Page 31 of A Dash of Scot
Poppy tried to think back to when she’d been a girl and they’d visited it one summer. “I think it’s rather small. A couple of bedrooms, two or three. A dining room, a drawing room. Kitchen. Servants’ quarters.”
“So, if there are only two bedrooms, we shall be sharing again?” Anise plucked a painting from the wall, opened the trunk, and stuffed it inside.
“But we shall have plenty of countryside to explore if that’s the case. And what are you doing? Don’t you think Mary will inspect this entire room?”
Anise grinned. “Oh, my, I can’t wait. Either she’ll ride down the road on horseback or send a scathing letter to Mama about our thievery. Either way, I shall have a pretty portrait of Edinburgh Castle to hang over the hearth in the drawing room.”
“You’re wicked, Anise,” Poppy teased.
“Mary likes to kick us when we’re down. We’ve got to be able to pay her back somehow.”
“It’s true. We do.”
Poppy and Anise finished packing their rooms, and then, when it was time to depart, they did so without a backward glance.
The three women climbed into the carriage. No Edward or Mary to wish them well. However, their little boy waved from where he stood beside his governess.
Mama smiled at them inside the carriage. “We’ll make it through, my dears. It is the strength of one named Featherstone. Our demeanors may come off light as a feather, but when one gets the heart of it, we are solid as stone.”
“But not stony in countenance,” Anise added.
“Nor flighty like a feather,” Poppy grinned.
“Exactly. We are a conundrum to those who don’t understand us, yet they cannot help but admire us.” Lady Cullen waved goodbye to no one in particular. “Goodbye, sweet city, for now. This is not the last society has seen or heard from us.”
Anise grabbed Poppy’s hand. Her fingers were chilled, likely from nerves, just as Poppy’s were. They were all making a great show of it. But the truth was, Poppy was scared of what was to come, as much as she was relieved to have the darkness of her sister-in-law’s moods behind her.
Poppy grinned at her mother and sister, grateful for their company. They had each other, and that was a treasure in itself. While there was so very much changing in their worlds, at least there were a few things that remained the same.
10
Every horse and cart, carriage and pedestrian bounced in front of Dougal as he scrambled back down the street on horseback toward Leven House. Even a dog, a cat and a bird got in his way as if the universe were conspiring against him. Why had it not occurred to him to ask if they’d like his escort before? What an idiot he’d been to leave.
“Confound it,” he growled as he finally arrived at what appeared to be a quiet house.
Dougal practically leapt off his horse in his haste, marching up to the front door. He raised his hand, prepared to demand entry, but before he could knock, the butler opened the door and peered out with an expression that said he was too late.
“I’m too late.” The words fell from Dougal’s mouth, landing like a pile of rocks at his feet.
Grant’s expression was grim as he gave a curt nod. “Aye, my lord. They left a half hour ago.”
Hell and damnation. Dougal fisted his hands at his sides in frustration, thinking today of all days might be a good one to let off steam in the Duke of Sutherland’s gymnasium. Except there was no time for that either. “I thought they were leaving after luncheon?”
Grant nodded once more. “Aye, my lord, but the lasses requested an earlier departure.” He leaned in closer, the way he’d started to do now. “To be frank, I think the idea of waiting until luncheon to face their…family, was a bit much.”
Dougal couldn’t blame them for trying to get out of the house quicker than originally planned. He wouldn’t want to remain any longer either. And sitting around waiting for luncheon, where Mary would lord it over them that she was getting her way sounded miserable.
Dougal considered hopping on his horse and riding all the way to the Highlands. Given his message, his servants there would already be aware of his impending arrival. Then he’d ride to the dower cottage in Skerray and… And what?
Invite them to dinner? Invite himself to dinner? Insert himself in their lives?
What right did he have to do that? Poppy would never be his. He wasn’t free to give himself to her. Until he dealt with the Lucia situation, there was nothing he should be doing about Poppy.
He should let her go.
Let her live her life without him.
And yet… The urge to chase after her was so strong within him that he had to brace himself on the front stoop of the Leven residence rather than turn toward his mount.
