Sleepless in Scotland (18 page)

“Oh, they’re very different. I don’t care if you forget my birthday; I barely remember it myself. But Sophia never forgets it. And if I ever forgot hers?” Dougal shuddered. “I’d rather be tarred and feathered.”

Hugh nodded absently. Damn it all—and things had begun so promisingly this morning! He wished he were back in bed now, wrapped around Caitriona. He’d been surprised by how delightfully responsive she’d been, how uninhibited. Imagining how bold she’d be in a few weeks, once she was more used to the marriage bed, made his heart thunder in his ears and—

“You aren’t
listening
.”

Hugh pulled his attention back to his brother. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

Dougal scowled. “I said that perhaps you should start with an apology.”

“For what? I was going to tell her; I just didn’t have time.”

Dougal lifted his brows.

Hugh sighed. “You’re right; I will apologize.”

“What will you tell the girls?”

“The truth. They’re even angrier than Caitriona, and—”

Dougal suddenly straightened, his gaze going past Hugh.

Slowly, Hugh turned. Standing just inside the door were his daughters.

Christina pinned him with her no-nonsense gaze. “Father, we’d like a word with you.”

Dougal stood. “Perhaps I’d better—”

“Sit,” Hugh ordered.

Dougal paused, his gaze flickering to the girls. Whatever he saw there seemed to decide him, for he resumed his seat.

Hugh faced his daughters. “I’m glad you’re here; I wish to speak with you, too.”

The girls exchanged glances. Then Christina nodded and went to sit on the end of the settee; Devon sat on the other. Aggie sat in the middle as they all three fixed their solemn gazes on Hugh.

“Well?” Devon asked, her dark eyes sharp.

“You didn’t say anything about getting married when you left!” Christina charged.

“I didn’t intend to get married. It was as much of a surprise to me and Caitriona as anyone.”

Christina and Devon exchanged incredulous glances.

Hugh sighed. “Here’s what happened. A young lady was attempting to trick your uncle Alexander into marriage, which is why I went to London. Unknown to me, Caitriona had also traveled to London for the same purpose.”

Christina’s gaze narrowed. “How did she know about it?”

“They are sisters.”

“Aha!” Devon said, as if that proved something.

Hugh frowned at her. “There is no ‘aha.’ By
accident,
Caitriona and I ended up falling into the trap her sister had planned for Alexander, and we were forced to marry.”

“How could anyone
force
you to do anything?” Devon asked in an incredulous voice. “You are even bigger than Uncle Alexander!”

Dougal smothered a laugh.

“Because of my rash actions, Caitriona’s reputation was ruined. I had to marry her, or she and her family would have paid a very steep price.”

Devon shook her head impatiently. “I’m sure that if you’d wished to, you could have gotten out of it.”

“As a man of honor, I could do no less than I did,” he said sharply. “Surely you wouldn’t have me behave otherwise.”

Devon’s cheeks burned at his rebuke, her mouth tightening.

Christina said, “Of course not. If you say you had no choice, then we believe you.”

“But we don’t want her here!” Devon burst out.

Aggie, clearly feeling left out, nodded violently. “We don’t need a mother!”

“We were perfectly happy the way we were, with just you,” Christina said.

Hugh made an impatient gesture. “Sometimes life makes decisions for us. This is one of those times, and we must make the best of it.”

Christina stiffened. “I will not treat that woman like a mother.”

“No one asked you to,” Hugh said, scowling. “But you
will
be polite to her for the short time she’ll be with us.”

Devon’s gaze locked on to Hugh’s face. “Short time? She won’t be staying?”

“Only a couple of months, and then she’ll return to her home. Meanwhile, you three will be polite. And no tricks, either.
None.
Am I making myself clear?”

Devon and Christina looked mulish.

Hugh’s brows lowered. “Christina?”

She sighed. “Yes, Papa. I will be polite.”

“Thank you.” He glanced at Devon and Aggie. “You, too.”

Devon mumbled, “Yes, Papa.”

Aggie pushed out her bottom lip, but nodded.

