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Dinner ended, and they moved to another room while George and a number of other servants cleared the table. Edward opened some bottles of wine, and they continued drinking. Collin helped himself liberally to glass after glass, perhaps working up the courage to propose. Edward was leaning against a wall talking to the Duke, who was admiring one of the paintings on the wall. Nova and Orla were sitting down, while Hamish lurked in the corner, pretending to be occupied by some books.

“Yes, I actually brought this back from the Highlands, so that a part of them would always be here whenever I return to London,” Edward said proudly.

“You’ve become quite fond of that place,” the Duke replied.

Edward smiled and glanced towards Nova. “It’s a beautiful place. You really haven’t seen the world until you’ve seen Scotland. I used to think that there was no greater sight than London, but I was wrong. The fields and valleys are endless, and there’s a sense of magic about the place that I haven’t found anywhere else. I’m sure that some people might say my opinion of the Highlands is influenced by the fact that I am in love with one of Scotland’s daughters, but I think if one opens their eyes, they will see the beauty it possesses,” he remarked.

“It’s just a shame that it’s filled with such uncivilized people, present company excluded, of course,” Collin said, his words slurred, and his eyes glassy. Even so, he should have had presence of mind enough to know that it was highly improper to say something like this. Orla cringed inwardly, although perhaps this would be enough for everyone else to see that Collin was not going to be as good a match as he had initially seemed. A moment of silence fell across the room after Collin spoke. The Duke and Edward shared a wary glance.

“And what is sae uncivilized about the Highlands?” Hamish asked. His voice was as sharp as a knife. Of course he spoke. He carried the banner of the Highlands with him wherever he went, willing to defend its reputation from all corners. The sensible thing to do would have been to let the comment fade into silence and then move onto something else, but of course, Hamish couldn’t do that.

Orla could not blame him, though. Hearing Collin attack her home did elicit a sense of wounded pride within her too, urging her to defend the Highlands. They may have been boring, but the Highlands were still her home and she had so many precious memories there.

Hamish looked up from the bookshelves. Collin took another gulp of wine, and then seemed dismayed that his glass was empty. He took a staggering step forward, and almost lost his balance.

“Well, Orla has told me herself that you have nothing like our balls up there, and nothing like London itself. I have been asking around about the Highlands, and it seems you are a few decades behind England at least, still with your castles and your feasts, mostly living in villages instead of grand cities. I’m sure you’ll manage to make some progress and catch up with us someday.”

“London is certainly impressive, but it does make me wonder how much ye hae lost along the way. What I hae noticed is that ye men are nae impressive in stature. In fact, I think most men would lose in a contest of strength tae any Highland lad… or lass,” he added with a sarcastic bite to his tone. Collin’s brow furrowed and anger radiated from him. He trembled with rage, and his face took on a crimson sheen.

“You should watch your words. This is exactly what I’m talking about… uncivilized. An Englishman would know better than to say something like that. It’s not just me who feels this way, either. Even Orla knows it to be true. She told me herself that the Highlands are dull. It’s no wonder that she wanted to come down here and experience some of the finer things in life, and clearly, us Englishmen are doing something right, because we keep winning the hands of your fair maidens,” his words were punctuated with a smug smile, knowing that he had cut him to the quick. Hamish snarled and Orla saw his fists tense.

“Even though I hae wanted tae see pastures new, I still hold a great deal of affection for the Highlands. Nae matter what, they shall always be my home, and I will always look upon them with fondness,” she said quickly, hoping to defuse the tension, but it did not work. “I think perhaps ye should come and sit by me, Collin. It is unwise tae insult another’s country like that,” she commented, hoping that he would see sense.

“Don’t tell me what to do. This is another reason why England is superior. We know how to teach our women proper manners. There is no need for you to speak now, Orla, but I’m sure you will learn how to act properly in time. It baffles me how anything gets done up there when the women are so unruly. We run a much tighter ship down here. I’m sure you mean well, Orla, but you really have no place talking here,” he said. Orla was stunned by the brazen way in which he belittled her, but she wasn’t the only one who was offended. Before anyone else could react, however, Hamish lunged forward.

His movements were as quick as a cat’s and his long, powerful legs carried him across the room swiftly. He was already swinging his arm as he moved, so when he approached Collin, Hamish’s fist connected with the man’s jaw, sending him spinning around because the blow was so fierce. There was a cry of pain as Collin’s hands rose to his face and he cradled his nose. He hunched over and yelped, while Hamish stood there, the whites of his eyes visible, as rage had completely taken over him.

