The Lord's Highland Temptation

by Diane Gaston

  He managed to raise enough blunt for the payment of Dunburn’s loan, plus extra for the other debts and, as Lucas would insist, the long overdue salaries of the servants. With bank notes safely kept always on his person, the trip back was almost enjoyable.

  * * *

  Davina and Niven sang as they neared the home this trip would save for them.

  The wagon passed through the wrought-iron gate with their name, Wallace, arching over them.

  ‘I wonder if anyone will see us coming,’ Niven said.

  Lucas suspected someone would take notice. Was he being foolish to hope it would be Mairi?

  He pulled up to the front entrance and Erwin stepped out of the house. ‘You are back.’ He eyed the near-empty wagon. ‘You had some success?’

  ‘We did well,’ Lucas admitted.

  Niven jumped down and turned to help Davina down. ‘It was a great adventure, Erwin!’

  ‘And matters here?’ Lucas asked.

  Erwin shrugged and reached for the small bags they’d each carried with them. ‘Much the same as always.’

  If he were driving up to his father’s country house he would have handed the reins to the footman and left him to deal with the horses and wagon, but instead he told Erwin, ‘I will take the wagon to the carriage house.’

  As he pulled up to the carriage house, John, the stable boy, opened the doors. He drove the wagon inside and helped John unhitch the horses.

  ‘How did ye make out?’ John asked.

  ‘I was able to sell everything,’ Lucas replied.

  MacKay, the head groom, heard this as he walked in. ‘Aye, good news, that is. And I was able to sell those two new horses the Baron purchased. Made a wee profit.’

  ‘That is excellent news,’ Lucas responded.

  ‘Now, if the man can only keep his money and not throw it away,’ MacKay said. ‘Get what ye can, and keep what ye hae, that’s the way to get rich.’

  ‘Aye,’ responded Lucas.

  John and MacKay laughed. ‘Turning into a regular Scotsman, he is,’ MacKay said.

  They heard footsteps hurrying towards the building and all three men turned to see who was rushing towards them.

  Lucas’s breath caught. It was Mairi Wallace. She stood in the doorway for a moment, probably waiting for her eyes to become accustomed to the dark interior of the carriage house. She strode towards them and the lantern that hung near them illuminated her. She wore a wide-brimmed hat, apron and heavy gloves, as if she was coming directly from digging in the garden again.

  Erwin’s words came back to Lucas. Yes. Things were much the same as always. He was surprised he had missed the place.

  Had missed her.

  ‘Well, Lucas?’ Her breath was coming fast and her eyes, vivid blue even in the dim light, were anxious.

  ‘All sold and we made enough.’ Best to go directly to the point with her.

  Her shoulders relaxed. ‘Thank goodness.’

  He stifled a smile. ‘See? I kept my word.’

  ‘Yes. Well.’ She turned away. ‘It is a good thing.’

  MacKay waved his hand. ‘You go on back to the house. I’ll bet Cook will make you something to eat.’

  Lucas was hungry. They’d had little to eat on the journey, wanting to return home as quickly as possible. ‘Thank you both.’

  Mairi walked back to the house with him. ‘I have not seen Niven and Davina yet. How did they fare?’

  ‘They behaved themselves,’ he responded. ‘Showed an independence I had not seen in them before. They did not impede the errand on which I was sent, which helped.’

  Before they reached the door, she stopped. ‘Do you truly have the money to pay Papa’s debts?’ she asked in a low voice.

  He placed his hands on her arms and looked directly into her eyes. ‘Yes, Mairi,’ he murmured. ‘You may rest easy on that score.’

  Her blue eyes seemed to touch his. ‘Then I thank you.’

  Before they entered the house, she pulled off her gloves and put them in the pockets of her apron. When they walked in, the Baron and Lady Dunburn were in the hall still making a fuss over Niven and Davina.

  ‘And your sister was all at sixes and sevens when she found your note,’ their mother said cheerfully. ‘But I told her Niven would take care of you and so he has. Look at you both.’ She extended her arms.

