The Scottish Stone Series: Books 1-4 by Kelsey McKnight

Author:Kelsey McKnight [McKnight, Kelsey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC
Published: 2018-02-05T16:00:00+00:00

***

Penelope thought the foursome was an uncomfortable bunch, indeed. Cecily still lamented the loss of her newest son, loudly crying into her handkerchief. Edmund sat stoically beside his wife, sipping his tea, looking as awkward as he probably felt. And poor Drummond sat at a distance from Penelope, obviously not wishing to remind her parents that he had just bedded her. Perhaps they should have called for a stronger drink than tea.

“So,” Edmund cut through the silence, putting his teacup on the side table, “where do we start?”

“I suppose the beginnin’,” Drummond said.

“Well, I think it’s only right that I’m the one to tell this particular tale.” Penelope fingered the tie of her robe. “Drummond and I became acquainted at Charlotte’s wedding.”

“I knew she was trouble!” Cecily wailed. “She ran off with a Scot first, and now you are going down the same twisted path!”

She ignored her mother. “At first I merely offered to help him write a book about MacGregor legends and songs. It was business to begin with. We wanted to preserve the art of his clan.”

“Wait a moment,” Edmund cut in enthusiastically, “are you to tell me that you’ve penned that book all my customers are fighting over? The blue covered one with the songs?”

Drummond gave a noncommittal shoulder raise. “Aye. Penelope wrote the music for it all. And the English bits where it was needed. And compiled it. In fact, she did more than her fair share.”

“I was just getting there,” Penelope said, slightly annoyed at the constant interruptions. She felt as if she needed to get the entire story out, or she would explode. “As I was explaining, we began working at the book together and, as we continued to meet, feelings began to grow between us, although we tried to dismiss them many times.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything before? Certainly we could have all met and done without the whole…wedding matter.” Edmund sighed. “This may have all been avoided without all the terrible losses.”

Drummond shook his head. “I am no’ a lord or duke, or have a fancy title and lands.”

“No lands,” Cecily moaned.

“I had verra little to offer her when we met and she did no’ want to disappoint ye. We both knew that our marriage would bring nothin’ but sorrow to ye both.”

“And Theodore, dear Theodore and all his beautiful ships!” Cecily wiped her eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“It was never about Theodore.” Penelope sighed. “I settled for him because Drummond left and I thought that it was for the best to marry well and be done with it.”

“It was!” Fresh tears streamed down her mother’s face. “He was handsome, moneyed, the perfect gentleman, and could have saved the Piccadilly Emporium!”

Penelope felt anger fester in her belly. “Mother, you can’t just sell me off. Theodore didn’t love me like Drummond does, and I didn’t love him. I never did and I never could. You always told me you would allow me to marry for love.”

Edmund put a hand on his wife’s arm. “She’s right, Cecily.

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