Peggy’s Love: The Victorian Highlanders Book 5

by St. Clair, Ellie

  “And we will,” he said. He knew if he mentioned the fact that she had been distracted since she’d had her boys last year, he would never hear the end of it. And he understood — truly he did. Fin was just as distracted as she. Things changed once there were children about.

  “We just wanted to go and determine if it could even work, see what the price would be to set up something like that — if it would even be worth it.”

  She eyed him with a mix of admiration and surprise. “Well, I’m interested to see what you come up with,” she said, shocking him, and he grinned back at her.

  “Say, Peg,” he said, contemplating the dark-haired woman, missing the smile that so typically graced her face. “You should come with.”

  “What?” Both Peggy and Kyla exclaimed as one.

  “Why not?” he asked, splaying his hands out before him. “You were just telling me on the way here that you were wanting to see the cities beyond the Highlands. I’m sure it’s been ages since you’ve been to Glasgow. Come along. Roderick is coming, as is Gwen, so it will be no issue, I’m sure. If your father cannot approve that, I’m not sure what he would allow ye to ever do.”

  A look of hope entered Peggy’s expression.

  “I would love to!” she exclaimed. She looked over at Kyla. “What do you think? Would ye help me convince Father? He listens to you — much more than he does me, at any rate.”

  Kyla bit her lip. “I’m not entirely sure—”

  “Oh, come, Kyla, the girl deserves a bit of fun.”

  “Well,” Kyla said with a shrug, “we can try.”

  * * *

  “Absolutely not.”

  “But Father—”

  “You are not traipsing around Glasgow alone, and certainly not with Rory MacTavish.”

  Duncan McDougall sat in his usual deep-brown leather chair in the great room of the keep, a newspaper in front of him and a mug of ale on the scarred oak coffee table beside him. Peggy thought now would be a good moment to ask, as he was typically in a good mood at this hour of day, just before dinner.

  Her timing, however, didn’t seem to make much of a difference — Duncan would never be in an agreeable mood when it came to her request.

  “Father,” she said trying to reason with him. “It could be far worse. You didna want me to go to the Northwest Territories when Roderick traveled there. I did not agree with your decision, but I did understand it. This is simply a few days in Glasgow, which is only a couple of hours away. And it’s not just Rory. Roderick and Gwen will be there.”

  Duncan raised an eyebrow as if asking her if she really thought that her carefree brother and his wife, a former thief, were appropriate chaperones, before returning his gaze to his newspaper.

  “You’ve let Callum, Finlay, Adam, and Roderick do whatever they very well please, and yet you keep me confined here like a prisoner,” she argued. “That is not at all fair.”

  “You are hardly a prisoner. I can think of no life that would be better than the one you currently live. Besides that… it’s different with you,” he said gruffly, and she resisted the urge to adamantly protest as she came over to kneel beside him on the red plaid carpet.

  “I know, Father, that I am your daughter and not your son,” she said gently. “But that doesn’t mean that I should not be allowed any fun in life. It could be far worse, you know. I could disobey all orders and run away, do whatever I please.”

  At that, he put down his paper, his face stricken.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “No, I wouldn’t,” she said softly, placing a hand on his knee. “I respect you too much for that. But I could.”

  “She’s right, you know.”

  Peggy looked over her shoulder, smiling at her mother as Jane darned a hole in a pair of socks. Jane was so quiet sometimes that it was easy to forget she was there. But when she did have something to say within her rather loud and boisterous family, it was always worth listening to.

  “She’s our baby, ’tis true,” said Jane with a soft smile, putting down the sock. “But she’s not a girl anymore, Duncan. She’s over twenty now, and she’s grown into a woman.”

  “Which,” Peggy’s father said with emphasis, “is exactly why I don’t want her in Glasgow.”

  “You know Roderick and Gwen will never let any harm come to her,” said Jane. “And Rory, despite some of his previous failings, looks after her like he does one of his family.”

  And therein lay the problem, at least in Peggy’s eyes. But now wasn’t exactly the time to worry about that.

