Page 2 of The Highlander's Alluring Spy
Eleanor had responded then and would respond now in the same way. “Let them whisper if they will. Why should we waste our care on what they have to say? At least this means they find us interesting compared to their lives of boredom.”
Daniel was nineteen when his son was born, but the boy passed a day later before he even had a chance to be named. Eleanor was devastated but determined to provide her husband with an heir.
She became pregnant thrice more over the following years before she was able to carry a child to term. Daniel had not known of her last pregnancy until he returned from a mission, aged twenty-three, to find a six-month-old daughter waiting for him.
Daniel paced back and forth, remembering the moment he’d seen the baby for the first time. His heart had shattered into a million pieces that had reformed into an organ that beat only for her.
He smiled. His daughter, their daughter, had grown much since then, looking devastatingly like Eleanor.
You’d be so proud of her, and what she has grown to accomplish,he assured his wife.
Eleanor survived their daughter’s birth, but it became apparent then that there would be no sons, as the doctors informed her that she could bear children no more.
It is every man’s wish to teach his son and heir, but though Daniel could not hide his disappointment, his heart was soon lost to this small replica of her blonde-haired, blue-eyed mother. She was named Magnolia, for the gentle white blossoms Eleanor adored so much, and she breathed new life into Elfinstone.
And everyone adored her right away.She was our daughter, but she was a gift to all of us.
He loved his daughter dearly, but those first few years had been especially precious. He thought of her little face and smiled.
The sweetest babe in the world. Pretty and quiet and perfect. I am so glad that, at least, you got to spend those moments with her. I am pleased that she has memories of you.
Magnolia had grown astute, kind, and as beautiful as her mother. She was a loyal daughter, tending to her mother and obeying her father in every word. She loved fiercely and had a quick wit about her that made her popular with the young men at social events, though she demurely turned each away.
At the age of fourteen, she confided in Daniel that she wished never to marry. Shocked, he had questioned her and been astounded by the shrewdness of her answer.
“Well, Father, it is quite simple. Why should I marry and allow some lesser noble to take Elfinstone from our name when the Winterbourne bloodline has sustained it and served the Crown for generations?”
Proud but troubled, Daniel had spoken with Eleanor, who promised to converse with their daughter on the topic. She did, though Daniel never heard the result–he was told that it was a matter between women, not an Earl’s affair.
And you never did tell me what you told her, my darling. She continues to turn away suitors, even now. Six-and-twenty and she cares little for matters of marriage. She’s such an unusual child.
Shortly after, Eleanor contracted scrofula while Daniel was once again away on service. Mercury treatment did not work as hoped, and young Magnolia had been the only one present at her mother’s death.
Daniel stopped in his reminiscing for a moment, the pain still lancing through him like a fresh wound even all these years later. It felt like a physical hurt, making him flinch against it.
My Eleanor. Sometimes I still expect to come home and see your darling face. When I walk in to see your empty chair, my heart breaks all over again. But at least Magnolia is strong. More robust than me, I think.
She had only been fifteen, just as young as Daniel had been at the demise of his own father. Magnolia had borne her grief as well as any son, even though her father was still away. She had gone so far as to take it upon herself to pen the letter that had brought him the terrible news. She claimed that it was simply not right for anyone else to tell him.
When he returned, broken and lost and grieving, Magnolia told him that she would serve as Countess now and do her best to fulfill her mother’s responsibilities.
And she was quite determined, too. She was barely more than a child, but she slipped into your role with ease, even in her state of mourning. I am the most blessed father in England.
Magnolia excelled in her education and in her duties. She learned by her father’s side, and her loyalty toward and knowledge of the workings of the Crown only grew. As she matured, she continued to turn away every suitor, and Daniel began to consider something unheard of for a daughter. He argued much with his cohort about it, but he refused to back down.
Magnolia was placed under many tests of loyalty and ability without her knowledge. She passed every single one with ease, impressing everyone involved, and making her father gratified beyond belief. She performed so well that, eventually, an agreement was reached. At the age of eighteen, Magnolia Winterbourne was inducted into the Royal Order of the Red Blossom.
Her projects over almost nine years of service had been comparatively small. Still, she had worked diligently and efficiently and gained the trust of the organization.
She was the first woman to do so, but she did not let that swell her sense of self-importance.
“Well, Father, I may be a woman, but I am your daughter and a servant of the Crown before that. Why, in the future, I believe that many women will be permitted to serve and help England to thrive,” she’d told him. Daniel had not thought of and still could not think of a single reason to refute her.
She knew of her many naysayers, but she simply ignored them. She was determined to follow in the steps of her father and give everything she had to the country she loved.
Magnolia had been genuinely committed throughout her whole adult life, and Daniel wanted to reward that. That was why he had now placed his reputation on the line. The Marquess had first suggested her name, but Daniel had given everything to make sure the plan was followed through.
He had spoken against her many detractors to convince their leaders that Magnolia was the correct choice for the mission ahead. It was top secret, limited knowledge even within the Order. She was young, she was a woman, she had never been on such an important mission before. All of this was true, but Daniel knew she would not fail.
