Enraptured by Sara Bennett

Author:Sara Bennett [Bennett, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sara Bennett
Published: 2018-05-23T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Summer 1816

Invermar Castle

Rory shook the water from his dark hair and, standing in the boat, eased his aching arms and shoulders. He had risen early and walked five miles to visit one of their last remaining tenants. He wanted him to know that soon things would be improving at Invermar, but he could see the man was more interested in the heir’s recent marriage.

“I believe you’ve taken an Englishwoman to wife,” he had spoken doubtfully. “Is that wise, Master Rory? Will she want to stay? It would be a shame if your wee children were brought up as foreigners to their own country.”

“You can be sure I will not let that happen,” Rory had said. And how could you stop it?

“’Tis a pity you didn’t wed Widow MacIntyre,” the man went on. “She’s verra upset, Master Rory. Inconsolable.”

Rory had remembered then that the tenant was a relative of the Widow, and soon afterwards had taken his leave.

He eased his arms again. His father was frowning at his map. He’d painstakingly drawn the dimensions of the three mile long freshwater loch with a grid over the top, and it was as accurate as he could make it. Every time they searched one of the little squares on the grid, Archie would put a cross through it.

Observing him from the boat, Rory thought his father looked gaunt, and his skin had a yellowish tinge. There had been a time when father and son had dived together but Archie was too feeble now. They had not spoken of what was wrong—he sensed his father didn’t want to talk about it. Not yet. The thought of losing his beloved parent was keeping Rory silent too, but he could not wait forever.

“Are you sure you’re marking off the right squares?” he called out, trying to lighten his own thoughts. “Is your map upside down?”

“I know what I’m doing, lad,” his father’s reply was as sharp as ever. “You have the easy job. All you have to do is dive where I tell you to.”

With a shiver Rory reached for his towel, hoping this morning’s search wouldn’t go on for too much longer. He’d planned to speak to a local stone mason about some repairs to the west tower. Best to at least get them started and the tower shored up, before it fell down into the loch. He would use the money given to him in the marriage settlement but he had a feeling that would only go so far. Would Olivia be willing to help? Only she could persuade her father to release some of her fortune into his hands.

The truth was he had no idea what his wife would say or do. She had been appalled when they arrived yesterday. She’d tried to hide it but he could see by the pallor of her face and the way she bit her lower lip how much the sight of Invermar had upset her. Rory was used to the state of his home, but standing beside Olivia he had seen it through her eyes.

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