Page 61 of Never Tempt a Scot
“Of course.”
“Good. Joanna, you and Rosalind, as well as your mother, shall travel in the coach. Ash and I will ride on ahead. We may be able to catch them if there are only two of us.”
“Very well.” Joanna didn’t like to be separated from Brock, but the situation was dire, and it would only mean a day or two of being apart.
She hadn’t yet told him that she suspected she was with child and would not do so now. If she did, she would be left behind. She would wait to tell him, after they had rescued Lydia.
15
It was early in the evening when Lydia, Brodie, and Rafe finally arrived in Edinburgh. They’d taken care to travel more slowly after one of their horses threw a shoe and they’d had to stop halfway to Edinburgh to have a new one put on.
Now the coach rattled over the cobblestones of Edinburgh’s Old Town, which jolted Lydia awake, much to Brodie’s dismay. He had been enjoying holding her in his arms, perhaps too much. She was the perfect weight when settled on his lap, and he didn’t want to let her go.
“Are we here?” she asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
“Aye.” He wondered how far away they were from Lennox’s townhouse. Rafe had said it was on the Royal Mile, an ancient street that wound its way up to the old castle.
They came to a stop. Brodie climbed out and escorted Lydia from the coach. The row of expensive houses around them didn’t really surprise Brodie. If Ashton Lennox owned a property, he would be sure to own a costly one.
“Home sweet home,” Rafe joked as he headed up the steps. He knocked, and as soon as the door opened, he clapped a hand on the poor butler’s shoulder.
“Evening, Shelton!” Rafe seemed in better spirits now that they had reached their destination. Lydia hoped that that was a good thing. She didn’t want to know what mischief he could get up to when he was in a bad mood.
“Mr. Lennox.” The startled butler let them all proceed into the hall. “We were not expecting you.”
“Sorry, old chap, but here we are.”
Rafe winked at Brodie, but Brodie wasn’t in a good mood. He wanted to get Lydia settled into a bed. He was sick of traveling in coaches and wanted to make love to her all night.
“And how long will you and your guests be staying, Mr. Lennox?” Shelton inquired politely. “I should like to inform Mrs. Lewellen so she can stock the kitchens.”
“Unsure. A while, I suppose.” Rafe removed his coat, and Brodie did the same.
“Shall I send word to your friends that you have arrived?” the butler inquired as he waved a footman over to collect their coats.
Rafe’s jovial smile thinned. “What friends, Shelton?”
The butler paled. “The gentleman and lady who came to inquire whether you had arrived yet. They said they were supposed to meet you here.” Shelton now seemed to sense the dangerous waters he had entered. “Am I to assume that no such plans were arranged?”
“Yes, Shelton. I believe we would like to avoidallfriends, for the time being. Isn’t that right, Kincade?”
“Aye.”
“Very good, sir.”
Rafe snapped his fingers as the butler turned to leave. “Shelton?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you know anything else about these friends?”
“Only the address where they are staying and their names.” The butler produced a slip of paper and handed it to Rafe, who glanced at it and snorted.
“The girl’s father has somehow beat us here. And he’s with Lady Rochester.”
“Lady Rochester?” Brodie hadn’t met the woman.
“Remember the pretty red-haired bluestocking at the ball? The one I warned you about? That was Lysandra Russell, sister to the Marquess of Rochester. This woman is Lysandra’s mother.”
