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The journey already felt as though it had taken an eternity and they weren’t yet out of Scotland. Orla had no interest in speaking to Hamish, and he seemed to share that attitude, as he made no effort to begin a conversation either. It was with relief that she saw the familiar terrain leading to Edward’s estate. As soon as the carriage came to a halt, Orla rose, muttering an excuse about having to stretch her legs. She moved so quickly that she almost tumbled out of the carriage, and only regained her balance as her feet touched the ground.

“Ah, right on time,” Edward exclaimed with a hearty smile. He greeted Orla with a hug, and then moved past her, entering the carriage. Orla turned her glare towards Nova.

“What’s wrong, Orla?” Nova asked.

“What dae ye mean what’s wrong?” Orla replied in a hushed voice. “What’s he daeing here?”

“Oh, ye mean Hamish?” Nova’s voice took on a heavy tone. “Aye, I’m sorry I dinnae hae time tae tell ye. Edward thought it would be a good idea tae bring him along. He hae some business tae attend tae while we’re in London and-”

“I dinnae care about his business. Why is he ruining our trip?” Orla scoffed.

Nova collected herself and gripped Orla’s arm, just tightly enough to ground Orla in the moment. “Dinnae be petulant, Orla. This is nae gaeing tae ruin our trip, and it’s nae our trip anyway. It’s Edward’s. He hae been kind enough tae invite us along as guests, and ye should keep that in mind. I know ye hae wanted this for a long time, and that ye likely hae it a certain way in ye mind, but things rarely happen as we want them tae. Hamish is nae a bad man, and in fact, if ye took the time tae get tae know him I’m sure ye would find him tae be quite pleasant.”

“Well he dinnae seem pleasant. He barely said a single word tae me sae far,” Orla complained.

“He might very well be nervous.”

“What would he hae tae be nervous about?”

Nova glanced towards the carriage. Edward had poked his head out and asked if everything was well. She signaled to him that they were just coming. Nova slid her arm in with Orla’s and led her back, speaking in a quick and quiet voice as she did so.

“His father is giving over control of his business tae Hamish, sae soon Hamish will hae all the responsibility. Edward is taking him down tae London tae give him some experience in the hopes that he will grow in confidence.”

“He dinnae seem tae be lacking confidence tae me.”

“Sometimes people are nae what they seem. I suggest if ye want tae know more about his situation, then ye should talk with him about it,” Nova suggested. Orla pressed her lips together. She couldn’t think of anything worse.

Orla followed her sister into the carriage and as she did so, she was dismayed to find that Nova and Edward had taken one side of the carriage for themselves, meaning that she now had to sit next to Hamish. She squeezed in next to the bulk of his body and made a point of nudging him in the ribs, just to make it clear that she wasn’t going to let him have the majority of the seat. Soon enough. the carriage was trundling away once again.

“Isn’t this grand? I have fallen in love with the Highlands, of course,” Edward began, tilting his head towards Nova and making eyes with her, “but London will always have a special place in my heart. I think I am actually more fond of it now than I was when I lived there. It’s funny how the mind can change things, isn’t it?” he said, although he didn’t expect anyone to answer the question for him. “I shall have to show you some of my old haunts, Hamish. I’m sure it will open your eyes.”

“Perhaps nae all ye old haunts,” Nova reminded, offering him a sweet reminder that he wasn’t quite as free as he used to be. Orla suppressed a smile. She remembered how Nova had told her stories about Edward and the places he used to frequent. To some, he was a man of ill repute, but it was Nova who had seen the good in him and taken him away from all the grimmest parts of London.

“Are ye sure we will hae time for that? I would hae thought business would take up most of our time there,” Hamish said.

Edward laughed and shook his head. “Oh don’t you worry, Hamish, I’ll make sure there’s plenty of time for business and pleasure. There’s always something going on in London. And don’t worry, Orla, there will be plenty of things for you to do as well. I’m sure Nova already has things planned. Business has been good as well, so don’t worry about any expense! Enjoy the haberdasheries, the dining parlors and the balls. Enjoy everything that London has to offer! George has already gone ahead to prepare the townhouse for us, and if I know him, then he’ll have stocked the pantry and made sure there’s a good meal waiting for us. There’s nothing like a good meal waiting at the end of a journey. It’s like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow,” he said with burgeoning excitement.

Hamish cleared his throat and then leaned forward. He glanced towards the women, as though he was about to say something scandalous. For a moment, Orla felt intrigued and thought he was about to say something that was worth listening to, but it was just him asking Edward if they could talk about some of the people they were going to meet. The conversation turned into a droning affair, and Orla closed her ears to it, instead looking towards Nova, who seemed lost in thought as she turned her head towards the window.

“How did ye feel when ye first saw London?” Orla asked.

The smile that appeared on Nova’s face was like the sun breaking through a gloomy sky. “Oh it was wonderful. It was like being in another world. I will never forget how big I thought it all was. There’s naething like it in Scotland. It just goes on and on as far as the eye can see, and when ye are in it, oh the buildings rise around ye, and the rest of the world just fades away. It’s all there is. It’s easy tae lose yeself in the city, and there’s sae many things gaeing on, it’s a feast for the senses. Ye are gaeing tae love it.”

Her testimony only stoked the excitement within Orla’s heart. She rubbed her hands together with eager anticipation and asked Nova to tell her stories about the balls and parlors again. Even though she had heard the stories before, they had not lost any of their shine, and in fact seemed even more wonderful now that she had the opportunity to live these stories herself. She wondered what kind of memories she would return to Scotland with.

“Dae ye think we’ll get tae see much of Halle?” Orla asked.

“I’m certain of it. She’ll be glad tae see us both.”

“There’s something I need tae talk tae her about. I know it’s difficult, but I think she needs tae try tae make more of an effort tae see Da. When I left him he was… I dinnae think he’s gaeing tae cope well with all of us leaving.”

“I worry about him tae,” Nova agreed, “I’m a wee bit surprised he hae nae married again. Perhaps he could find a good woman tae keep him company.”

A wicked smile crossed Orla’s face. “Perhaps I should look for a wife for him as well as a husband for myself.”

Nova couldn’t help but laugh, although she waved her hand in front of her face, brushing away the wicked idea. “Oh Orla, can ye imagine his face? I would nae like tae interfere with that part of his life. Maybe with all of us gone, he’ll be forced tae find a good woman.”