Lucy and Her Scottish Laird

by Margo Maguire

  Once inside, his demeanor changed. He became quite serious. “Lucy, my dear, I think you should avoid Duncan Munro. I do not like that fellow, though I cannot quite put my finger on what bothers me about him.”

  Lucy nodded. “I will, Uncle.”

  * * *

  The next day, Arden felt well enough to take a short stroll around the garden with Lucy. Later, two of Lucy’s new friends paid a visit, and made plans for their trip to the city’s most famous landmark the following day.

  That afternoon, Lucy spent an hour penning letters to her family. It still bothered her that she had not received any news from them. She could not imagine why they had not yet written to her, especially in light of the accident.

  There was a tap at her door.

  “Come in.”

  It was Sinclair, Arden’s maid, and she was smiling. “Miss Stillwater, your uncle wants you.”

  “What is it?”

  “There is company, Miss.”

  She went downstairs to the sound of voices and discovered her sister, Meg, and her brother, Calvin! It seemed they had both just entered the house.

  Turning from their uncle, the two of them embraced Lucy at once, and she found herself shedding tears of joy. She had not seen Calvin in four years!

  “Let me look at you!” she cried, pulling away. He’d grown to be a man during his four years in America. Lucy had been only eighteen when he left, to his twenty-three. Now he was tall and broad in the shoulders, narrow-hipped, and as handsome as he could be.

  She hugged him again, then sucked in a breath when she realized her brother and sister had not arrived alone. Joshua Parris stood near the door with his hat in his hands. “I hope you do not mind my intrusion, Lu— Miss Stillwater.”

  “Oh, no! Of course not!” She extended her hand and he took it, bowing gracefully over it.

  She could not imagine anything better. Her long absent brother and beloved sister had arrived with the man Lucy had spent most of her life admiring, the man she fully intended to marry.

  “Well, come in, come in!” Archie said, laughing. “We always have rooms ready for guests, and you must know your aunt will be happy to see you.”

  * * *

  Ian did not know if Béatrice and Gordon had anything to do with his father’s recovery. But what had seemed impossible only a week ago was happening now. Crenshaw and a footman were helping the duke into a chair next to his bed.

  In a few days he would be well enough for Ian to leave him and go to Edinburgh.

  In the meantime, he and Ferguson searched the rest of the library for hidden treasure and found two more boxes secreted away behind concealed panels on the top shelves. There was enough gold to last generations, even if all the crops failed and they ran out of clay for bricks and tiles.

  MacAdams was tremendously relieved by the find, and also interested in how and why the treasure had been hidden away. He began to look for clues in the ancient books and manuscripts that lined the shelves. He was certain he would find something in one of them.

  “We must make certain Duncan does not get wind of this find,” Ian said.

  “Christ, no, my lord,” MacAdams said. “We cannot allow any of the servants to know about it, either. Word travels.”

  MacAdams recommended they summon an appraiser and the proprietor of Boyd’s, a reputable auction house in Edinburgh, to come and evaluate the treasure’s worth. When that was done, they spoke of holding a private auction in town as soon as possible. Ian hoped he and Ferguson would soon be able to make the arrangements in Edinburgh.

  As the days passed, Ian was less and less sure of what he’d seen in his father’s bedchamber the night the duke began to recover. He’d spent years at Craigmuir Castle and seen only wisps of what he thought might be the ghost, but was never sure of it.

  Had Béatrice and Gordon healed the duke? Why had they turned up right when Ian’s need had been greatest? They were his ancestors – he had no doubt about that. Perhaps they saw their line dying out if they did not intervene. Or maybe Lucy had something to do with it.

  Béatrice had shown herself most clearly to Lucy – or maybe Lucy had been particularly open to seeing her. Whatever the reason, Ian was most grateful. And relieved to have his father on the mend.

  Ferguson made arrangements for them to travel to Edinburgh with the treasure. Knowledge of its existence had been limited to Ian, Ferguson and MacAdams, so they should be able to get through the countryside without being harassed. But they took several armed footmen, anyway. The men would be needed at the Edinburgh house until Ian could put the treasure boxes into the locked vault at Boyd’s Auction House.