  “She’ll be fine,” came a voice from the door, and Kyla walked into the room, clad in her typical breeches, which she far preferred for the work she did in helping Finlay manage the two clans. “Rory has promised to look after her, as will Roderick and Gwen. I’ve been to Glasgow many times myself, and as long as Peggy keeps out of any… seedier establishments, no harm should come to her. She’s a smart woman, Duncan.”

  Duncan sighed, looking at the faces of each of the three women staring determinately at him.

  “How far a man has fallen when he gives himself over to the whims of women,” he grumbled with a sigh as he picked up his paper.

  “Fine. Go, Peggy,” he said, but eyed her with a warning. “But if anything untoward happens, never again. Do you hear me?”

  “I hear you, Father,” she said, trying not to let her elation show. “Thank you! Thank you very much.”

  She stood from her crouch on the floor, placing a kiss on his weathered cheek before practically skipping from the room.

  Walk, Peggy. You’re a woman now, remember?

  Now it was simply a matter of enjoying her freedom and her chance to travel outside of the Highlands — without being completely preoccupied by her proximity to Rory MacTavish.

  She could do it.

  How hard was it to ignore a man?

  Chapter 4

  Peggy found, however, that it was extremely difficult to remove a man like Rory MacTavish from her mind as he sat beside her on the train, his large, strong body pressed up against her. Even if he hadn’t physically been such a presence, his very essence would make him hard to ignore.

  Which, she reminded herself, was why she was not the only woman who felt that way. Just focus on having a bit of fun, Peggy. That’s what this is about.

  “So, Peg, what are ye wanting to do while in Glasgow?” asked Roderick with a smile. They had always gotten on fairly well. Not only were they the two youngest of the bunch, but they also shared a similar spirit of adventure and were always on the lookout for some fun. Peggy had been devastated when Roderick went to the Northwest Territories without her, but she was forever thankful to Gwen for bringing him back to them.

  “Well,” she began, not sure how much the others would be interested in her thoughts, but there was so much she had heard about the city that she didn’t know how she would have time to see it all. “Mostly I would like to see the street entertainment, to watch how people in the city live. And I think I might like to go to the theatre. Perhaps even a horse race would be fun, don’t ye think? Or a game of football? Maybe even… a tavern or two?”

  Gwen was nodding with her, and even Roderick looked like he was considering agreeing with it all until she came to the tavern.

  “No taverns,” he said, shaking his head before she even stopped speaking.

  “Gwen, have you ever been in a tavern?”

  Gwen bit her lip, tilting her head as she looked at Peggy, her long auburn hair falling around her shoulders. “Well, yes, but—”

  “See?” Peggy looked at Roderick with eyebrows raised. Roderick looked pained, as he clearly didn’t want to say anything that might insult his wife while at the same time, he obviously felt he must forbid Peggy from attending such a place.

  “I — well — we’ll see,” he finally managed, sending Peggy a glower that she returned with a smile.

  Peggy felt Rory shift beside her, and she turned to glance at him. While he looked slightly discomfite
d, she was sure it had nothing to do with their conversation. Perhaps he was simply beginning to suffer from his confinement within the train car.

  When they pulled into Glasgow, they disembarked and found a hack to take them to their hotel. Peggy was rather disappointed as, knowing their destination wasn’t far, she had been hoping to walk the streets, but Roderick refused.

  So instead, she pushed back the curtain covering the window of the small hack and looked through, practically hanging out the window in order to catch a glimpse of all the city had to offer. It had been a few years since she was here, and even then, her previous trip had been with her parents, who had kept her fairly sheltered. Now she would have the opportunity to truly live within the bustling city. She was shocked by the crush of people within the street. How could one find space to move with so many people milling about? It was so different from the Highlands, where all had as much land as one could ever want to themselves. Sometimes it was altogether too much space and became rather lonely. But this… she didn’t know whether she was astonished or terrified.

