Moira was curious to see it but did not have the chance, for as soon as the carriage arrived at the modest house, Stuart ran out to greet her and leapt inside.
“Darling,” he exclaimed, kissing her fervently, “how are you this morning? You look so pale and thin.”
“I am much better, thank you, and am looking forward to arriving home. How long do you think the journey will take?”
Stuart consulted with the driver. The roads were still hard with frost and the horses could not go at full gallop for fear of their hooves slipping.
“Probably five hours,” he reported after much debate. “We shall be lucky to arrive before nightfall.”
They set off without Moira having so much as glimpsed the inside of his house.
“I shall be putting the place up for sale as soon as matters are resolved with the Brampton estate,” commented Stuart, as they made progress along the cold, country roads. “I have a notion to retain a house in Scotland, but the one in Perth will not be suitable. Especially if we are blessed with children.”
Moira blushed to the roots of her hair.
Of course, she wanted a family, but had not given it any thought since it felt like such a distant possibility. Even the thought of her wedding was overshadowed by the prospect of what might lie in wait for her at Lednock.
Stuart sensed her nervousness and did all he could to soothe her.
“Darling, whatever happens, your father and mother will not be thrown out of the castle. I now have the means at my disposal to at least hold off the creditors.”
Moira looked up at him with eyes full of gratitude.
“But dearest, I could not ask it of you.”
“Moira, your brother is one of my close friends and I have great respect for your father. Do you think I would see my bride’s parents thrown into the workhouse? I would not be a man if I did not do something.”
As the sun began to sink in the cold grey sky, the scenery became very familiar.
“We are approaching Loch Earn,” Moira whispered, almost to herself. “It seems so strange to be coming home London feels like a whole lifetime away.”
She watched as darkening fields sped past and soon the turrets of Lednock could be glimpsed at the end of the loch.
‘I cannot believe I am almost home,’ she thought, her heart hammering hard.
As the carriage rounded the corner just before the entrance to the estate, Moira was puzzled to see what looked like a Police Constable standing by the gate.
Sure enough, as they approached, the carriage suddenly lurched to a halt.
“Who goes there?” hailed the Officer.
The carriage driver turned to Stuart and asked him what he should do. Stuart did not hesitate. He put his head out of the window and shouted to the Officer,
“This carriage bears Lady Moira Strathcarron. Now, let us pass at once.”
“Stuart,” whispered Moira, becoming increasingly alarmed, “what is going on? Why is there a uniformed Officer at the gate? It is father. I know it is.”
The Officer walked up to the carriage and held up his lantern.
“Begging your pardon, my Lady,” he exclaimed, upon seeing Moira.
He waved the carriage on and Moira clung to Stuart fearfully.
“What on earth can be going on?”
“Hush, do not fret,” said Stuart soothingly, “we do not know the reason for this and it may not be what you fear. Perhaps there has been a burglary – ”
“– or a murder,” moaned Moira, now in tears.
As the carriage drew up to the front of the castle, Moira was almost too frightened to alight. Even the comforting sight of Rankin making his way towards her did nothing to dispel her unease.
“My Lady,” he said, breaking into a rare smile, “it warms my heart to see you.”
“Rankin, can you tell me what is going on? There is an Officer at the gate who did not want to let us through.”
“Moira. Darling. What a wonderful surprise!”
Before Rankin had a chance to say anything, the Countess had swept out of the door and ran towards her daughter who was halfway down the carriage steps.
“Mother.”
Tears flowed freely as mother and daughter embraced.
Stuart, respectfully, hung back and supervised the unloading of Moira’s trunks.
“Mother, you must tell me now. Why is there an Officer at the gate?”
“But you received my telegram, of course?” she replied, looking mystified.
She did not notice Stuart standing nearby, assuming that he was the carriage driver. In the dark, Stuart’s distinctive appearance was not apparent.
“No, I have been at sea for four days. What did it say?”
“Come inside, my dear, we should not be discussing matters in front of strangers.”
Moira opened her mouth to say that Stuart was no stranger, but he shook his head and put his finger to his lips.
She understood that he recognised that she should delay relating their news, so she allowed her mother to lead her away inside whilst he remained outside.
“Moira, a wonderful, wonderful thing has happened,” began her mother, breathlessly. “Yesterday our peace and quiet was shattered by the arrival of an entire carriage-full of Officers and two officials from the American Bank.”
“Mother – surely they have not come – to take Lednock?”
“No, darling. Far from it. Larry Harwood has been arrested in Chicago on extortion charges after the American authorities had investigated his affairs. The evil man had fled to Chicago hoping to make a new start.
“When the authorities gained access to his strongbox at the bank, they found the documents and deeds to Lednock. As they are pressing charges, they came directly to Scotland to take a statement from your father.
