Page 58 of The Midnight Secret

‘How the devil did youdothat, dear girl?’ Gladly asked, looking one part horrified, two parts impressed.

‘It was fine—’

‘How could you let her?’ He looked at Archie, now three parts horrified.

‘Youtry stopping her!’ Archie replied, throwing out an exasperated arm. He dropped his hands on his knees and let his head hang; he looked spent too. He had been wrestling the boat on the stormy sea for hours. ‘Besides, there really was no other choice. The mast was about to give and if we’d ended up in the water...’

‘What in blazes happened to it?’ Gladly asked, staring at Effie’s makeshift strapping binding the masthead together.

Archie peered up at it too, still doubled over. ‘I think it might be the spreader, or the forestay tension. I’m not sure till I can get up there and take a closer look.’

‘Well, now’s not the time. You look cream crackered, old bean.’

‘I’ll be fine.’

‘Here, take my hand,’ Gladly said, holding his out for Effie. For once, she accepted, stepping onto dry land with shaking legs. Her muscles were cramping and she realized her teeth were chattering.

Archie accepted help with disembarking too, just as Colly and Campbell reached them.

Colly tore off his coat and draped it over Effie’s shoulders, but it was a case of bolting the stable door; she was soaked through, she couldn’t possibly get any wetter. ‘Hot bath,immediately,’ he said, looking concerned. ‘Pneumonia is no fun, let me tell you.’

Molly flashed through Effie’s mind, and she winced in pain. It had been a year and a month now since her friend’s death, but she still missed her with a visceral ache.

‘Why on earth did you choose today of all days to make the journey?’ Campbell asked Archie, looking flabbergasted as they began walking back.

Archie sighed. ‘There was a break in the weather and we decided to take the chance on...outrunning the storm.’ He didn’t look at Effie, didn’t throw the blame on her, even though it was all her fault.

She looked around her suddenly, realizing something now she was properly able to take a breath.

‘And we couldn’t flag you in advance to let you know we were coming. Telephone lines are down on Raasay so we’ve had no comms for days.’ He looked at the other men. ‘Has there been a search party out for her?’

‘Oh no, not at all,’ Campbell said, unperturbed. ‘There was no mystery. Peony saw her getting on board—’

Effie’s head whipped up. Peony had seen her getting on the wrong boat, knowing full well they were all supposed to sail together – knowing that Effie could end up alone with Archie – and hadn’t spoken up to stop her?

‘Sholto wasn’t happy at the mix-up, of course, but at least he knew she was safe.’

Effie looked from one face to another. ‘So, then...where is he?’ Was he inside, too angry with her to come out?

The men all shared an ominous look.

‘Ah yes, well, you see – losing you wasn’t our only drama to contend with.’

She felt an immediate bolt of fear, far worse than anythingshe had just experienced out on the water. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’

Gladly cleared his throat. ‘Well, the thing is...that is...I’m sorry to say the countess, his mother, has had a stroke.’

‘What?’ Effie whispered. ‘No!’

‘I’m afraid so. She’s alive, but it was a bad one. The prognosis is not good.’ Gladly bit his lip. ‘Sholly’s gone back home to DH.’

Effie turned on the spot, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. She had thought clinging to a mast in a tempest had been the worst she would have to contend with today, but storm winds were still blowing. Sholto’s mother had almost died.

The question was, were they to blame? Had Sholto’s determination to marry her contributed to this – or even caused it? Effie had caught the look Gladly, Campbell and Colly had shared just now. Had Sholto said something? Had he thought the same?

‘Is...is he coming back?’ she croaked.

There was a marked hesitation as the men shared glances again.

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