Chapter Three
Bram had no sooner walked into the Lampton Inn with Miranda two days later when a pretty girl with golden hair and an enormous smile tore down the inn’s stairs and rushed toward Miranda. “Aunt Miranda! You’re back! What an adventure you had!”
“Gwenys! How are you? I hope this ordeal did not terrify you.”
“Why would it terrify me?” she asked, appearing somewhat confused.
“I learned immediately you were in safe hands. But you really should not have slipped out of our room without waking me. What were you thinking? Going out on your own at that hour! Honestly! Well, you are back now, and I am so happy to see you.”
Bram stepped aside as the pair held their tender reunion, although he noted that Miranda winced when Gwenys hugged her. She was not yet fully recovered, having in fact broken a rib that Tilda bound for her—and it was to remain bound for the duration of their travel to London.
He had insisted Miranda rest an extra day at Lanark Castle, and had sent one of his trusted men to convey the message to Douglas and Miranda’s niece. Of course, Douglas was already there looking after Gwenys and assuring her that no harm would come to her while on her own in Edinburgh.
In truth, Gwenys did not appear to be particularly distraught.
He was glad of it, for Miranda had been fretting the entire time. Tilda had struggled to keep her in bed because Miranda was so worried her niece would fall apart without her that she wanted to return to the inn as soon as possible.
She was a terrible patient.
Bram had brought her to Edinburgh sooner than she ought to have been allowed to travel.
Perhaps now that she had seen Gwenys so bright and bubbly, this would convince Miranda to behave like a proper patient and rest in their comfortable lodgings for the next few days.
She had already admitted to him that she had no pressing need to reach London.
Douglas approached him as the ladies were still hugging and crying over each other. He drew Bram aside and gave a light, laughing shake of his head. “Ye’re no’ going to believe this, Bram.”
“What?” Bram asked with a wry arch of his eyebrow.
“The lass, Gwenys, did no’ even know her aunt was missing.”
“Truly?” Bram ran a hand through his hair. “Are ye serious?”
“No lie, upon my honor. Apparently Gwenys was sound asleep and had just woken up when I arrived at the inn. She was completely unaware and merely assumed her aunt had gone downstairs to the inn’s dining room for a cup of tea.”
Bram released a breath in relief. “Thank goodness. I would have felt terrible had she found herself alone and been deathly afraid.”
Douglas nodded. “Och, aye. The two are very close. Gwenys adores her aunt. But I managed to speak to Gwenys about the situation and assured her that her aunt was safe and receiving the best care. I further assured her that she would be reunited with her aunt within a matter of days. While waiting for ye to arrive, I spent some time introducing her to several high-ranking members of Scottish Society who put her concerns to rest about my honor and, more importantly, yers.”
“Well done, lad. Miranda mentioned that she and Gwenys were acquainted with some of our kinsmen in London. Apparently our Lanark cousins from the borderlands knew how to behave like proper English gentlemen.”
“Well, those border towns,” Douglas said with a snort, referring to the area around Coldstream in particular where several Lanark relations had settled, “have been kicked back and forth so many times, is it any wonder those cousins of ours succumbed to the Sassenach ways? But that explains why Gwenys was so quick to trust me. I expect this was also the reason she did no’ insist upon contacting the magistrate. ”
“Then he hasn’t been contacted yet?” Bram asked, somewhat surprised.
“No. She asked for my guidance on to what to do. Of course, I told her to do nothing for the moment because her aunt was safely under yer protection, treated like a queen, and would be reunited with her in a day or two.”
“And she never doubted yer word?” He wished Miranda had shown the same faith in him. Unfortunately, he sensed she had a big distrust-all-men chip on her shoulder and never would shed her sense of wariness.
“It took remarkably little convincing,” Douglas continued.
“It did help that the innkeeper also spoke highly of us. I didna give him any of the details out of concern for Lady Miranda’s reputation.
However, I did make up a fabrication about Lady Miranda needing to rush off to visit a sick friend and asking for our assistance in the care of Gwenys. ”
“And he bought it?”
Douglas shrugged. “Even if he did no’, he was no’ going to dare cross ye and say anything to the contrary.”
