Page 74 of The Highland Heist
Grace nudged his arm, her expression brightening as she pointed toward the band. “If nothing else, Frederick, at least Glasgow welcomes us with music.”
“And soot,” Tony added with a grimace, brushing at his sleeve, following them toward the gangplank.
“It’s about time.”
Frederick’s head jerked in the direction of the familiar voice.
Waiting at the bottom of the gangplank, in a linen suit as light and pristine as the environment behind him was dark and dingy, stood Frederick’s cousin and friend, Stephen Blake. The man wore casual as effortlessly as his smile, tossing a hand up as Frederick’s gaze met his.
A sudden wash of relief spilled from Frederick’s head to his feet. Blake. A capable and trusted friend. Frederick desperately needed another set of eyes and ears, and possibly fists, in this situation.
“Mr. Blake!” Grace’s joy was so effusive it even teased a small grin from Tony. “What a delightful surprise!” She descended the gangplank with Zahra at her side, Frederick just behind her. “I was so hopeful you’d come.”
“It’s rather bad manners to miss such a glorious welcome as that, my dear Lady Astley.” Blake stepped up to greet them. “And I try my very best not to have bad manners.”
As poised and prepared as Blake remained, the look on the man’s face when Grace pulled him into a hug even shook his cousin’s composure a little. Perhaps Grace felt the relief too. They could certainly use his help and, if history informed the present, Blake could use a little family time.
Blake cleared his throat, crouching slightly to address Zahra. “Ah, the famous Zahra.” He extended a hand. “Céad míle fáilte.”
The girl tilted her head, frowning. “That is not Egyptian or Arabic.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Blake laughed. “It’s Gaelic. Some people here in Scotland speak it. It means ‘a hundred thousand welcomes.’ “ He gestured broadly to the surroundings, as if to encompass the entire country.
“That is a great many welcomes for such a dirty place,” Zahra said, one brow arching in challenge.
“Ah, you are clever,” Blake replied, winking. “What if I saidahlan wa sahlan?”
Frederick blinked, his attention snapping to his cousin. Had Blake just spoken to Zahra in Arabic? When had his cousin learned Arabic?
Zahra’s smile flared wide, and she responded in kind, her pronunciation far superior to his cousin’s attempt.
“Freddie, old chap!” Blake straightened, clasping Frederick’s hand with a grin that gleamed as brightly as his suit. “Some aristocrats collect fine works of art, but it seems you collect people.”
Frederick pulled Blake into a hug. “Thank you for being here,” he whispered in his cousin’s ear before stepping back and saying, “Only the best people.”
“Well, if you’re going to go about collecting people, only the best will do.” Blake turned to Tony, extending a hand. “Last we met, you were stealing brides and trying to kill earls. I trust your hobbies have improved?”
Tony’s jaw dropped before he found his footing, shaking Blake’s hand with a wry smile. “I’ve since married the bride and befriended the earl. Improvement enough?”
Blake gave a mock-serious nod. “Excellent progress. Keep it up.”
“However, he is recently back from the dead, Mr. Blake,” Grace added, joining in the teasing she’d begun to embrace between her, Frederick, and Blake.
Blake’s brows rose to his golden hairline. “Is that so? Well, I hear that’s all the rage. Resurrectionists and whatnot—mostly for the wealthy and eccentric, of course. Thought of trying it myself once, but the planning seemed rather tedious.” He shuddered dramatically. “Too many late nights and missed meals.”
Tony coughed out a laugh. Frederick caught himself smiling, his tension ebbing. Blake’s ability to ease a room—or a fraught situation—was unmatched.
As they started walking, Frederick took Zahra’s hand while Grace slipped her arm through Blake’s.
“You have been sorely missed, Mr. Blake,” she said warmly. “I’m sure we’d have solved everything much faster with you around.”
Blake grinned, tossing a glance over his shoulder at Frederick. “That was my wedding gift to you, Lady Astley—allowing you the full honeymoon experience, life-threatening moments and all. Wouldn’t dream of denying you that.”
Grace’s laugh rang out into the crowd, garnering a few looks, and Frederick’s entire body eased some more. He had a great deal of confidence being able to manage these cases with only Grace’s help, but the addition of a clever and capable friend made everything better—for his peace of mind, if not for the future lives of the people he loved.
“Have you heard anything from Elliott?” Frederick fell in step beside Blake, keeping Zahra between them, a small but instinctive act of protection.
“Indeed. I stopped by both Havensbrooke and Kerth Hall to make proper assessments before arriving here.” He offered a pointed look to Frederick. “Keep in mind I am only industrious when it involves saving family members or living luxuriously at other people’s expense.”