  While MacAdams remained at Craigmuir to oversee the duke’s recovery and estate affairs, Ian went to Edinburgh. He knew Lord Kildrum had a house in New Town, but would have to learn his address when he arrived.

  Ian’s first responsibility was to get the treasure under lock and key, but his interest in discovering Lord Kildrum’s address was foremost in his mind. He wanted to find Lucy as soon as possible.

  They arrived at Craigmuir Place in Queen Street and were greeted by the butler, Stuart. The Edinburgh footmen carried the antique metal boxes into the mansion where they stowed them in the strong room. Stuart locked the door and handed Ian the key. “There will be two footmen guarding it night and day, my lord,” he said.

  “Very good. I wish to visit Lord Kildrum this afternoon, Stuart,” Ian said. “But I do not have his address.”

  “I would be happy to find it for you, Lord Broxburn.”

  “Excellent. Carry on, Stuart.”

  Ian steeled himself to take the time for a bath and a change of clothes before going in search of Lucy. When he was finally ready and his horse saddled, it was already mid-afternoon, but he had no intention of delaying further. He rode to Kildrum House in St. Andrew’s Square where Lord Kildrum’s butler informed him that Lucy had gone out.

  Of course. She was young and beautiful, and had not come to Edinburgh to sit at home with her elderly aunt and uncle.

  “You will find her up at the castle with friends and family, my lord.”

  “Family?”

  “Aye. One of her sisters and a brother came to see that all was well with Miss Stillwater and their aunt. Now they are seeing the sights.”

  Ian knew the castle well enough, but he was not so sure about intruding upon a family outing. “When will they return?”

  “Lord Kildrum did not specify,” the man replied. “He said they might go wandering a bit.”

  Ian nodded, his disappointment a bitter taste in his mouth. “H-How does Lady Kildrum fare? I hope she is improved since I last saw her.”

  “Oh, yes, my lord,” the butler said. “She is up and about some, though her arm still causes discomfort.”

  “I am sorry about her arm, but glad to hear she is out of bed,” he said, heading for the door. “Well, please give Miss Stillwater my regards, and…”

  Two carriages arrived and several young ladies alighted, along with a few young men. One man was easily recognized as a Stillwater by his coloring – the dark hair and translucent blue eyes. Lucy walked beside him while another young lady – obviously Lucy’s sister – took his arm.

  For a second, time seemed to stop, and Ian only saw Lucy, her laughing face, her sparkling eyes. He had never seen her so happy.

  Then a tall young man with reddish-blond hair came up beside her, walking with her to the house. Was he the reason for her delight?

  Lucy stopped short when she saw him in the doorway. “Lord Broxburn!”

  Chapter Twenty

  * * *

  “Hello, Miss Stillwater,” Ian said, bowing.

  The mob of young ladies behind her stopped talking and gazed up at him as though he were…an apparition like the ancestors he’d seen in his father’s bedchamber.

  “I-I…Would you—” Lucy stuttered. “Shall we go inside?”

  Ian found her stammer charming.

  Lord Kildrum brought up the rear an
d steered the whole group into his drawing room, calling for tea to be served. Lucy introduced her brother and sister, Calvin and Meg Stillwater. Calvin, in turn, introduced him to Joshua Parris.

  Ian had known who he was even without being introduced. His proprietary demeanor with Lucy had made that quite clear.

  “How is your father?” Lucy asked him, drawing him away from the others.

  “Surprisingly better,” Ian replied.

  * * *

  Lucy could never have imagined a situation in which she would occupy the same room with Joshua Parris and Lord Broxburn at the same time.

  “My father is – surprisingly – improving,” Broxburn said.

  “I am glad to hear it. And your mother?”

  He paused. “The same.”

  Lucy’s uncle came to them, with Joshua following close behind. “Fancy seeing Lord Broxburn again,” Archie said to Lucy. “He came to see how your aunt fares.”

  “How thoughtful of him,” Lucy said as Joshua pressed closer to her.

  “Come, Lucy,” Parris said, moving to take her arm. “Lord Broxburn was leaving.”

