Page 27 of Kidnapping Cordelia

“Ach, Luella is a great gun. She won’t be the least bit shocked, I promise ye. Are ye nae angry with me, then?”

She looked genuinely bewildered. “Whatever for?”

“I took things a bit farther than I intended,” he said ruefully, watching her to see flush and drop her gaze to the floor.

“Do you think me very bold for not stopping you?” she asked.

Muir shook his head before realising she was still not looking at him. “Nae. I dinnae think that.”

She glanced up with a smile and shrugged. “I do not see how I can decide whether to marry you if we do not discover if we suit first,” she said simply.

Muir nodded. “Sensible lassie, and if ye wish to discover a bit more, I am at your disposal.”

He winked at her and discovered himself pleased when she grinned back at him, and he discovered she had dimples in her cheeks that he had not noticed before. They were charming, giving her an impish air which appealed to him. “I shall bear that in mind,” she said gravely. “But now I think I had best find Luella and return home. Shall I see you again today?”

“Nae, I’m afraid ye shan’t. I have to tell ye, the next weeks are going tae be mad busy and I may see little of ye at all.”

“Oh,” she said in dismay. “Of course, I understand, but I cannot stay here indefinitely without…”

“Aye,” he said, aware of the problem. The longer she remained here, unmarried, the worse the gossip would get. “I ken the difficulty. I’ll do my best, aye?”

“Perhaps if I came to help you?” she asked, and Muir’s mind boggled at the idea of this pretty society miss, daughter to a duke, on her knees in a lambing shed, covered in blood and muck.

“I dinnae think so,” he said at once, seeing the disappointment in her eyes, but not heeding it. “’Tis nae a proper place for ye, Delia, and ye would only be in the way.”

“Oh. Oh, yes, I see,” she said, though he heard the flat tone of her voice.

It was better that they did not pretend she was fit for such work, though. He was not about to encourage her rosy daydreams of what she thought being a farmer’s wife might be like, no doubt cuddling newborn lambs with snowy white fleeces, with no real concept of how they came into the world.

“Well, in that case, I had better let you get back to work. There’s no need to see me out. I’ll find Luella. Good day to you, Muir.”

“Good day, Delia.”

With that, he watched her go, aware of a sense of having lost something, but not entirely sure what it had been.

Chapter 7

Dearest Delia,

My poor child, I am so sorry for the dreadful ordeal you have undertaken and so relieved to hear you are none the worse for your experience. Of course, I know you well enough to understand you are putting a brave face on, but please know you do not need to do so with me. I am your brother, and I am here to support you, no matter what.

Muir Anderson is an honourable and brave man, and I shall forever be in his dept for what he did for you. That he offered for you only elevates him further in my estimation, but my dearest sister, please know that you do not have to marry him. The scandal is quite appalling, but we will survive it, no matter what you choose to do. If you wish, we could go back to the continent for an indefinite time until the worst of it has died away. Think on it, sweetheart. I will abide by whatever you decide to do.

We are making plans to come to Wildsyde and hope to leave by the end of the week. I have only hesitated because Emmeline is once again in an interesting condition, and I wish for the doctor to assure me she is fit to travel before we leave. In the meantime, do write back and assure me of your wellbeing and that you are being treated kindly.

Yrs etc.

―Excerpt of a letter from The Most Hon’ble Leander Steyning, The Marquess of Wrexham to his sister, The Lady Cordelia Steyning.

28th March 1850, Wildsyde Castle, The Highlands of Scotland.

“I hope… I mean… I’m very sorry…” Luella began diffidently on their walk back to Wildsyde.

“Oh, don’t, please!” Delia said, mortified to have been caught in such a position. “I cannot imagine what you must think of me.”

Luella only shrugged. “I think you were trying to discover if Muir is a man you can imagine yourself married too. Very sensible too, in my opinion.” She smiled at Delia’s obvious surprise. “I’m really not a stickler for propriety, so don’t worry your head over my good opinion. I should be more shocked if you did not wish to see if you suited before you make such a big decision. Dare I ask if you came to any conclusions?” she added with a glint in her eyes.

Delia let out a huff of laughter. “If you’d have asked while he was kissing me, I’d have said I was certain he would be a wonderful husband.”