  “Peggy, you’re going to fall out!” she heard Roderick call from inside, and she felt a hand clench around her skirt as a bit of insurance. Surprise rocketed through her when she came back in and saw Rory’s hand clutching her garment, his strong fingers twisted in the plaid fabric. She swallowed hard, and he quickly shook his hand loose when their eyes met. The carriage took a sudden sharp turn, and she went flying backward into Rory, landing with an “oomph.” He easily caught her, and she closed her eyes for just a moment as her cheeks began to flame.

  “My goodness, are you all right, Peggy?” asked Gwen, leaning over her, and Peggy managed a smile through her embarrassment as she tried not to focus on Rory’s hard body and limbs beneath her.

  “Fine,” she choked out, pushing herself up on her elbows, hearing a hiss of pain behind her as one of them dug into Rory — where exactly on his body, she wasn’t sure, nor did she want to know. Finally, he must have taken pity on her, as he brought his strong hands to her waist and lifted her off of him and placed her back onto the seat beside him.

  “Well, I suppose that will teach me,” she said with a nervous laugh as she looked down, checking to make sure all of her clothing was still in place. She wasn’t sure her gowns were particularly fine enough for Glasgow, but it wasn’t as though she’d had time for a new wardrobe in planning this trip. If only she could wear some of Rebecca’s clothing. Then, she would be well attired, but sadly, her brother Adam’s wife was about three sizes smaller. Peggy was ‘gifted’ with the McDougall build, which was fine for a woman working in the Highlands, she supposed, but she knew she would feel rather like a giant here among the ladies of the city.

  Overall, the carriage ride was a rather agreeable one, as the four of them all had the same sense of spirit, and it didn’t seem like it was long until they were pulling up in front of the hotel.

  “You’ll have your own room, just off of ours,” said Roderick after he collected keys from the proprietor, handing one to Peggy. “But promise me, Peg, you will not do anything foolish. Father has entrusted that I will keep you safe, but you’re a grown woman and I canna be watching over you the entire time we’re here. Understood?”

  She nodded, feeling like a recalcitrant child, though it was entertaining watching Roderick become the father figure for once. She and Gwen shared a small smile at his expense, which Roderick didn’t miss.

  “I know, very funny, Roderick the responsible one. Well, someone has to be,” he grumbled, leading them up the stairs. “Peggy, we’re going to be meeting with a property manager regarding a storefront this afternoon. Do you promise to stay here?”

  “Can I not come with you?”

  “There are already three of us going. Gwen has some ideas from what she has seen during her travels in Canada, and you’ll just be bored, I’m sure.”

  Peggy sighed. She had actually been hoping to go out and see more of the city, and even a meeting would have been more entertaining than sitting here alone. But she noted the glint in Roderick’s eye, the one that told her he was actually being serious.

  “Fine,” she said. “I will stay here until you return, but then we must do something beyond the hotel, can we not?”

  “Of course,” he said. “Stay in your rooms for now?”

  “In the hotel.”

  “In the hotel,” he reluctantly agreed, and after depositing their bags in their nearby rooms, the three of them were off, as Peggy watched from her window with her arms crossed over her chest.

  It seemed she was always being left behind, while others went… beyond. Well, she was a child no longer. She meandered down the stairs to the bar at the front of the hotel, taking a seat at a table in the window so that she could see out to the street. This was a fairly affluent neighborhood of Glasgow, she knew, as much of the city was far less well off. Still, there was a decent mass of people outside, from well-dressed lords to street urchins flitting in and out of the crowd, trying to find easy pay, she gathered.

  She was in such a reverie that she jumped, startled when someone spoke to her from across the table.

  “Good afternoon, my lady.”

  “Oh gosh! I am sorry, I didna even see you sit down,” Peggy said with a laugh as she slowed her racing heartbeat. The man across from her was good-looking, in the dashing, debonair kind of way. His hair was slicked down over his head, a mustache carefully maintained overtop full lips that smiled at her now.

  “Good afternoon,” she responded.