  ‘Ah, here is Lucas.’ Dunburn strode over to him and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Niven says you did it, Lucas. You raised enough.’

  ‘Indeed, sir.’ Lucas patted his coat. ‘It is all safely on my person.’

  ‘Come. Come,’ Dunburn said. ‘We should put it in the safe.’

  ‘Yes, do.’ Lady Dunburn laughed. ‘Then come into the drawing room.’ She turned to the footman. ‘Erwin, ask Cook to make some tea and biscuits.’ She took the arms of her two youngest children. ‘You must tell me of all you saw and did.’

  Niven, Davina and their mother, all talking at once, headed to the drawing room. Dunburn urged Lucas to follow him to the library. Mairi was left standing alone.

  Lucas stopped. ‘I want Miss Wallace to see the money into your safe.’

  ‘Mairi?’ Her father waved the idea away. ‘She involves herself too much in men’s matters. It is not seemly.’

  Mairi stood apart, her hat in her hand, apparently unnoticed by the others.

  Lucas disliked seeing her that way. ‘She has been the most worried of all of you about your finances and worked the hardest at finding what to sell,’ he told her father. ‘She should see for herself how much profit was made.’

  * * *

  Mairi followed her father and Lucas into the library.

  If Lucas had not called attention to her presence, her father would probably not have noticed she’d been there. Her parents had barely spoken to her since that night before Lucas left for Edinburgh.

  He’d come back, as he’d said he would. He’d saved their home and property. How would she ever thank him?

  Once in the library, Lucas pulled a coin purse from one pocket and a thick leather envelope from another. Out of the leather envelope he took bank notes and several other pieces of paper and placed them on the desk. He separated the bank notes from the other papers.

  He looked up at Mairi. ‘Miss Wallace, is there pen and ink or a pencil you might write with?’

  She walked over to the small writing table, the same one from which she had brought out pen and ink for Mr Hargreave. At least Lucas did not rummage through her father’s desk drawers.

  She brought over pen and ink.

  ‘Would you sit at the desk?’ Lucas asked her. ‘You might be more comfortable writing there.’

  ‘What the devil must she write?’ her father asked.

  Lucas turned to him. ‘I want you to have a clear record of what sold and for how much, so you might see that it matches the money.’ He placed a paper in front of Mairi. ‘This is the list we made of everything to be sold.’

  She perused it and nodded. It was the list in her handwriting, but monetary amounts were written next to each item.

  ‘I have the receipts from the shopkeepers. I will read them to you and you can put a mark beside each one if it is correct.’

  ‘This is a great deal of trouble—’ her father broke in.

  Lucas quickly answered, ‘I want you both to see that the list, the receipts and the amount of money all match.’

  Lucas wanted her to see that he’d been honest in his dealings with their possessions and money, she realised. Her father lowered himself into one of the upholstered chairs near the fireplace and folded his arms across his chest. By the time Mairi and Lucas had finished the task, her father was snoring softly.

  Mairi raised her voice. ‘Papa!’

  He started, then blinked rapidly. ‘Yes. Yes. No need to shout, girl. I was merely resting my eyes.’ />
  ‘We are finished,’ she said. ‘The money goes into the safe now.’

  He rose and fished through his pockets for the key.

  ‘I have one more request, sir,’ Lucas said.

  Her father glanced up.

  ‘I want you to pay the servants and the other workers.’

  Mairi had not expected that. How good of him to think of the servants.

  Lucas went on. ‘There is enough money for it.’

  Her father sighed. ‘Will you see to it tomorrow?’

  ‘With pleasure,’ Lucas responded.

  Her father walked over to one of the bookcases and removed the false-book spines that hid the safe. He opened it with his key and Lucas brought the money over and placed it inside. Her father closed the door to the safe, locked it and put the false-book spines back.

  Mairi relaxed. The money was safe, the disaster averted.

