Page 122 of The Highlander Is All That

“Aye. They are happy, though.”

“Oh, I am so delighted about that.” Esmeralda’s tone was dry as dust.

“Bower has hired the boy, so he will have a good living. Mary will not starve.”

“And I am delighted about that,” Victoria said with a smile. “Where are they?”

“In their rooms.”

“Egads. Together? Alone?” Esmeralda appeared to be on the verge of apoplexy.

“They are married,” he reminded her, which did not seem to mollify her in the slightest.

“It will take time getting used to this,” she said.

“Indeed, it will.”

“And Anne? How is she taking it?”

“Quite well, I believe. The last time I saw her, she and Mary were laughing.”

Esmeralda stilled. “The last time you saw her?”

Och. He should have softened this blow. “She remained in Scotland with Bower for the time being. She was too ill to travel.”

“She always did have a tender stomach,” Victoria said.

“In Scotland?” Esmeralda warbled. “With Bower? Together? Alone?”

“Oh really, dear aunt. This is Anne we’re talking about,” Victoria said on a laugh. “Surely you realize nothing untoward will happen between them.”

Hamish had to nibble on his lip to stay silent. He very much suspected something untoward was happening between Anne and Ranald, but it did not seem prudent to mention it. At least, not at the moment. No doubt Esmeralda had had enough of a shock for one day.

“Right,” she grumbled. “He is a Scotsman, after all.”

Victoria nodded. “Exactly.”

“Where is Henley with that tray?” Esmeralda snapped. And of course, as though she had summoned him with her ferocity, he arrived.

And not a moment too soon. Hamish was famished.

He tucked into the finger sandwiches and cakes with an enthusiasm that left the ladies gaping.

“We hadn’t eaten today,” he said as he caught them staring.

“No?” Esmeralda said. “One could never tell.”

“The boat docked at dawn and we came straightaway.”

“Shall I ring for another tray?” Victoria asked.

“I think that would be advisable, considering the fact that Mr. Robb has devoured this one.”

It hadn’t been that bad, surely, but it was a good thing that Victoria did so because shortly after it arrived, so did callers.

To Hamish’s relief, included in that company were the two men he needed to talk to, the Duke of Moncrieff and Ewan McCloud, who arrived with their wives in tow.

He chomped at the bit as the ladies frittered about with their greetings, but once everyone was seated, he had no chance to broach the subject of finding Elizabeth because before he could bring it up, the duke huffed a sigh and announced, “We have news.”