Page 20 of A Dash of Scot
“Care to share?”
“Not really.” Edward avoided looking at him, draining his whisky in one long swallow.
“Will ye share?”
Edward tapped his cup for another. Then he scrubbed a hand down his face, looking more tired at that moment than Dougal had ever seen him.
“Fine. I can see you’re not going to let this go.”
“I’m no’.”
“Mary is not pleased with my mother and sisters’ presence in the house.” The eye roll produced by Edward rivaled Mary’s. Perhaps they did deserve each other.
“Ah.” Dougal was already aware of that. “And what does Mary wish ye to do about it?”
Edward scoffed. “What she wants and what I’m willing to do are two different things.”
Dougal waited as patiently as he could for Edward to continue, but the man seemed to be battling his inner demons, words failing him.
“And, so, what have ye decided then?”
“I’ve suggested to Poppy, nay, I’ve told Poppy, that they are to retire to the dowager house in the Highlands that my father left to my mother. They are not going to be destitute on my watch.”
The last statement had Dougal wondering if that was what Mary had wished. Saints, but was there no end to her selfish and cruel behavior?
“And did Poppy agree?” Dougal could understand Poppy’s desire to argue against her brother’s decision. Once they moved to the Highlands, there wouldn’t be as much fanfare for Anise’s coming out, which he knew from the conversation at the creamery that Anise was looking forward to most. But perhaps Edward would not be so cruel and allow them to remain until the end of the season.
“Of course not, but she’s got no choice.” Edward chugged his next dram and avoided eye contact.
“Is there more to it than that?”
Edward held his cup up, wriggling it to the server, while Dougal still hadn’t finished his first. A better friend he might have told to slow down, but Edward was married to Mary, and she was never an easy person to be associated with. Perhaps it would be easier for him to swallow his sour circumstances if there was a heady sloshing of whisky to dull his senses.
“Poppy believes being consigned to the country before the end of the season is akin to spinsterhood for her and Anise.”
Dougal paused. So, Edward was aware of that, and still willing to do it. Quite harsh. “So, the plan is to send them before the end of the season?”
Edward rolled his eyes again. “Not you as well. There’s nothing wrong with them going now. Plenty of men in the north who need wives. Plenty of dances to meet them too.”
Dougal frowned. It was true that men all over the country married, but for ladies, the place to find a match was during the marriage mart. Sending them to the country would make it ten times harder. Aye, he had been to plenty of country dances, but they weren’t as populated nor held as often. In the city, there could be a dozen parties a night. In the country, there were maybe a dozen per season.
Still, the Featherstone lassies were beautiful, charming and talented. If anyone could find a husband, it would be the two of them.
And for some reason, which he didn’t want to identify, the idea of Poppy looking for a match made his skin tighten. To think she’d have to try and do so in the Highlands without a proper protector…
“Ye’d send them alone?” Dougal asked.
“The dowager house has staff. They’ll hardly be alone.” Edward waved away Dougal’s concern.
“Where exactly is the dowager house? I dinna recall Mary ever mentioning it.”
“Why would she? It’s nothing to do with her.” Edward scowled and cocked his head, looking at Dougal with great concern. “It’s in Skerray. Why are you asking me so many questions?”
Dougal was dumbfounded for a moment. Skerray was near the tip of the highest point of Scotland and only a few hours’ walk from his Castle Varrich. He narrowed his eyes, for a moment wondering if this was some trick, but then recalled that the house belonged to Lady Cullen, left to her by her husband as her dower property and that the late Lord Leven had links to that northernmost part of the country had been partly why Mary and Edward were matched in the first place. Mutual invested properties.
“Curiosity. Considering the two younger ladies had different designs on their season when I took them for iced cream earlier today.” Dougal shrugged, pretending as if it wasn’t any matter to him.
Edward scowled, clearly not believing him. “Why did you do that?”
