Page 78 of The Last Debutante
“Nonsense. Had you not come to Edinburgh when I expected, we would have searched for you.” Charity took a step back to study Daria closely. “Hmmm. It seems Mr. Duff is right. He assured us that you were in excellent health, and that you’ve been well treated.”
“I have,” Daria agreed. “My parents—have you sent word?”
“They arrived in Edinburgh only yesterday. They had some... financing to arrange,” she said carefully. “But I expect we shall see them any day. One of Mackenzie’s men is waiting to bring them here.” She looked past Daria and smiled.
Daria turned; she hadn’t heard Jamie and Mackenzie enter the foyer. They were conversing in Gaelic, their polite smiles gone.
Mackenzie gestured to Charity and Jamie paused, bowed his head. “Madam.”
“Miss Charity Scott,” Captain Mackenzie said. “The sister of Lord Eberlin of Tiber Park.” And to Charity he said, “Laird Campbell.”
“How do you do,” Charity said, sinking into a graceful curtsy. “I hope you will forgive our unannounced arrival, but my dear friend’s letter made it seem rather urgent.”
Jamie looked at Daria and said, “It was. You are most welcome, Miss Scott. If you will excuse us?” He said something to Mackenzie, and the two of them began to walk down the narrow corridor leading to the throne room.
Charity watched them go and then smiled at Daria. “Captain Mackenzie has graciously offered to negotiate the terms of your release, then we may be on our way.”
Daria felt a physical pain at the mention of leaving. “We can’t leave without Mamie.”
“Of course not. We’ll fetch her straightaway tomorrow.” Charity smiled at Duff in the way she had of smiling at her brother to get what she wanted. “We’ve come such a long way, sir. Is there a place we might rest and talk privately?”
She would not charm Duff, judging by his dark expression. “Never mind, Duff,” Daria said, linking her arm with Charity’s. “I’ll show her around.”
“Lydia, dearest, be a help to Mr. Duff in bringing the bags in,” Charity said to the girl, and if she heard Duff’s grunt of displeasure, she gave no sign of it.
“This way,” Daria said, escorting Charity up to the suite of rooms she’d lived in for more than a fortnight. She was grateful to find it empty and closed the door.
Charity walked into the middle of the suite and looked around. “My. This is rather quaint, isn’t it? Very... castleish.”
Daria lost her train of thought for a moment as she looked around, too. She rather liked this room. It was cheerful.
“You seem quite at ease here,” Charity remarked as she tossed her bonnet and gloves onto the chaise and sat beside them. “Perhaps you like being captive,” she said, and arched a brow over a devilish smile.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Charity,” Daria said sternly. “What was I supposed to do, curl into a ball and sob day in and day out? You abandoned me to this fate.” She stalked to the sideboard, poured two tots of barley-bree, and handed one to Charity.
“I didn’t abandon you.” Charity’s second brow rose to meet the first. “What is this?”
“Barley-bree. Some sort of whisky. I know only that it is quite soothing.”
“Oh,” Charity said, and lifted it to her nose. “Do you need to be soothed?”
Daria looked at her friend with astonishment. “Wouldn’t you, if you were held for ransom?”
Charity shrugged. “If I were held for ransom by a man as virile as the laird? I am not certain. Tell me, how in heaven did you come to be held for ransom? Your letter was lacking in details.”
“There were too many to write.” Daria sat next to Charity. She was relieved to be able to speak about it at last to someone she could trust completely. “It is quite a fantastic tale. It began with that wretched coach ride from Nairn.”
“Wretched! The ladies seemed very nice.”
Daria gave Charity a withering look. “They dropped me on the side of a road. The only living being was a dog, who followed me through the forest to Mamie’s cottage.”
“Then you found it easily enough?”
“Oh, I found it,” Daria said, nodding. “A rather charming little cottage in the woods. Nothing around for miles. Well hidden from the road. And Mamie wasn’t there. But do you know who was?”
Charity shook her head.
“An unconscious man. An utterlynakedunconscious man.”
