the pavement behind him.

“I beg your pardon?” Gillian asked, poking him in the back. “Did you just shout mine in a voice loud enough to be heard in Canterbury?”

“Be still, woman, while I deal with this bastard,” Noble bellowed.

“Bastard, eh? That’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black,” Carlisle roared back.

“Mine? As in I belong to you, husband?”

“What the devil were you doing with my wife and son?” Noble yelled.

“As if I were your possession?”

“That’s none of your business,” Carlisle answered, his voice echoing off the houses across the street.

“I cannot believe you actually stood there and bellowed the word mine as if I were a toy and you a four-year-old child, Noble!”

“Like hell it’s not! I demand to know what they were doing here!” Noble thundered.

“Then why don’t you ask the lady?” Carlisle barked.

“I am not a possession!” Gillian raised her voice to match those of the two men.

“You keep my wife out of this! You’ll answer my question, or by God I’ll have my satisfaction over pistols!” Noble stormed.

“Name your seconds,” Carlisle retorted, his black eyes dancing with enjoyment.

“They’ll call on you this evening,” Noble fired back, his hair standing on end. “Wife! Come with me!”