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“Yes, I would love to.”

Anna and her maid, or quine as Anna called her, assisted Helen into donning a peasant’s dress that Ian had bought her for their trip. Though clean and neatly pressed, it was still attire befitting a peasant, and Helen was uneasy at the thought of being seen wearing it, particularly since everyone believed she was Ian’s bride.

“Dinnae ye worry.” Anna waved away the issue. “Nobody ever comes tae the portrait gallery. You could gang naked an’ nobody would ken.”

Helen chuckled, enjoying Anna’s manner of speaking. It wasn’t just the accent and the Scottish words that kept Helen mesmerized, it was the way Anna spoke, her tone of voice changing with each syllable as if she was singing, and her facial expressions accompanying that change.

Anna could easily lift Helen’s mood.

They went to the gallery as Anna continued telling Helen stories about their childhood. And as Helen listened, she wished more and more that she could stay in Scotland.

She knew that she was viewing an entire country from the lens of a young woman telling her childhood stories. It was a romanticized version of their life here. But Helen coveted it still.

But when they reached the portrait gallery, a slightly different picture presented itself to her. There were dozens upon dozens of portraits of the McAllistair family. Radiant ginger-haired boys and a girl looked out from the canvases, the earl and his fair-haired bride often graced the portraits with their faces. Even Anna’s dog was often present in those images, and yet, one ebony-haired boy was absent from them all.

Helen walked around the gallery until she finally found the treasure she was looking for. A beautiful, young countess sat by the window, a little bundle in her arms, a dark fluff of hair peeking out of the childbed linen. The countess looked at him with such love in her eyes as Helen had not seen her exhibit in any of the other paintings.

A clear picture started shaping up in her mind about Ian’s life in Scotland, and all those questions about why he had spoken so little about his home became evident.

Helen didn’t ask Anna to elaborate or fill in the blanks, and she didn’t offer. They both understood that this was something Ian would have to tell Helen on his own if he wanted to.

When Helen returned to the room, she was too tired to do anything else. She asked Anna to let Ian know that Helen was not in the spirit to have a meaningful discussion and that they would have to postpone their conversation until she felt better.

She knew she needed to be in full strength to understand the predicament they were in and to equally participate in untangling the mystery they found themselves in the middle of.

She was acting indignant about Ian’s betrayal, but the truth was, she had forgiven him the moment she learned the truth about what he’d done. He’d used her, but she’d used him in turn. They had different motives, but they both acted out of desperation and neither had the intention to hurt anyone.

As long as they found a way to make everything right with Jarvis, she would not have any hard feelings against him. And she would remember these moments with a pleasant smile on her lips.

“I almost forgot,” Anna said before turning away. “There’s a medicine on the bedside table that Zara sent ye. She says it should help ye wi’ yer joint pain.”

Helen frowned. “What is it?”

“It’s a calendula tincture soaked in the best o’ Scottish whisky. She said for ye tae rub it on yer achin’ joints every mornin’ and night and it will make ye feel better.”

“Thank you.” Helen eyes the bottle of tincture suspiciously. But as long as she didn’t have to drink it, what harm would it do?

“And I really think ye should see her. She might help ye.”

Helen smiled weakly. “Thank you for everything you do for me.”

Anna chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. “Nae need to thank me. We’re family.”

* * *

Dear Jarvis,

I hope you and Olivia are both healthy and—

No.

Helen scratched out the words and started again.

I know that you must be worried about me, but please, do not be. I am in good health—

She paused and shrugged. “Relatively.”

—and I am in no danger. Please, take good care of Laney and let her know that I miss her terribly and will be back as soon as I can. I am not held anywhere against my will, I am looked after well.