Borrowed Dreams (Scottish Dream Trilogy) by May McGoldrick, Jan Coffey, Nicole Cody, Nikoo McGoldrick, James McGoldrick
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men here can help me dispose of this ill-mannered
dog on the road to St. Albans.”
“I believe Jonah and Moses would be
happy to assist you, Mr. Gibbs.” She turned her attention to the man on the
ground. “Your things will be sent to the Black Swan Inn at Knebworth Village.”
The look
on Draper’s face, beneath the shoe of the Scotsman, was not that of a happy
man.
Millicent glanced up toward the
house. “Has his lordship been brought in, Mr. Gibbs?”
“Nay, m’lady. Lord Aytoun was
sleeping, so I left him in the carriage. I thought ye might prefer to greet him
yourself before we moved him.”
“Of course,” she whispered, knowing
the importance of such protocol. But Vi’s earlier news about the collapse of
Ohenewaa in the kitchen preyed on her mind. Gibbs must have noticed her gaze in
the direction of the house.
“If ye please, m’lady. As I came
through the servants’ hall, your wee housekeeper asked me to relay a word to ye
about the African woman in the kitchen. The woman is fine and has come about.”
“Thank you.” Millicent was indeed
grateful for Gibbs’s intervention, and Jonah appeared much more at ease as
well. She saw him grab Draper by the scruff of his neck and yank him roughly to
his feet when the Scotsman removed his boot. “I think I shall go around the
house to the courtyard and greet his lordship.”
Not until she rounded the corner of
the manor house did she feel the cold wind penetrating her dress. She started
to shiver. For the first time since charging out, Millicent realized that she
had on no cloak or shawl.
At a respectful distance from the
carriage, a number of her servants had lined up in greeting. As she went past
them, she saw Mrs. Page rush out of the front door and—with a curtsy to
Millicent—take her place beside the assembled staff.
The earl’s servants as well stood
waiting by their horses and wagons in the courtyard. Intensely aware of the
dozens of eyes on both sides watching her every move, Millicent tried her best
to hide her nervousness and approached the carriage with confident steps.
From the outside, she could not see
in clearly through the curtains, but there appeared to be no one sitting in the
carriage. At her nod, the footman opened the door.
He was twisted, helpless, wedged
between the seats in the most awkward position. She saw her new husband’s eyes
open as the light from behind her poured inside the carriage. Millicent
hurriedly stepped over his sprawled boots and climbed in, pulling the door
closed behind her. He didn’t have to say anything. She knew this was not the
way he would wish to be introduced to his new household.
“I am so very sorry, m’lord. You
have fallen down from the seat.” Trying clumsily to find solid footing in the
cramped space, she tried to bend his knees and straighten his boots. “The roads
traveling up from London are not in the best condition, and nothing is worse
than enduring a long trip like that to a strange place and…”
Millicent knew she was jabbering,
but her embarrassment at not greeting him immediately was compounded by the
sharpness of the earl’s glare. She crouched down in the cramped space between
the seats and searched for his right arm. It was twisted behind him.
“If you would be kind enough to
place your other arm around my neck, perhaps I could lift you a little, and we
could free this arm.”
The earl did not respond, and she
glanced up at his bearded face. His expression was intimidating, but she
decided the tenseness she saw in his blue eyes had to be caused in some part by
pain. This made her all the more determined.
“Please, m’lord. If you could
just—”
“Gibbs. Get him.”
Millicent was relieved to get some
response. “He is coming, but—”
“Get Gibbs,” he said louder.
“I have no intention of moving you
inside by myself. I just thought it would be more comfortable for you to be
sitting on the seat, instead of where you
dog on the road to St. Albans.”
“I believe Jonah and Moses would be
happy to assist you, Mr. Gibbs.” She turned her attention to the man on the
ground. “Your things will be sent to the Black Swan Inn at Knebworth Village.”
The look
on Draper’s face, beneath the shoe of the Scotsman, was not that of a happy
man.
Millicent glanced up toward the
house. “Has his lordship been brought in, Mr. Gibbs?”
“Nay, m’lady. Lord Aytoun was
sleeping, so I left him in the carriage. I thought ye might prefer to greet him
yourself before we moved him.”
“Of course,” she whispered, knowing
the importance of such protocol. But Vi’s earlier news about the collapse of
Ohenewaa in the kitchen preyed on her mind. Gibbs must have noticed her gaze in
the direction of the house.
“If ye please, m’lady. As I came
through the servants’ hall, your wee housekeeper asked me to relay a word to ye
about the African woman in the kitchen. The woman is fine and has come about.”
“Thank you.” Millicent was indeed
grateful for Gibbs’s intervention, and Jonah appeared much more at ease as
well. She saw him grab Draper by the scruff of his neck and yank him roughly to
his feet when the Scotsman removed his boot. “I think I shall go around the
house to the courtyard and greet his lordship.”
Not until she rounded the corner of
the manor house did she feel the cold wind penetrating her dress. She started
to shiver. For the first time since charging out, Millicent realized that she
had on no cloak or shawl.
At a respectful distance from the
carriage, a number of her servants had lined up in greeting. As she went past
them, she saw Mrs. Page rush out of the front door and—with a curtsy to
Millicent—take her place beside the assembled staff.
The earl’s servants as well stood
waiting by their horses and wagons in the courtyard. Intensely aware of the
dozens of eyes on both sides watching her every move, Millicent tried her best
to hide her nervousness and approached the carriage with confident steps.
From the outside, she could not see
in clearly through the curtains, but there appeared to be no one sitting in the
carriage. At her nod, the footman opened the door.
He was twisted, helpless, wedged
between the seats in the most awkward position. She saw her new husband’s eyes
open as the light from behind her poured inside the carriage. Millicent
hurriedly stepped over his sprawled boots and climbed in, pulling the door
closed behind her. He didn’t have to say anything. She knew this was not the
way he would wish to be introduced to his new household.
“I am so very sorry, m’lord. You
have fallen down from the seat.” Trying clumsily to find solid footing in the
cramped space, she tried to bend his knees and straighten his boots. “The roads
traveling up from London are not in the best condition, and nothing is worse
than enduring a long trip like that to a strange place and…”
Millicent knew she was jabbering,
but her embarrassment at not greeting him immediately was compounded by the
sharpness of the earl’s glare. She crouched down in the cramped space between
the seats and searched for his right arm. It was twisted behind him.
“If you would be kind enough to
place your other arm around my neck, perhaps I could lift you a little, and we
could free this arm.”
The earl did not respond, and she
glanced up at his bearded face. His expression was intimidating, but she
decided the tenseness she saw in his blue eyes had to be caused in some part by
pain. This made her all the more determined.
“Please, m’lord. If you could
just—”
“Gibbs. Get him.”
Millicent was relieved to get some
response. “He is coming, but—”
“Get Gibbs,” he said louder.
“I have no intention of moving you
inside by myself. I just thought it would be more comfortable for you to be
sitting on the seat, instead of where you
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