  Her father clapped his hands and glanced at Lucas. ‘Let us join Lady Dunburn for tea.’ He grinned. ‘Or perhaps something stronger.’

  Her father sauntered out of the library, but Lucas waited, letting her walk through the doorway ahead of him. She went over to the hall table and picked up her hat.

  He had not followed her father as she had expected him to. ‘You are not taking tea?’ he asked.

  She shook her head. Her family had so clearly indicated that her presence was not desired.

  She hung the hat over her arm by its ribbons and pulled the gloves from her pockets. ‘I have too much work to do.’

  * * *

  Mairi had finished in the kitchen garden and moved over to the formal gardens, where she’d found Kinley pruning bushes. He’d directed her to weed and rake the flower beds. She’d started on the furthest beds, mostly to avoid being seen by her mother, who would certainly have much to say to her about digging in the dirt.

  Perhaps her father could soon hire more servants, more gardeners to help poor Kinley. When that time came she would probably miss this work. It kept her from thinking too much.

  Lately she’d been thinking entirely too much of Lucas.

  She’d missed him when he’d been away. The house had become depressed and stuffy without him in it. And so very lonely. Only when he’d gone had she realised how much life he’d restored to the house. Because of his presence.

  He’d agreed to stay only while they had needed a butler, but he’d wound up staying longer to help her father out of the fix he’d got himself into. He was now under no obligation to stay. Perhaps he had come to say goodbye.

  She stood, afraid to breathe, afraid that this would be the last moment she would see him.

  When he came close enough, her breath caught in her throat. His handsome looks had become so familiar to her, so dear. And now she must say goodbye to him.

  He wore the clothes he’d had on when Davina and Niven had found him, but now, of course, he looked hale and hearty.

  He came close enough to speak. ‘What work needs doing today?’

  ‘Work?’ He must be making idle conversation. ‘I am merely cleaning up the flower beds.’

  He stood over her. ‘I meant what work might I do?’

  She looked up in surprise. ‘You want to work? I thought you were coming to say goodbye to me.’

  His gaze was soft upon her. ‘Not today.’ He glanced away and back. ‘I might as well be useful.’

  She put her spade in the dirt to loosen the roots of a weed. ‘Believe me, Mr Lucas, after what you have done for our family, you owe us nothing. It is we who owe you.’

  He cocked his head. ‘I would prefer to work.’

  She could only stare at him. Offering to help. How very kind of him. ‘Ask Kinley what needs doing.’

  He glanced around until catching sight of Kinley pruning the bushes. ‘I’ll do that.’

  Mairi watched him walk over to Kinley, her heart unreasonably glad. She would not have to say goodbye to him today after all.

  * * *

  A little while later she spied him with the wheelbarrow filled with gravel, a shovel and a rake. He poured gravel over the paths and raked them smooth. It was work that would have been difficult for her or the ageing Kinley to do.

  Another kindness.

  * * *

  When the sun dropped low enough in the sky, Mairi stopped working. She looked around, but did not see Lucas. Perhaps he had finished ahead of her. She returned the tools to Kinley and went back into the house to dress herself for dinner.

  In her room she stripped down to her shift and corset and washed herself as thoroughly as she could.

  She was drying herself when her door opened and Davina burst in. ‘Where have you been all afternoon? I wanted to tell you about Edinburgh, but you didn’t come to tea after helping Papa with the money.’

  She’d not felt welcome.

  ‘You can tell me about Edinburgh now,’ Mairi said. ‘But please do not ever do something like that again, Davina. Going off like that. I was worried to a frazzle about you.’

  ‘That’s what Mama said,’ Davina responded, laughing. ‘I was perfectly safe, you know.’

  ‘This time you were.’ Mairi stepped into her dress and presented her back to her sister.

  At that moment Nellie knocked on the door. ‘Do you need me, miss?’ she asked.

  ‘Thank you, no, Nellie,’ Mairi responded. ‘Davina is helping me.’

  The lady’s maid looked relieved. She curtsied and left.

