Page 29 of The Scot Who Loved Her

As soon as he caught up with Olivia Aston and her traitor father, he’d be able to haul them in for questioning and put this thing to rest. He was about to explain all that when her reply took him by surprise.

“That’s perfectly fine with me.” The expression on her face registered excitement. “I’ve always wanted to go, but you know how Mother is.”

“Aye.” He left it at that, no need to tell his wee sister the heinous things his mother had said to him or the extreme loathing he’d had for her for nearly two decades.

“When do we leave?” Caroline balled up her napkin and put it on the table.

“Today.”

She clapped in girlish cheer. “Perfect.”

“After breakfast.”

“Oh, I’ll need to pack and to change.” She started to tick tasks off on her fingers.

He nodded. “I’ll let the servants know.” He turned around, prepared to do just that, when Caroline cleared her throat behind him.

“Malcolm?”

“Aye?” He faced her.

The creamy skin of her face wrinkled at the brow “What will we tell Mother?”

That, he’d not made a plan for, but Gemma was the least of his concerns. He shrugged. “Nothing for now. When she arrives home, she’ll find out.”

“About that…” Caroline bit her lip.

“What is it?”

“Mother isn’t returning home. I mean, here.”

Malcolm turned fully toward her. “Nay?”

Caroline shook her head. “Indeed not. She had all of her things packed and taken to her husband’s house.”

“And what about ye?”

Caroline glanced down at her hands. “I’m supposed to be married off this season, so I’m no longer a consideration for her.”

“Aconsideration?”

A flush reddened her skin. For bloody hell’s sake. Gemma was at it again.

Malcolm approached his wee sister, held out his hand to her and pulled her to stand. He looked her square in the eye with his hands on her shoulders. “My dear sister, ye’re no’ a consideration. And I’ll no’ force ye to wed this season either. Ye have my word. Ye can wed when ye’re good and ready.”

“Do you mean it?”

“I never say anything I do no’ mean.” He held out his hand, and she slipped her smaller one against his. “From one ‘consideration’ to another.” This time he chuckled. “Ye have my promise that there’s always a place for ye in my home.”

“Thank you, Malcolm. You cannot know what that means to me.”

“I’ve an idea.”

“Tell me?”

“We’ve a long carriage ride ahead of us. Plenty of time for talking then.”

“I’m going to hold you to it, brother.”

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