Lucy and Her Scottish Laird by Margo Maguire

Author:Margo Maguire [Maguire, Margo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2016-07-04T21:00:00+00:00

Ian did not find Lucy in the solar. He had to admit that was fortuitous, for – truth be told – he was in a foul mood. Dealing with his father and worrying about the condition of the estate was enough to sour any man’s mood.

He caught Kindale in his bedchamber just as he was preparing to leave for Edinburgh. “I have a favor to ask, Malcolm,” he said. “And it is not small.”

“What do you need?”

“I hesitate—”

“Don’t. Just tell me what you need,” Malcolm repeated.

“Stay until tomorrow.”

A wry grin spread across Malcolm’s face. “Ah.”

“Come to supper tonight and…”

“And?”

“You know,” Ian said. “Help deflect Auchengrey’s attention from me.”

“As a candidate for his daughter’s hand?”

Ian nodded. “I am not ready. My father is ill, and the duchess…You know she has not been well for some time, and her condition seems to be worsening.”

“Of course. Your parents must be your priority now.”

“Thank you, Malcolm. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”

“Say nothing of it,” Malcolm said. “What about Miss Stillwater?”

“Miss Stillwater?”

Malcolm chuckled. “I’ve known you a long time, my friend. And I have never seen you look at a woman the way—”

“She is spoken for.”

Malcolm raised a brow.

“She told me. About Parris,” Ian said. “Well, not in so many words, but she was clear—”

“And that is supposed to stop you?”

“Malcolm, I have a lot more to worry about than women at the moment.” He jabbed his fingers through his hair. “My father changed his will.”

“What? No.”

“Yes,” Ian replied. “He bequeathed the Brodie property to Duncan, as well as the two other estates north of Edinburgh.”

“He will ruin them.”

“Aye.”

“What will you do?”

“MacAdams and Ferguson are dealing with it,” Ian said “I believe the problem will be solved in short order.”

“So, what about Miss Stillwater?”

Ian sat down on a chair near the window “I…” He did not know what to say, so he shrugged.

Malcolm took the seat across from him and spoke quietly. “Yes, perhaps the timing just isn’t right. There will be other opportunities, Ian.”

Bad timing. Other opportunities.

Perhaps, but Ian did not think he would be able to banish Lucy Stillwater from his mind in the near future. If ever.

He realized Malcolm was attempting to be supportive, but his friend did not know all the issues that plagued him. Ian still could not bring himself to tell Malcolm about his bastardy. He cringed at the thought of how his friends would treat him if they knew the truth of his parentage.

But he hated the lie, too. He was a fraud.

It was doubtful that the truth would ever come out, but he knew it. He would always know it.

He wanted to understand how it had come about – his father’s seduction of the Irish maid. Had it been an affair of the heart? Or had he taken advantage of her the way Duncan had done with Aileen? Such behavior was unconscionable, and the idea that Ian might have been conceived in this vile manner was despicable.

At least his father had seen fit to create the charade that had become Ian’s life.

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