Page 34 of Christmas at Castle Dunrannoch
Ursula squeezed Eustace’s hand. “Sorry about that. I forgot.”
Lots of things about him were rather annoying but he couldn’t help it, she supposed. Not everyone could be brave all the time, and she was lucky, after all, being allowed to accompany Papa to all sorts of interesting places.
Her governess, Miss Scratchley, had departed a few months ago and Papa had ended up taking Ursula into the factory for a while. She’d learnt all sorts of things, with Papa showing her how the leather was cut and the machinery which helped shape and sew the various sorts of footwear they produced there.
Next, he’d promised to let her see the order book and show her how to use the various columns to work out what things had cost and what you sold them for. He’d said it would be useful, one day, when she was running a household of her own.
It was all fascinating. Papa was finding her a new governess soon, but she’d much rather go to the factory with him.
Mama—now in Heaven—would be pleased, Ursula was sure, even though Grandfather Arrington disapproved. At their Christmas luncheon, he’d told Papa that he didn’t want to hear anything about his “low-class toil” at Fairbury and Berridge, and her uncle had agreed, calling it “vulgar”.
It made no sense to Ursula. On a previous visit, she’d heard Aunt Philippa call her mother a “desirable match”, because Fairbury and Berridge “did very well”, so it seemed rather rum for Grandpapa and Uncle Cedric to make such a fuss.
The business had been in her mother’s family for over two hundred years, and Ursula didn’t see why earning money from making something so useful should be frowned upon. Moreover, they weren’t just any boots! The Queen herself had once shaken Papa’s hand, thanking him for supplying the footwear for her royal household, including her beloved Mounted Regiment.
Grown-ups got themselves worked up about the strangest things.
Besides which, there weren’t any male Fairburys to carry on with things, her mother having had no brothers or uncles, so what else was to be done? And Papa seemed very good at it.
“Come on, Penelope.” She placed a kiss on the doll’s forehead. “Time to wed your guardsman, and then you can ride off on an adventure together.”
Extracting two toffees from her pocket, she passed one to Eustace. “Make him stand up straight, now.”
Eustace popped his into his mouth and sucked thoughtfully. “I suppose they’ll want me to get married, one day. If I do have to, can it be to you, Ursula? I shouldn’t mind so much…if it was you.”
“But I don’t know if I shall.” Ursula looked sideways at Eustace. “Get married, that is.” She rearranged the lace ruffle at Penelope’s neck. “Ladies take husbands so that they’ll have someone to look after them, but I’d rather look after myself. Papa says I’ll inherit his half of the partnership and I can do anything I like.”
“Oh!” Looking altogether dismal, Eustace pulled off the guardsman’s hat. “I think I had it the wrong way about. I imagined it might be you looking after me.”
Ursula leaned over to kiss her cousin on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Eustace. Whatever happens, we’ll always look out for each other.”
“You promise?” Eustace looked decidedly uncertain.
“Yes, and we’ll never do anything we don’t want to.”
“Never?”
“Not if I can help it.” With a grin, she unwrapped another sweet.
Chapter One
Castle Dunrannoch
23rd November, 1904
“Wake up, Lachlan!”
Lady Balmore prodded her husband’s shoulder.
With a snort, he bolted upright. “What is it, Mary? What’s going on?”
“The door!” Lady Balmore whispered. “Someone’s there.”
“Then answer the damned thing!” Viscount Balmore yanked the covers back over himself, mumbling a few choice words.
“Lachlan!” She shook him again. “I don’t think it’s Murray or Philpotts. It was such a strange sort of knock—not their usual way at all.”
“What are ye talking about, woman! Strange knocking! It’s likely the plumbing. Get ye to sleep and leave me to the same.”
