loose.
“Must ye always be aboot something unsafe?”
he shouted back as he picked up the book off the floor, smoothing
the pages in his large hands. “Do ye always climb library ladders
in yer bare feet?”
Edwina looked down. Her
shoes sat at angles on the floor below. Wouldn’t you know.
She sought another topic. “It seems I ’ave
been nothing but trouble for ye ever since I arrived,” she said
contritely and meant every word.
“Ye? Now ye speak like one of us Scots.” His
laughter boomed throughout the room, successfully announcing to
everyone where they were. So much for a quiet day alone. She slowly
descended and slipped on her shoes.
“What is the noise aboot?” Bertie stood in
the doorway, hands on hips.
“Nothing amiss, go aboot your business,
Bertilda.” The Scot’s voice held the hint that he was still laird
of the castle.
Bertie disappeared.
“After breakfast I’m leaving for the farm.
Think ye can abide here without the servants calling me back?”
He was suddenly grumpy, but
she had made him
laugh already this morning. “Oh yes,” Edwina said sweetly, her
hands behind her back. “I will do just fine. In fact, I was about
to read for the entire day. If you don’t mind...,” she
added.
“Do as ye wish. It is yer affair.” He
hesitated at the door. “Is there anything ye’d be needing?”
“Oh no, thank you.” Edwina moved toward him.
“You have been most kind, especially in light of all the...
well...you know... I have been a handful, and I’m sorry for any
inconvenience I have caused you. It’s because of your kindness I
have been so well received in your Scotland.”
“Nicely said.” He nodded. “Well then, I will
be aboot my business and you yers.” He bowed slightly. “Did you get
your writing done last eve?”
He had noticed her gone
early from the party .
Edwina’s eyes fell to the book in her hand.
She turned it over in her palms and looked out the window before
she answered.
“I... I fell asleep.”
The Scot said nothing else. Edwina could hear
the clicking of his boots.
For some reason, Edwina felt melancholy. The
Scot had not been as friendly. Something about his eyes. A
certain... was it sadness perhaps? She shook the thoughts free of
her mind and picked up the volume, soon caught up in the throes of
World War II.
Chapter 11
T he breakfast bell rang. Edwina set the book aside, glad for
the break, then hustled off to the dining room. Bertie did not need
another cause to ruin her already busy day.
She appeared and instantly saw the elderly
couple from last evening. They rushed up to her and said excitedly,
“We have chosen Chicago.”
“Ah, well done. You will not be disappointed,
although New York has much to offer too.”
“Yes, dear, and we will be so close while
we’re in Boston . . .” the lady smiled at her husband.
“Funds, dear. It is for lack of funds.” He
patted his wife’s arm.
A thought struck Edwina. “I... well my sister
owns several bed-and-breakfast units in downtown Chicago. Might I
help you save some... funds... by putting you up while in Chicago?
Perhaps then you could visit New York as well?”
“Oh no, we could not accept, although it is a
fine offer,” the woman said immediately.
Edwina was not sure of Scottish protocol as
yet and wondered if she should insist or let it remain an open
invitation. She decided quickly.
“ Do you have a paper and
pen?”
The man pulled out a gold pen from his suit
jacket and a slice of elegant paper with their address in script at
the top.
Edwina wrote her sister’s name and phone
number on it and returned it. “Should you decide, my sister will
see to it you are treated very well, at no cost to you,” Edwina
threw in. By this time her sister would be richer than she was
previously now that her father had left his fortune to her. And in
exchange for the Scot’s kindness to her, really to her sister
indirectly, she reasonably expected Cecelia to put them up.
“It
“Must ye always be aboot something unsafe?”
he shouted back as he picked up the book off the floor, smoothing
the pages in his large hands. “Do ye always climb library ladders
in yer bare feet?”
Edwina looked down. Her
shoes sat at angles on the floor below. Wouldn’t you know.
She sought another topic. “It seems I ’ave
been nothing but trouble for ye ever since I arrived,” she said
contritely and meant every word.
“Ye? Now ye speak like one of us Scots.” His
laughter boomed throughout the room, successfully announcing to
everyone where they were. So much for a quiet day alone. She slowly
descended and slipped on her shoes.
“What is the noise aboot?” Bertie stood in
the doorway, hands on hips.
“Nothing amiss, go aboot your business,
Bertilda.” The Scot’s voice held the hint that he was still laird
of the castle.
Bertie disappeared.
“After breakfast I’m leaving for the farm.
Think ye can abide here without the servants calling me back?”
He was suddenly grumpy, but
she had made him
laugh already this morning. “Oh yes,” Edwina said sweetly, her
hands behind her back. “I will do just fine. In fact, I was about
to read for the entire day. If you don’t mind...,” she
added.
“Do as ye wish. It is yer affair.” He
hesitated at the door. “Is there anything ye’d be needing?”
“Oh no, thank you.” Edwina moved toward him.
“You have been most kind, especially in light of all the...
well...you know... I have been a handful, and I’m sorry for any
inconvenience I have caused you. It’s because of your kindness I
have been so well received in your Scotland.”
“Nicely said.” He nodded. “Well then, I will
be aboot my business and you yers.” He bowed slightly. “Did you get
your writing done last eve?”
He had noticed her gone
early from the party .
Edwina’s eyes fell to the book in her hand.
She turned it over in her palms and looked out the window before
she answered.
“I... I fell asleep.”
The Scot said nothing else. Edwina could hear
the clicking of his boots.
For some reason, Edwina felt melancholy. The
Scot had not been as friendly. Something about his eyes. A
certain... was it sadness perhaps? She shook the thoughts free of
her mind and picked up the volume, soon caught up in the throes of
World War II.
Chapter 11
T he breakfast bell rang. Edwina set the book aside, glad for
the break, then hustled off to the dining room. Bertie did not need
another cause to ruin her already busy day.
She appeared and instantly saw the elderly
couple from last evening. They rushed up to her and said excitedly,
“We have chosen Chicago.”
“Ah, well done. You will not be disappointed,
although New York has much to offer too.”
“Yes, dear, and we will be so close while
we’re in Boston . . .” the lady smiled at her husband.
“Funds, dear. It is for lack of funds.” He
patted his wife’s arm.
A thought struck Edwina. “I... well my sister
owns several bed-and-breakfast units in downtown Chicago. Might I
help you save some... funds... by putting you up while in Chicago?
Perhaps then you could visit New York as well?”
“Oh no, we could not accept, although it is a
fine offer,” the woman said immediately.
Edwina was not sure of Scottish protocol as
yet and wondered if she should insist or let it remain an open
invitation. She decided quickly.
“ Do you have a paper and
pen?”
The man pulled out a gold pen from his suit
jacket and a slice of elegant paper with their address in script at
the top.
Edwina wrote her sister’s name and phone
number on it and returned it. “Should you decide, my sister will
see to it you are treated very well, at no cost to you,” Edwina
threw in. By this time her sister would be richer than she was
previously now that her father had left his fortune to her. And in
exchange for the Scot’s kindness to her, really to her sister
indirectly, she reasonably expected Cecelia to put them up.
“It
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