“Good. Whether you like it or not, Caitriona is my wife and will be treated with respect. She will act as such during her time here, and will oversee the household.”

Devon blinked. “But…Christina and I were doing that!”

“Now you’ll have some help.” Hugh looked at Dougal. “Perhaps the girls will have more time for their studies.”

Dougal nodded, smiling a bit. “I’m sure they’ll enjoy that. I suggest they learn Latin, as well as their Greek.”

“Latin?” Devon squeaked.

Christina crossed her arms over her thin chest. “I don’t wish to learn Latin!”

“Me neither!” Devon added.

Hugh ignored them. “Our lives will not be any different just because I married. In a few months, we won’t even remember she was here.”

“Do you promise?” Devon asked.

“I promise,” Hugh said solemnly. “Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

Finally, Devon nodded. “All right, then.”

Christina said, “We were just worried that it would be like when Mother—” Her gaze lowered to the floor, her expression strained.

“Though I have known Caitriona for a short time only, I know for a fact she is honorable. You can trust me on that.”

Aggie asked, “What do we call her?”

“We are
not
calling her Mother,” Devon said.

“You will call her ‘my lady,’ as is proper,” Hugh said. “Now, stop looking like the three deaths! It’s a beautiful day and we could be out riding, not sitting here moping about something we can’t change.” He looked at Aggie. “Are you ready to ride?”

She looked down at her morning dress and then back at him, astonished. “I don’t have on my riding habit or boots or
anything
!”

He laughed. “I missed that completely. I hope your pony hasn’t forgotten how to trot while I was gone.”

Aggie grinned, showing a missing tooth. “I will ride
fast
!”

“Only if one of your sisters is leading.”

“
And,
” Dougal added with a severe look, “you won’t attempt a hedge.”

Hugh frowned at his youngest daughter. “When did you attempt to jump a hedge?”

Aggie smiled sweetly. “I
might
have tried it when you were away.”

“The next time you try something like that without proper instruction, it will be a month before you’re allowed to ride again. You could break your neck doing such a foolish thing.”

Aggie’s smile dimmed. “Yes, Papa.”

“Good girl. Now, I’m going to the stables. Change your clothes and meet me there. I need to ride through the herds, and you three may help me.”

They came to him for a hug. Hugh gathered them to him, breathing in their sweet scent of soap, soaking in their presence.

Something tight inside of him released a little. His heart ached with the sudden infusion of warmth, and he couldn’t imagine loving them more.

Dougal looked away, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

Finally, Hugh cleared his throat and kissed each of his daughters on her forehead. “Hurry and change.”

“Yes, Papa.” Christina took Aggie’s hand and, with Devon trailing, left the sitting room.

As soon as the door closed, Dougal said, “They love you very much.”

And he loved them. His life was divided into two parts; the time before the girls came to him and the time after. He barely remembered the time before. He’d enjoyed life, and always had. But now, when he awoke in the morning, it wasn’t with the fuzzy uncertainty of whose bed he might be, but with a sense of peace and warmth and the knowledge that three very special smiles would be waiting on him over the breakfast table.

Those smiles made his day worthwhile.

Of course, in the beginning, it had been difficult for them all. It had taken time to get used to one another, to find the love that had gradually developed. The girls hadn’t been willing to trust him at first, and he hadn’t realized how special they would become. Over the past year, though, they’d carefully crafted their small family and he prized it above all else. He looked at Dougal and said simply, “They are my life.”

“That’s good…to a point.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Hugh, you can’t protect them from every little change life is going to throw their way.”

“I can try.”

“Then you’ll fail.” Dougal leaned forward, his expression earnest. “You must be careful what you promise the girls. They count on you. You can’t protect them from everything, nor can you promise that nothing will change now that Caitriona has arrived. You’re married; things are bound to change. That’s just natural.”

Hugh shook his head. “I will not allow anyone to set the household on its ear. The children need constancy. They’ve had so little.”

“I hope your wife agrees to that.”

“If she doesn’t, then I will train her.” He flicked a smile at Dougal. “Just as I would one of my prize horses. I will calmly state my wishes, and if she shies, I will firmly hold her in place. Soon she will understand who is in charge.”

