Page 39 of The Highlander's Princess Bride
Miss Knight looked startled. “Why was it wrong to go to the headmaster? Surely he would wish to know if any of his pupils were mistreated.”
“Unfortunately, that is rarely the case,” Nick said. “There’s no greater sin a boy can commit than telling tales on another student, especially a head boy or someone else senior.”
She went rigid with disapproval. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Any sane person would agree with you,” he said.
“The headmaster wasn’t the problem,” Braden said. “In fact, he reprimanded both Mr. Corbin and Kincannon’s son.Thatwas the problem. Richard was furious Kade had complained. He and some other senior boys waited until the headmaster was away overnight and then pulled Kade out of bed and dragged him out to the privy. They shoved his head inside the . . .” He glanced at Miss Knight. “Well, you know. Then . . . then they urinated on him.”
Braden hastily turned away to peer out the window, obviously struggling to hold back tears. Nick no longer wanted to put his hand through a wall—he wanted to murder someone.
“Goddammit,” Royal spat out. “I’m going down there right now, and I’m going to murder those little bastards.” He pushed himself out of his chair. “And then I’m going to murder that bloody teacher, too.”
Nick shared his thirst for vengeance, but the last thing he needed was a Kendrick brother committing mayhem and making the situation even more complicated.
“No, you’re not. Sit down, Royal,” he said.
His brother glared at him. “Sod off. If you’re not going to handle this, I will.”
“Sit. Down,” Nick said again through clenched teeth. He had no wish to fight with his hardheaded brother, who was so angry he justmightmurder someone.
Miss Knight’s calm voice cut through the tension. “Mr. Kendrick, I don’t think Braden is finished,” she said to Royal. “Surely it makes sense to hear all the facts before making any decisions on future actions.”
Royal turned his fiery gaze on her. “Why do you even care? You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
She flinched, but then rose to her feet, holding Royal’s gaze. “I care enough to know that you won’t do your little brother any good by committing an act of violence, no matter how great the provocation.”
Royal loomed large over her, seething with fury. Yet, the girl didn’t back down. For such a frail-looking lass, she showed courage that was both surprising and impressive.
Braden turned around, now in control of himself. “She’s right. You need to know the rest.”
“Royal, please sit,” Nick said. “Once we know everything, we’ll figure out how to respond.”
His brother glanced at Miss Knight, who nodded and gently patted his forearm. He muttered something under his breath and then thumped back down into his chair.
Holy hell.The girl had gotten his stubborn, hotheaded brother to cool down. It was a bloody miracle. Nick stared, transfixed by her calm, lovely features. She met his gaze with a quizzical little smile, and then resumed her seat.
He tore his gaze away and focused on Braden. “Go on, lad.”
Braden gave a tight nod. “Kade said that was the worst part. After that, they dragged him to the courtyard and threw buckets of cold water on him—to clean him off, they said. But they wouldn’t let him dry himself or go back to bed. They locked him outside, soaking wet and dressed only in his nightshirt. He spent the night huddled in a doorway. The porter found him the next morning, all but frozen.”
“Jesus,” Nick whispered. The image of his frail little brother, abused, alone and shivering with cold, tore at his soul. He’d experienced a great deal of tragedy in his personal life, and had survived the horrors of war. But this vile and senseless act . . . well, it might tip him over the edge. That Kade had suffered through such an ordeal without a shred of support was almost more than Nick could bear.
“Why the hell didn’t he wake someone up?” Royal asked in an anguished voice.
Braden grimaced. “He was embarrassed, and he didn’t want to make things worse for himself or the other boy.”
“You mean they would have done even more to him?” Miss Knight asked in an outraged tone. “That’s insane.”
“Notions of male honor frequently are,” Nick said.
“Because men are idiots,” Royal said bitterly.
Her troubled expression made it clear she agreed with him.
“By the next day, Kade had developed a high fever,” Braden said. “When the headmaster returned from his trip that afternoon, he sent word to me at Kendrick House. I brought Kade home immediately, and the rest you know.”
Nick pressed a hand to his head, feeling as if his brain was about to erupt from his skull. He needed to think, and to do what was best for Kade. Too often in the past, he’d reactedwithoutthinking, letting anger drive his actions. That had only led to more heartache, and his family had already suffered enough of that to last ten lifetimes.