“I suppose,” Bram muttered. “Let’s hope he accepts the explanation and keeps his mouth shut. Miranda is blameless, and I would no’ like to see her good name tarnished through no fault of her own.”
“The incident will quietly blow over now that she’s back. Gwenys knew the excuse I gave the innkeeper was nonsense but had the good sense to hold her tongue. I told her what really happened because I thought it best to be completely honest with her.”
“Ye were right to do so. She must have been furious.”
“Aye, she was for a short while because there’s no denying what Mongo did was outrageous and inexcusable.
Fortunately, the lass has a forgiving nature.
She did no’ blame ye at all. In fact, she’ll likely express her gratitude to ye for delivering her aunt safely back to the inn.
I think she is inclined to show Mongo some mercy, too. But that is no’ her decision to make.”
“Aye, that choice is Miranda’s,” Bram agreed.
“Gwenys was more concerned that Miranda had gone out to investigate in the dark of night all on her own. She’s worried that her aunt has become too reliant on herself and too quick to dismiss help from others.”
“I saw that myself,” Bram said.
“For the most part, I was able to distract Gwenys by taking her around to points of interest in Edinburgh these last few days. We had tea at the Thistle Hotel. Went to a play. I gave her a private tour of Edinburgh Castle.” Douglas paused to grin.
“It helps to have lofty connections there. Then we went shopping.”
“Och, ye kept her too busy to think about how badly it could all have turned out. That is a relief.” Bram smiled at his capable heir, who was once again proving his worth.
“It was also a pleasure,” the lad admitted. “She’s a lovely girl. Very sweet. A little too trusting, perhaps. But I suppose that is better than being cynical and wary. She has a charming way about her that puts even the grumpiest of souls in good humor.”
“Ye like her?”
“More than is wise, I think.” Douglas raked a hand through his hair as he nodded.
“But I wasn’t so foolish as to say anything to her.
After all, my dolt of a brother did a very bad thing in abducting Lady Miranda.
I dinna think our family will ever be forgiven by these Lawson ladies.
I sense Gwenys’s aunt is no’ going to be nearly as obliging as her niece. ”
“Unfortunately, true,” Bram replied. “I dinna know what Miranda will insist upon doing now that she has been returned. I will no’ stop her from seeking out the magistrate, if that is her intention.
Mongo tossed a bag over her head and might have suffocated her.
She cracked a rib because he carried her over his horse like a sack of grain, and then rode for hours, never once giving thought to her comfort or care. ”
Douglas winced. “I had no idea, Bram. Och, this is bad.”
“I know. While I’ll step in to keep him from hanging or serving too much time in prison, I canno’ protect him from this.
Being drunk and well intentioned is no excuse.
He’s yer brother, and I hope ye will no’ be too angry with me for having him face the consequences.
But he is no child and ought to have known better. ”
“I agree. I canno’ tell ye how angry I am with him. He never thinks, and our mother makes it worse by treating him like an infant and always making excuses for him. What did Ma say about yer intentions?”
“I didna tell her. I was afraid she would lash out at Miranda if she knew I was no’ going to stop her from reporting this incident to the magistrate.”
“Is this what Miranda will do?”
“Aye, unfortunately, I believe so.”
Douglas cast him a grim look. “So be it. She has every right, being as she is the aggrieved party.”
While Gwenys, Douglas, and Miranda settled in the dining room for breakfast, Bram drew aside the innkeeper and requested a room for himself. “I’ll be escorting the ladies to London,” he told the man. “I’ll leave when they do. In the meanwhile, give me yer finest room available.”
“At once, Yer Grace. That will be the Royal Suite.”
No doubt costing him a fortune, Bram figured. “Fine, that will do.”
Miranda already thought the worst of him. He would not have her think of him as a miser, too.
He ordered Douglas’s belongings moved into the suite, too.
No sense paying for two rooms when that Royal Suite could easily accommodate a small army.
Having made his arrangements, he joined the threesome at the dining table.
They had already served themselves and were about to dig into the savory meals piled on their plates.
After ordering coffee for himself, he strode to the salvers that were elegantly spread across a long table against the hearth wall and served himself sausages, kippers, eggs, and oatmeal. There was a basket of freshly baked scones on the table, too. He grabbed three of those.
His plate was piled high, for he was famished.