Page 86 of Undercover Savior

“What will you do now?”

“I suppose I need to confront Mairi. Good God, on Christmas of all days.” He pulled his hands away and reached into his pocket. “This, you really won’t believe.” He opened the watch I’d given him. “Ambrose took this from my grandfather. In essence, he stole it.”

“No!”

David nodded. “He turned the same ashen shade Mrs. Drummond, err, Mairi did when she first saw it.”

“My God,” I said under my breath.

“There’s more, not that it’s as significant.”

“Tell me anyway.” He took my hands in his again. “I asked Ambrose if he’d ever been in love, and he told me once. To my mother.”

This time, I withdrew a hand and covered my mouth.

“He brought her here, and she and my father promptly fell in love, to Brose’s great heartbreak.”

“How awful. Sorry, I know she was your mum, but…”

“He said neither of them knew his feelings, but no wonder he and my dad never got on.”

“Admittedly, my head is spinning. I can’t imagine how you must feel.”

“Hence the pacing.”

I smiled. “You must speak with Gus.”

He nodded. “I don’t know where to begin.”

“The same way you told me,” I suggested.

“But what if he has no idea—like me?”

“Good point. It would be best to speak with Mairi first.”

“My aunt, who is now overseeing the preparation of our Christmas dinner. The one she’s never been invited to share with her own family. God, he was a bastard. Err, I don’t mean it that way. I mean, my grandfather was, you know.”

“I know who you meant and how you meant it.”

His expression softened. “Of course you did. I was frantic to speak with you, knowing you’d understand.”

I leaned forward and kissed him. “So. Mairi. You must speak with herbeforedinner.”

“Agreed.”

“Let’s go.”

His head cocked. “Where?”

“Back to the castle. You’ll hardly be able to get her to come down here again.”

“Right.” He stood and pulled me up with him.

“Oh, one more thing before I forget. Fallon expressed an interest in staying here rather than at Blackmoor.”

He stared at me in a way that seemed like he had no idea what I was talking about.

“She said Con drives her ‘stark-raving mad.’”

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