Dougal shifted uneasily. Last night, with the haze of surprise and port, his advice had seemed masterful. In the bright light of day, he wasn’t so sure it could be called masterful. He wasn’t even sure he would call it advice anymore, but rather a mistake. “Hugh, I don’t remember exactly what I said last night, but you can’t train a wife like a horse.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not done! And because it’s wrong somehow, and…”

“Why is it wrong?”

Dougal wished with all his heart that Sophia were here to answer Hugh’s questions. “I should have found a better way to explain myself. If she finds out—”

“Dougal, I’m not a fool; I won’t tell her that’s what I’m doing.”

“She won’t like being told what to do.”

“Caitriona and I barely know each other, so I’m sure we’ll get upset with one another over many things. But she’ll be leaving soon.” He shrugged.

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“It will for me.” He’d make sure it did. Hugh remembered her sweetness this morning, and the way she’d put herself at risk to save her sister. Caitriona was nothing like the girls’ mother; Clarissa was a cold, selfish creature.

Dougal rubbed his forehead. “I wish I’d never mentioned horses. Damn your port! My head still aches and I only had two glasses. Hugh…”

Dougal frowned as if searching for words, which surprised Hugh. His younger brother was known for his verbal deftness, if nothing else.

“Hugh, what if Caitriona is something more than you realize? What if she’s
meant
to be in your and the girls’ life?”

“Nonsense. We were perfectly fine before she arrived. Christina rarely has night terrors anymore, and Aggie has stopped wetting the bed. Devon isn’t as thin, either. They are all healing.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Caitriona might be good for the lot of you.”

Hugh stood, suddenly restless, and strode to the window. The winter sunlight warmed the grass on which horses grazed contentedly, and glinted off the deep brook that wandered through the rolling hills.

The sight soothed him, as it always did. Everything was as it should be, and he would not give that up.
Ever.
When he thought back to the dark terrors of a year ago—He closed his eyes.
Dougal doesn’t understand because he doesn’t know the entire truth. Perhaps it’s time I told him.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to his brother. “Have the girls ever talked to you about their lives before they came here?”

Dougal shook his head.

“Clarissa dragged them through places no child should see, and left them for days at a time in tiny, rented hovels with little or nothing to eat. They went without heat in the cold, and without water in sweltering summers. She took them from dirty rooming houses to crumbling, moldy palaces to decrepit country estates, among people no child should associate with. Depending on whomever Clarissa was whoring herself out to at the time, they were shunned, hidden, or put on display like ponies.”

Dougal’s expression grew grim.

“They were in danger constantly, rarely had enough food, and were reduced to the lowest form of subsistence.” Hugh ground his teeth. “I treat my horses better than Clarissa treated those girls.”

Dougal nodded mutely.

“When they first arrived, Devon would hoard food beneath her bed. She still does, though less each month. Christina could neither read nor write, and the smallest quick movement made her jump as if she expected to be struck. I don’t think Aggie had ever had a bath, for she screamed bloody murder when Mrs. Wallis and the upstairs maid put her in a tub. They were thin, scarred, and bruised from head to toe.” The lines about Hugh’s mouth were white. “When they came here, I promised them that their days of uncertainty were over. We have adhered to a very simple schedule, a simple life, and they have blossomed.”

Dougal’s expression softened. “They love it here, and they love you. But I still feel that Caitriona might add something.”

“I provide everything the girls need.”

“Except a mother. They need a woman in their lives,” Dougal said gently. “All girls do. Hell, all men do, too.”

Hugh’s jaw tightened. “They had a mother and she brought nothing but pain. My children come first, and always will.” Outside, a carriage pulled up to the front door. “There is Caitriona now. She went to town after breakfast with Mrs. Wallis to purchase a few things.”

Dougal sighed heavily. He’d known the girls had come from a bad life, but he’d never known the details. But then, that was Hugh; he’d always played things close to the vest. In public he was pleasant and jovial, but he never allowed anyone truly close to him. Until the girls had arrived—then things had changed.