  ‘What did you see in Edinburgh?’ Mairi asked as Davina tied her laces.

  ‘What did we not see!’ Davina exclaimed.

  Mairi sat at her dressing table and took down her hair. She combed it while Davina chattered on about seeing the castles, the shops and other sites of Edinburgh, the city of so much exciting learning and thought. She was glad her sister had had such an enjoyable time; there was little fun to be had at home these days, even if things had been more exciting since Lucas’s arrival.

  ‘How did you have time to see all those things and still sell every item?’ Mairi asked.

  ‘Oh, Lucas did all that,’ Davina said. ‘He didn’t come with us to see all the sights.’

  Davina and Niven had not helped Lucas at all? He’d left them on their own?

  She plaited her hair and twisted the plait into a chignon at the nape of her neck. It was tidy at least.

  ‘What did you do while we were away?’ Davina asked as they left the room to go to the drawing room.

  Did she mean besides being alternately ignored or chided by their parents? ‘I helped the maids and worked in the garden.’

  ‘Poor Mairi!’ Davina said. ‘Maybe now that Papa can pay his debts he can hire more servants and you won’t have to do all that drudgery.’

  ‘I like feeling useful,’ Mairi said.

  Those were nearly the same words Lucas had used.

  When they walked through the door to the drawing room, Mairi immediately saw Lucas standing there. He’d changed into his butler clothes and looked quite like a gentleman. Her parents had not yet come down.

  Davina skipped over to him. ‘Lucas! I was just telling Mairi about Edinburgh.’

  Niven appeared from behind a chair. ‘We saw everything, Mairi. You should have been there.’

  ‘It sounds wonderful,’ she responded.

  ‘Did you tell her about New Town? How fashionable it was?’ Niven asked.

  ‘Of course I did,’ Davina retorted. ‘I told her everything.’

  Brother and sister began to bicker about what was most important to have told Mairi.

  Mairi stepped closer to Lucas. ‘I heard they left you to sell everything.’

  He tilted his head. ‘It was easier that way, if you can believe that.’

  She frowned. ‘You left them alone.’

  ‘They had very strict instructions to behave,’
he said. ‘They were up for the challenge. They are not children, you know, Mairi.’

  True, Mairi had to admit. She also had to admit she might be too protective.

  Her parents entered the room and Mairi withdrew. They soon all went to dinner, where the conversation continued about Edinburgh. Mairi quietly ate her food.

  When the subject of Edinburgh was exhausted, her mother turned to her. ‘I do hope the dresses you had made over will do for the house party. We should have ordered new gowns as I originally wanted. If our clothes are commented upon, I will lay the entire blame on you.’

  ‘Yes, Mama,’ Mairi said.

  Her father broke in. ‘I confess, I am in a quandary about this house party.’

  ‘Why, Papa?’ Davina asked.

  ‘Wilfred is saying he cannot make the trip,’ her father answered. ‘And I say he must. I need a valet.’

  ‘Papa, of course Wilfred must not go,’ Mairi said. ‘Such a trip is far too strenuous for him. Even if he rode in the coach—’

  ‘Oh, no.’ Her mother scowled at her. ‘No manservant should ride in the coach, at least not on the inside.’

  Her father continued talking. ‘Erwin and Robert cannot do it. They do not have the faintest idea how to be a valet.’

  ‘Indeed not!’ her mother agreed.

  Her father turned to Lucas. ‘Will you do it, Lucas? No one will comment if my butler acts as my valet, especially because you did so for Mr Hargreave.’

  Mairi broke in. ‘Papa, Mr Lucas has his own affairs to attend to. He’s already delayed his journey for us. Don’t you think he’s done enough?’

  Her father simply ignored her. ‘Will you do it, Lucas? It promises to be a fine party.’

  ‘And we must make as good an impression as possible, even though we are among friends,’ her mother added. ‘We do not want anything to deter Mr Hargreave from courting Mairi.’ She glared at Mairi. ‘Do we, Mairi?’