Sleepless in Scotland (Macleans 4) by Karen Hawkins

Author:Karen Hawkins
Format: mobi
Published: 2010-01-28T19:03:15+00:00

Chapter 12

“Och, ’tis kind o’ yer father to send ye here each Michaelmas. It does me old heart good to bask in the light of such bonny lassies!”

OLD WOMAN NORA TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT

I thought Papa said she’d only be here a few days,” Devon said disgustedly. Dressed in her chemise, she threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Christina pulled off her riding boots. “He said a couple of months, and it’s only been one week.”

Devon rolled over onto her stomach, her brow lowered. “He was very quiet this afternoon during our ride.”

“He barely smiled,” Aggie agreed. “Until she came into the barn.”

She was what they’d taken to calling Caitriona. “My lady” stuck in Christina’s throat and wouldn’t be uttered.

“He has a lot on his mind,” Devon said darkly. After a long moment, she added in a pugnacious voice, “I don’t like her.”

Christina shot Devon an annoyed glance. “Papa is the one who has to like her, not us.”

Aggie sat on a stool, dressed in a round gown of blue that set off her eyes, her sapphire blue riding habit on a chair waiting for the maid to take it to be cleaned. She held a handful of hairpins and a brush as she waited for Christina to fix her hair. “She’s been nice to us.”

She had indeed been nice to them, but distant. Christina had expected that, of course. She was only interested in Papa, and couldn’t care less about them.

Just like Mother.

Christina’s stomach tightened.

Aggie, blissfully unaware, added, “Papa likes her more than he says. She is rather pretty.”

Devon rolled to her side to stare at Aggie. “You can’t mean that!”

“She has a nice smile,” Aggie insisted.

“She wears spectacles,” Devon said with disgust.

“Yes, but her hair is very long and smooth.” Aggie touched her own curls and said in a wistful tone, “I wish my hair was smooth like that.”

“Well, I think she’s dreadfully plain,” Christina said. “I didn’t get a good feeling from her at all.”

“Me neither,” Devon said, planting her elbow on the bed and resting her chin in her palm. “I think she tricked Papa into marrying her.”

“I thought that was rather fishy myself.” Christina combed out Aggie’s hair. “I think Papa was taken advantage of.”

“So do I,” Aggie added, though it was obvious she was just trying to be included.

Christina looked across Aggie’s head to meet Devon’s gaze. “I wish there was something we could do to help Papa. She seems to be making herself at home.”

Devon’s expression darkened. “She’s won over Mrs. Wallis, Liam, and Angus, as well as Annie and Moira.”

“Both maids?” Christina asked.

Devon nodded. “This morning, Cook said she thought the ‘new missus’ was a right one.”

This was much worse than Christina had thought.

“She has made the house nicer,” Aggie said. “We’ve had better meals and the house is cleaner, and—”

“It was running fine when Devon and I were helping Mrs. Wallis,” Christina said hotly. Although, Mrs. Wallis hadn’t really allowed Christina and Devon to do more than select the menus.

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