Page 64 of Claimed Highland Brides

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The Duke of Dargue felt rather put upon by the disappearance of his daughter. He had little use for her already. Girls did nothing but drain the estate with their endless need for gowns and dowry. The fact that Maegan had saved him the need to pay any dowry with her elopement was a source of celebration to him. He did not understand why the countess insisted on carrying on as if the girl had died.

“Father, do you not want to know who this man is?” Delwyn’s brow was furrowed with his customary concern and it was all Francis could do not to snort in disgust. It was clear as day that whomever Maegan had chosen to...mate with was extremely unsuitable. Why would Francis want to know who it was? Sooner or later, she would come crawling back begging for forgiveness and he could give her away, free of charge, to one of his peers in need of a fourth wife to look after them in their old age.

“I do not care. Maegan has made her choice. She will deal with the consequences.” The Duke nodded once to indicate that the matter was closed and was quite put out when Delwyn continued to regard him with censure as if he had done something wrong.

“You’re dismissed!” he hissed, and still the boy hesitated. Finally, he turned on his heel and left, annoyance apparent in the set of his shoulders and the loud clip of his heels on the stone floor. Francis expelled a breath and sat back in his chair. He knew that sooner or later, his second son would be a problem. He was too headstrong and opinionated.

One would almost think that he was the heir and not the spare.

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Delwyn went in search of his mother, who had been devastated to learn that their father would not be pursuing the matter of Maegan’s groom. He found her in the den, interrogating the lady’s maid.

“Who has she been speaking to recently? Who has she been meeting? You must know something!”

The lady’s maid was in tears, shaking her head frantically. “I don’t know anythin’. If I did, I would have said. Please madam, I don’t know!”

His mother exchanged glances with Delwyn, her eyebrow arched, asking wordlessly if he believed the woman. Delwyn’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the lady’s maid before shaking his head. The girl knew something. It was clear in the way she shook with fear, eyes darting hither and thither as if she was a trapped animal.

Delwyn stepped closer and cupped her chin, raising her head so he could look into her eyes. She continued to tremble as she blinked fearfully up at him. “Tell us the truth. Nothing bad will happen to you. I promise,” he said as gently as he could.

She shook her head frantically, eyes wide and glimmering with tears. “I...she...I…” She burst out crying and Delwyn sighed with impatience, exchanging cynical glances with his mother.

Suddenly the countess grabbed the girl’s head and pulled it back, glaring into her eyes. “Listen to me, you will tell me who has my daughter or I will have you thrown in Newgate for aiding in the kidnapping of my child!”

The maid stiffened, eyes widening as Delwyn crossed his arms and glared as well.

“I didn’t help her! Or him! She told me I must take the letters to him otherwise she would say I stole her brooch.”

Delwyn stepped closer, looming over her menacingly. “Who did you take the letters to?” he asked coldly.

The maid’s voice trembled with fear. “A Scotchman. He would wait for me at the crossroads every day at five in the afternoon. I would take him a letter and he would give me one for the lady. I don’t know what was in them. Yesterday she told me to pack her a bag and say nothing to anyone or I would be sorry.”

“What was his name?” Delwyn gritted his teeth with impatience.

“I-I-I don’t⁠—”

“Girl, do not lie to me,” Bronwen growled, wagging her finger in the maid’s face.

“Sh-she called him...Neacel. Neacel H-Hunter I believe. Sh-she said he would marry her and she would go and live with him in Scotland where he owned a goldmine.”

Delwyn’s eyebrow shot up. “Really? If he owned a goldmine, why could he not just court her like a self-respecting gentleman would?”

“I-I don’t…” She looked frantically from one to the other as if they were asking her impossible questions with no answers.

“When did they leave here?” Delwyn asked.

“Last night. Late in the evening. He had a carriage.”

“And they were headed to Scotland?”

The maid nodded, dropping her head and avoiding their eyes. Slowly, she reached into her apron and removed a piece of folded paper, and handed it to Delwyn. “He said to give this to you, specifically to you and no one else, after three days had passed.”

Delwyn frowned, snatching the note out of her hands. He opened it quickly, his mother standing up and moving to his side so they could read it together. He froze at the words on the page, while Bronwen screamed.

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