“Darling, Lednock is saved and Larry Harwood will be languishing in prison for a very long time!”
Moira could not believe what she was hearing.
“Does this mean that we shall not have to leave Lednock and that father has the deeds to the estate once more?”
The Countess smiled.
“Your father is not a stupid man. The original deeds were with his lawyer in Stirling the entire time. Although he took a risk, he was not foolhardy enough to part with the real documents. Harwood would have had a difficult time should he have gone as far as trying to seize the estate as the papers he held were only copies.”
“So there was no need for father to have worried so much?”
“Dearest, your father was sick with remorse for what he had done to his family. His mental state was such that he was not thinking coherently – he did not know that copies would not be valid in the eyes of the law should Harwood try to claim the estate.”
“Then this is indeed a happy day. Where is father? I must see him immediately.”
“I am here, daughter,” proclaimed the Earl, coming down the staircase.
She ran into his arms and embraced him.
“Father, oh, father. I am so glad to see you well again.”
“And it warms my heart to have you home for Christmas, my dearest Moira,” he sighed, tears welling up in his eyes.
A discreet cough drew Moira’s attention to the fact that Stuart was standing patiently in the hall.
“Oh, Stuart, I am so sorry.”
Moira took him by the arm and led him out of the shadows.
“Mother, father, you may remember Stuart Weston?”
“Heavens. Do forgive me, Mr. Weston, I had thought you to be one of the carriage staff,” said the Countess, clearly flustered.
“No offence was taken, Lady Strathcarron,” replied Stuart, bowing deeply.
“Mother, father, Stuart has asked me to marry him and with your permission, I intend to accept!”
Lord and Lady Strathcarron burst into chuckles of delight and the Earl shook Stuart warmly by the hand.
“We shall now retire to the library. Moira, Margaret, will you excuse us?”
&nbs
p; He guided Stuart towards the library.
“Do you think father will say yes?” asked Moira, anxiously. “Stuart has just inherited the Brampton title and estates.”
“Yes, we had heard the news and I am sure that your father will have no objections – he seems a fine young man. He attended the weekend we arranged when that awful Harwood was here, did he not?”
Moira nodded proudly.
“I have one question, mother. Why is there an Officer at the gates?”
“Harwood, it transpires, was part of a gang and the investigating Officers deemed it necessary to provide us with protection in case of repercussions. I cannot see that a gang would find their way here easily, but it makes us feel safer. There are men patrolling the grounds too.”
Just then, Rankin entering with a telegram, interrupted the conversation.
“My Lady,” he said, bowing.
“Ah, this will be from Ewen. No doubt he will have read the telegram that you missed. I expect he will be informing us of the time of his return to Lednock – ”
The Countess ripped open the telegram, read it and cried aloud with joy.
“Mother, what is it?” asked Moira, wondering what else could now happen.
“Darling, it is yet more good news. It seems that we now have double the reason to celebrate. Ewen has proposed to a Miss Emily Tennant and she has accepted. Her father gave his consent this afternoon.”
Moira and the Countess embraced.
At that very moment, the Earl and Stuart emerged from the library, beaming.
“Rankin. Bring up two bottles of champagne from the cellar. We are celebrating an engagement.”
Stuart ran at once to Moira’s side and took her hand.
“Darling, your father has consented – we can now plan our wedding.”
“And that is not the only good news of the day. Ewen has proposed and been accepted, too. We shall be proud parents twice over,” beamed the Countess.
After the popping of champagne corks, a toast was raised to the happy couples.
Stuart and Moira drank theirs, staring into each other’s eyes, basking in their love.
*
Later beneath the stars, Moira and Stuart strolled to the very same vegetable garden where they had first met.
“Darling, look,” he cried, pointing up to the sky, “a shooting star. Wish on it!”
Moira turned to Stuart, her heart so very full of love.
“What more could I wish for, my dearest? I have everything I could ever desire and more. I have a man I love more than the whole wide world, my family are safe and sound and now my brother is engaged to a darling girl. My love for you has brought us riches beyond compare.”
Stuart pulled her closer, his eyes dark with emotion.
“In that case, how would you feel about a double wedding? We could send word to Ewen and set a date early in the New Year.”
Moira gazed into Stuart’s stunning blue eyes. This man she loved how fortunate she was that he was the most wonderful and the most caring man she had ever met.
“Oh, Stuart, that would make me the happiest woman alive, I could not ask for more.”
His lips met hers in a kiss that told her everything she needed to know – for now, forever and for the rest of their lives spent in love together and on into eternity.
She could think of no greater happiness.
“My love,” she murmured, “my own dearest love forever and ever.”
The Richness of Love Page 14