  “I am in no hurry,” Broxburn replied.

  But Joshua drew her away, and when she turned to face her friends, she saw Lady Claire eyeing Broxburn as though he were a honeyed treat on a golden plate. Lucy felt her temper flare.

  Her feelings baffled her. Seeing Joshua arriving with her siblings should have warmed the cockles of her heart. It had not.

  She’d been surprised, of course, and happy to see Calvin and Meg. They were vague about Joshua having come along – apparently, he’d inveigled an invitation to travel with them, saying he’d never visited Scotland, and always wanted to.

  Lucy could not imagine such a thing was true. Joshua had always said how content he was with his small piece of Berkshire, and did not envy his sisters who’d married and moved away from Long Willow Place. She knew he’d come to Edinburgh for one reason. To see – to court – her.

  She should have been ecstatic. Her heart should have hammered so loudly she could feel it in her throat and hear it in her ears.

  Neither of those things had happened. When she looked at his mouth, she could not imagine his kiss. After all those months of dreaming about life as Joshua’s wife at Long Willow Place…now she could hardly picture his home.

  She thought of their walks through the countryside and tried to evoke the girlish adoration that characterized the way she’d always felt about him. To be sure, he was a fine young man – kind, generous, and thoughtful. But…

  Lucy was not about to complete that thought. Joshua was everything she’d ever wanted. Nothing had changed. It was heartening to know that he’d come all the way to Edinburgh. For her.

  “My uncle told us of the accident and your hospitality, my lord,” Meg said to Broxburn. “May I add my thanks for your generosity and kindness?”

  With Meg’s entrance into the conversation, Lucy took the opportunity to move away. She sat down on the settee and expected Calvin to take a seat beside her, but it was Broxburn who came over. When he took his place beside her, Lucy felt a familiar tug of need roll through her.

  Meg sat in the chair adjacent to them.

  “It was my pleasure to help your aunt and uncle,” he said to Meg, and his hand slid up against Lucy’s when he said pleasure. She thought he’d said and done it intentionally, but when she looked at his face, she saw nothing to indicate he was aware of his effect upon her.

  Lucy’s uncle left the group to go and check on Arden while the rest of the company found seats in the drawing room. Servants came in with trays of tea and sweets, and Lucy noticed Lady Claire ogling Broxburn again.

  “Lord Broxburn,” Claire said, “will you be in Edinburgh for Lady Muirhouse’s ball?”

  Broxburn shrugged. “When is to be held?”

  “Friday,” Claire replied. “I do hope you’ll come.”

  “Perhaps,” Broxburn said. “It depends upon the progress of my business here in town.”

  Lucy made a point of unruffling her feathers. Broxburn did not appear to entertain any particular interest in Claire – not that Lucy should care. It was only a matter of time before everything Lucy had ever wanted would be within her grasp.

  She and Meg had planned it well. She was going to dress in a beautiful beaded gown of pale gold and white for the ball, and Meg was certain Joshua would waste no more time in asking for her hand. Though her father was not present for Joshua to speak to, her brother was there, and so was her uncle. There should be absolutely no obstacle to their becoming engaged.

  She only wished she felt more certain of her emotions, especially now that Broxburn was here. She had put him out of her mind completely – well, not completely, she had to admit. She’d fallen asleep every night thinking of those moments of intimacy she’d shared with the marquess, and trying to imagine Joshua’s arms around her, Joshua’s lips upon hers.

  She’d failed appallingly. But now that Joshua was here and being so attentive to her, Lucy was sure she could recapture the feelings she’d secretly harbored for all those years growing up near Long Willow Place. He was the same handsome, kind, quiet-spoken gentleman he’d always been.

  “Well then, Lord Broxburn, we hope your business keeps you here in Edinburgh until after the ball,” Claire said with a flutter of her eyelashes.

  No one asked the nature of Broxburn’s business, but Lucy suspected it had something to do with the treasure they found in his library. Knowing what she did about ancient artifacts, she guessed Broxburn would have to find someone to buy the coins and other valuables in that box. She had not told Joshua about it, or about seeing the ghost, either. It seemed too private a thing to share with anyone, even her family. Besides, any talk of the ghost would likely make them think she had lost hold of her senses.

