Page 30 of What a Highlander’s Got to Do

Even so, Isobel wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about Nick yet.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to share her feelings about him.

It was all too sad for words.

Especially now that she’d never see him again.

* * *

Nick waited for Isobel the next day. He sat in the rain and waited, but she never came.

And she didn’t show up the next day, or the next.

By the time he pried the truth out of Lady Swofford—that the Sinclairs and the Lochlannachs had returned and the entire party had gone—she had probably already arrived in London.

He left the very next day in a dismal mood.

Chapter Seven

It was torture.

Absolute torture.

She had to get away.

Even though the Mayfair mansion they were staying in was large, well, simply put, it wasn’t large enough.

When Isobel suggested they go for an early-morning ride in Hyde Park, which was only a few blocks from their humble abode, Catriona was more than willing to abet her escape.

Mornings were the worst.

Though Uncle Lachlan had secured several nannies for the clamoring brood, Isobel and Cat, as the eldest, were often tasked with helping out.

And frankly, they’d both had enough.

Another annoyance was the fact that they were in London.

Oh, it was exciting, despite her dread of the coming Season. Isobel loved to explore, and this was an exciting adventure. She couldn’t wait to visit Vauxhall, Covent Garden, and Astley’s. And of course, the museums. The Elgin Marbles in particular, which were reportedly exceedingly scandalous.

But every time she brought these things up, her mother would say, “Let’s settle in first, dear.”

They’d been here a week. How long did they need to settle in?

So Isobel and Cat were reduced to stealing away to ride in Hyde Park.

Then there was the other annoyance of being in town.

It was, well, in town.

Isobel found she didn’t care for the closed-in feeling of all the buildings, though in their neighborhood the buildings were, indeed, grand. She didn’t like the soot in the air from all the coal stoves, and mostly, she didn’t like the fact that there were people everywhere.

Not to mention the smells. Or the mysterious puddles on the ground (though it had decidedly not rained). There was hustle and bustle and nowhere to just be.

Riding was as close as she could come to feeling free.

“I love this,” Cat said, pointing her nose to the sky and drawing in a deep breath.

Indeed, the trees did seem to make the air fresher in the park.