The house-as ever-was exactly as Kendall expected. No one to answer his knocking-for years he hadn't exactly bothered. But perhaps that was a good sign? Rathbone, his coachman, had informed him when he'd finally rolled back up to Violetta's after Kendall had endured a freezing wait in the chill spring air, that he'd brought her back here. Nothing appeared to have changed in the meantime. And if she was here, it meant she had not run off with the runt. A good thing he hadn't run out ...