The Darkness of Love by Vivian Stuart

Author:Vivian Stuart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas Ehf
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

Uncle Sam’s letter arrived a few days later. Her uncle had obviously been impressed by his guest.

“We had a splendid long weekend,” Sam wrote. “By pure chance Jack and Betty and the children picked that weekend to descend on me, and I could see that they liked him too. He has a nasty habit of keeping out of bunkers, but I can overlook that. Otherwise your Nairne is a great improvement on his cousin.”

Kate frowned at that. She was not in the least surprised that her uncle preferred Nairne to Allan, but it was unlike him to be so tactless about it.

“Nairne tells me that you and he plan to play golf together—do you really have to marry someone who doesn’t play at all? Or have you converted him to the faith? I suppose you think I’m an interfering old man, and I have to admit that I miss you far more than I expected, but I do wish you weren’t going to bury yourself in a barren wilderness which hasn’t improved much in the past hundred million years.”

Kate put the letter away, smiling a little. Her uncle’s prejudices were showing through with a vengeance. It was a good thing he didn’t know about Mairi’s shooting at her and then killing the dogs.

She went up to her room and was surprised to hear a tap on the door.

“Come in,” she called. There was no response and she called again, and then impatiently went to the door to open it. Mairi MacDonald stood in the passage, clutching something to her breast.

“What is it, Mairi? I called to come in. Come inside.”

The girl followed her in, looking nervous.

“I brought you something,” she said, and held out her hands.

Kate looked at the little black bundle of fur which was being offered to her.

“A kitten—for me?”

“Our cat’s had a litter. I thought . . .” Mairi’s voice trailed away as she flushed.

“That’s very nice of you.”

Kate took the kitten from her and stroked it gently. “Why did you do this?” she asked.

“Because of the dogs,” Mairi whispered. “I must have been mad.”

Kate didn’t know what to say.

“I don’t know what you’ll be thinking of me,” Mairi added in her soft, west Highland sing-song voice.

Up to now, nothing printable, Kate mused, still stroking the kitten.

“Let’s forget it, shall we?” she suggested coolly.

“If my father knew, he’d kill me.”

“There’s no need for him to know. Look here, Mairi, why do you stay on here?”

The look in the girl’s eyes was its own answer.

“You know there’s no future for you out here in the middle of nowhere. You’re very pretty—how old are you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Then you should go to Inverness and get a job there.”

“My father would never allow me.”

“At twenty-four—how could he stop you?”

“What would I do there?”

“You could get a job in a hotel, and they’d give you a room to stay in; you’d meet young people your own age. It may not be much but it’s a lot better than spending your life in a deserted glen with only your parents for company.

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