  “We met Mr. Munro the other day, my lord,” Claire said. “I believe he is your cousin?”

  “He is quite charming,” said Isobel. “He said his estate is near Stirling?”

  “He was here?” He turned to Lucy with a distinct look of chagrin that made her wonder. Why had Mr. Munro left Craigmuir Castle so abruptly? She suspected he’d caused some offense, but could not imagine what, exactly. He’d been fairly rude toward her, but she could not imagine that had anything to do with why he’d gone away.

  “He was not here at Kildrum House,” Lucy said. “We saw him at Lady Elliott’s soiree a few nights ago.”

  Broxburn said nothing more, but Lucy could tell the mention of Mr. Munro bothered him. Was it because he was in Edinburgh when he ought to have been somewhere else?

  “He resembles you so closely, you might be brothers,” Lady Flora remarked.

  Broxburn stood. “I must go. Miss Stillwater, will you walk with me to the door?” He glanced at Calvin, who gave a quick nod.

  Lucy walked with him, stopping in the foyer when he turned to her. “If my cousin turns up again, please send for me.” It was not at all what she expected. “Promise me.”

  “Is there someth—”

  “Just promise me. He is not to be trusted,” Broxburn said. “In any way.”

  “Yes. All right,” she said.

  “Lucy,” his tone was low and intimate, but he kept a proper distance between them. “I must thank you again for coming to me…with what you discovered in the library.”

  “Of course I did,” she said. “I—”

  “Béatrice trusted you.”

  Lucy nodded. “I suppose she must have. Did you find anything else hidden there?”

  “We did. And later, I saw Béatrice and Gordon in my father’s bedchamber,” he said. “I do not know whether they had some healing effect on him, but he is definitely improving.”

  “I am very glad to hear it, my lord,” she said. “I know you were worried about him.”

  “Surprisingly so,” he mused. “He…he was a good father to me.”

  “And your mother?”

  He looked at her intently, then touched her cheek wit
h one thumb. She longed to close her eyes and lean close to him.

  “That is a discussion for another time.”

  Thank heavens he spoke, breaking the connection between them, because they stood in her uncle’s foyer, with footmen and maids all about. Anything more than that grazing touch and the gossip would begin in—

  “Your Mr. Parris seems a first rate fellow. He, uh…” Broxburn stepped back and made a quick bow. “Well, I’ll be going, then.”

  He wasted no more time, turning to leave the house. A footman closed the door behind him.

  Lucy stood still for a moment, her pulse thumping so hard she thought her chest might burst. She took a step toward the door but stopped herself. What would she do? Chase after him? He’d come to pay a courtesy call on her aunt and uncle, which was wholly appropriate and quite kind of him. He would not have known whether she would be at home. Her heart sank, knowing he had not come for her.

  “Lucy?”

  She turned around and saw Calvin coming toward her. “Is everything all right?”

  Her throat was dry and her stomach burned, but she nodded. She could not very well tell him what was so utterly wrong when she did not quite know, herself.

  * * *

  Ian went back to Queen Street where Ferguson was waiting at Craigmuir Place with Mr. Boyd, their auctioneer. So far, Duncan had not come around, so their care in keeping Craigmuir’s windfall a secret had worked. Duncan was far better off believing there were limits to what he was allowed to spend, and not start believing there was an endless supply of money from his uncle.

  “Ah, Lord Broxburn,” Ferguson said. “We were waiting for your return. Mr. Boyd is ready to transfer the artifacts to the safe in his building in High Street.”

  “By all means.”

  Ian’s problems were essentially solved, but he felt hollow. After seeing Lucy in the bosom of her family, surrounded by friends – and Joshua Parris – he knew where he stood. And it was miles away from where he’d hoped to be.

  He knew his duty now was to get the Craigmuir treasure sold and pay his workers. He would have Ferguson purchase stores of grain and other staples so that his tenants would not be hungry as they’d been the previous year. And he needed to make plans for the repairs and improvements on the ducal estates that had been neglected for years – the land as well as the buildings.