  “What is a beautiful woman such as yourself doing sitting here alone, looking as though she longs to be elsewhere?”

  “Just waiting,” she said, returning his smile at his compliment. “My companions will be back momentarily.”

  “Ah, very good,” he said. “Is this your first time in Glasgow?”

  “In a while, yes,” she said as she picked up her forgotten cup and took a sip of the now-cold tea. “How did you know?”

  “From the interest in your eyes as you gazed out the window,” he said, cocking his head, his eyes interested as they looked her over. “Those who have spent some time here are used to the city and no longer even see anything in the streets. You, however, are watching the passersby as though they are a sight in and of themselves.”

  “I suppose they are,” she said, shrugging, unsure what to think of this man. He seemed charming, kind perhaps, but there was something about him that was somehow slightly… off. She wasn’t even sure how to properly describe it — it was just a feeling.

  “My apologies, I haven’t yet even introduced myself. Matthew Gowan.”

  “Peggy McDougall,” she said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I say, would you like to see some of the city?” he asked with a grin. “You seem as though you are interested, and there is a lot more to experience out there than sitting alone within.”

  “Oh, thank you,” she said, tempted, but aware of the dangers of accepting an offer from a man she had met but moments ago, “but my brother wouldna be pleased if I were to leave before his return. Also, my apologies, Sir, but we met just moments ago, and while ye seem very kind, I know nothing about you.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  She opened her mouth, somewhat intrigued, but a voice cut through the air, severing their connection.

  “Peg? We’re back already. We— Gowan.”

  Peggy turned, seeing Rory standing there above her, a glower masking his usually pleasant features.

  “Rory! Why are you back so soon?”

  “My business finished early. Roderick was worried about you, asked me to come back,” he said, his gaze not leaving her companion’s face. “Gowan, what are ye doing here? And why are ye speaking with Peg— Miss McDougall?”

  Mr. Gowan eased away from the table, a grin spreading over his face as he looked from Rory to Peggy and back again. “Oh, I see the way of it. This one is yours, then?”

  “She is not mine,” Ror
y answered as Peggy shook her head rapidly back and forth. “We are… friends.”

  “I see,” said Gowan, his smile not fading. “Very well, then. I suppose I should be going. I wish a good day to you both.”

  He bobbed his head slightly at Peggy, rose from his chair, and left, whistling a tune as he did. Rory took his vacant seat with a sigh.

  “Why were you so rude to him?” Peggy asked, staring at him quizzically. Rory loved everyone. “And how do you know him? He seemed nice enough.”

  “He is not a nice man, Peggy,” Rory said, looking at her intently, his normally cheerful face now serious. “You canna speak to him again, no matter how charming he seems to be.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” Peggy said, exasperated. Why did everyone think they could order her around, with no one giving her any inclination of why she must do as she was asked?

  “I am not being ridiculous,” he said, a growl lacing his voice. “The man is just using you, Peggy, to get at me.”

  “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “And why would he use me to get to you? I am nothing but a friend of yours, and he had no idea who I was when he sat down. Besides, what is he to you? What did ye do to him?”

  “Why would you think I had done anything?”

  “Because you are always doing something to get yourself in a spot of trouble, Rory. That is certainly no secret,” she said, not backing down despite the fact his eyes began to narrow.

  His scowl deepened, and he sat back in his chair, looking out the window and gazing at the street beyond, where Peggy’s interest had been affixed but moments ago.

  “So you think the same of me as everyone else does, do ye Peg?” he asked, quietly now. “I always thought you were different, that you still held out some belief in me.”

  The anger on his face was being replaced by the hurt that he was trying to hide from her, Peggy knew, and her discontent with him began to fade away as she felt some empathy for him and his plight.

  “Ah, Rory, you know that I do,” she said and he turned to look at her. “I know what it’s like to be judged by what people expect from you, not on who you are or who you want to be. Ye have made some mistakes in the past, that canna be denied, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a good person. If you think I shouldna trust this Gowan man, then I will understand, but you must explain to me why I shouldn’t.”