“I will nae stand by while ye insult my country and my… its women,” he corrected himself. The moment was so chaotic, however, that everyone failed to pick up on what he said. The Duke was walking towards his son, his face incensed, while Collin had now turned around. There were dark shadows under his eyes. Tendrils of blood trickled out of his nostrils, seeping over his lips. He wiped them away, leaving a blood smear over his mouth and his sleeves.

“You are a madman. How dare you strike me like that! You’re lucky you are here as a guest of Edward, otherwise, I would have you thrown in jail, never to see daylight again. Clearly, men of England are the result of superior breeding, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know how to fight,” Collin said and tried to strike back himself. However, his mind was addled with wine, and so his movements were sluggish and imbalanced. He threw all his weight behind a punch but mistimed his blow, so he missed Hamish completely and ended up falling forward, sprawling on the floor. He pushed himself up quickly and raised his fists again, while Hamish was ready to defend himself. If they did not stop then, this would turn into a brawl, and none of them would come out with any honor at all.

If Orla had been an Englishwoman, then she would have known to stay out of affairs like this, but she was not. She rose from her seated position and ran in between the two men, holding out her arms to keep some distance between them.

“Stop it, the both of ye! Ye are both acting like brutes. Right now there is nae difference between Scotland and England. The thing ye hae in common is that ye are both men, men who think with their fists rather than their brains. This is nae the place for a fight,” she yelled in a shrill, terse voice that cut through the tension in the room. Hamish stepped back and relaxed his fists. Collin sullenly calmed down as well.

“I believe Orla is right. This is neither the time or the place for this,” Edward said, coming to stand beside Orla. “I think that emotions have become heated, and a little too much wine has been drunk. People have said some things they should not have said, so I suggest we put this behind us and continue this occasion another time.” He spoke diplomatically, still offering Duke Johnson a chance to salvage the moment. The Duke puffed out his chest and surveyed the scene with his inscrutable gaze. He cast a withering look towards his son, who looked entirely sorry for himself.

“Yes, perhaps you are right. Come, Collin, it is time for us to take our leave. I think we might need some reminders of which subjects to avoid while we are in public,” he said, and his attention then turned towards Hamish. The Duke did not speak to Hamish directly though, but rather towards Edward. “I think perhaps some punishments are in order for both, although it’s clear to me that allowing fists to fly is far more serious than mere words. I think perhaps you ought to reassess the business relationships you have with those in Scotland. They may not be as profitable as you think,” he said in a thinly veiled threat.

Edward merely arched an eyebrow. “Hamish here was only defending the honor of his homeland and my sister-in-law, and, indeed, my wife. Collin not only insulted the lineage of everyone in this house, but also the woman he is courting. I daresay a bloody nose is a small price to pay when such an offence has been given, and if Hamish had not been so quick to act, then I might well have done the same thing.” His eyes were as cold as ice, and his voice was steady and even. The Duke cleared his throat but did not try to argue. He merely escorted Collin out of the room, leaving the rest of them alone.

An uneasy silence settled in the room. Orla felt a flicker of pride that Hamish had come to her defense, but she was also ashamed that she had gotten in the middle of things and had been the reason for such a scene. Collin was there because of her, after all. Edward picked up the bottle of wine and sighed, and then turned to Hamish.

“Well, I don’t think that’s what any of us was expecting from the evening. I think we all need some time to think about what happened and get some rest. The hour is growing late, and we have all had enough excitement for one evening. Hamish, may I have a word?” he asked. Hamish nodded. Orla noticed he looked scared. Orla and Nova were left together in the receiving room, which seemed far larger now that they were the only two there. Her gaze turned towards the painting that had caught the Duke’s attention, and she could not help but think that things would have been much easier if she had just stayed at home. But still, after tonight, she wasn’t sure that she could stay involved with Collin. He had made his feelings clear, and the way he had spoken to her was completely unacceptable. She knew she would never be able to live like that, but did that mean her London adventure was coming to an end? It was not what she had hoped for at all, and it seemed such a shame that, of the three sisters, she was the only one who was not going to get her happy ending.

Orla settled by Nova and exhaled deeply, ready to share the thoughts in her mind.