“Dinna forget we have an adventure tomorrow,” he called as she disappeared around the corner.
“I will remember.”
And Fergus was unlikely to think on anything else all night.
Chapter Four
The next morning Edith woke to discover a snowfall blanketing the hills surrounding the castle, much to her disappointment. Last night she had tossed in her bed for a long time, anticipating today’s outing, but it seemed Mother Nature didn’t care that she had plans.
She grabbed the wrap lying across the foot of her bed and barely had time to don it before the door between her chambers and Gracie’s flew open.
The girl rushed to the window to pull the curtain aside.
“It snowed!” Dimples pierced her plump cheeks, and her eyes twinkled with unrestrained joy.
Gracie was expected to practice her manners even away from the watchful eyes of the ton to prepare her for the day she would join Society, but Edith didn’t scold her for barging in without permission.
Sometimes a child needed to be a child.
“I already saw the snow,” Edith said.
Nevertheless, she secured the sash around her waist, came to the window to place her hands on Gracie’s shoulders, and peered at the rare sight again.
It snowed in London sometimes, but soot from coal fires created a dingy slush along the streets she had come to hate. Fresh snow in Scotland, however, sparkled like millions of tiny diamonds when the sunlight hit it.
“It is beautiful.”
Gracie tipped her head back to meet Edith’s gaze, her hair carrying the fresh scent of lemon soap from her evening bath. “Will it take long for you to dress?”
Edith bent to kiss her forehead before moving toward the bell pull.
“Perhaps I will not dress at all today. I’m considering ordering a pot of chocolate and tackling the book that your sister loaned me. Do you want to join me?”
Gracie grunted, causing Edith to smile. The girl had been spending too much time with Mr. McTaggart.
“You promised we would go on an adventure,” she said.
“What would you have me do? There is snow everywhere.”
“But you said you would join us. Fergus is readying the sleigh.”
Edith paused with her hand on the cord, her pulse jumping. “Mr. McTaggart is still planning to go on the outing?”
“Yes, and I want you to come.” There was a whine to Gracie’s voice.
“I didn’t realize…”
Oh, dear! She wouldn’t have dallied if she had known.
“Tell Mr. McTaggart I will be along shortly.”
Hurrying to the pine wardrobe, she rifled through her gowns, searching for something warm.
She heard a brief squeal a second before a force slammed against her back and two thin arms circled her waist. Edith braced a hand against the wardrobe frame to keep from tumbling headfirst into her gowns.
“Gracie!”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” The girl kept gushing thanks until Edith extracted her from around her waist.
