Chapter 9 #2
Struan vowed that moment that he’d do everything he could to give Elspeth the happiest life he could manage. Even if he’d acquired her in an underhanded way, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to treat her like a princess. She deserved that.
He reached forward, touching her shoulder as lightly as he could. “Elspeth?”
“Hmmm?”
There was something alluring in that one murmured sound, that sleepy, lazy hum.
She stretched, arching her back and causing the fabric of her bodice to tighten across her chest. Her eyelids opened with a flutter, blue eyes half-lidded. And that pose was ten times as alluring.
You’re not getting near that body anytime soon, he reminded himself.
“You wanted to see the house when it came into view,” Struan said, trying to repress the most basic male response to anything even vaguely sensual.
“Oh! Yes, I do!” Elspeth leaned to the window, which meant that he now had her practically in his lap, which was not a terrible thing in itself. Not at all. She had put something in her hair that made it shine, and she—amazingly, considering the journey—still smelled like flowers and afternoon sun.
“There is Linneliath.” He pointed. He had always loved his home, which stood on a long ridgeline of the moor.
It was a rather haphazard house, because it was like looking into the past. The oldest part of the house, clearly medieval, was originally a small fortress to protect the inhabitants from attacks.
It had been added onto throughout the years, following the broad top of the ridgeline.
Tudor, then more modern additions every few generations.
As the sections of the house were built, one could see the progression of the architects’ skill, and the effects of improvements in things like window glass.
For instance, the old narrow windows of the medieval part sometimes had no glass at all, while the newer section boasted large windows containing panes of clear, unrippled glass.
“Oh, I love it! It’s so interesting!” Elspeth said. “Where is your favorite part of the house? And we will sleep where? Is any of it haunted? I hope so. I’ve never met a ghost, but I should like to, if they’re civilized,” she added with a laugh.
“If it’s haunted, I’ve never seen evidence of it,” Struan said. “As for where you’ll sleep and spend your time? That I will wait to show you until we arrive. It’s easier to show than to tell.”
He was flustered by her simple phrasing of where we will sleep, and it reminded him of the gravity of his decision to marry her.
At some point, they would be sleeping together, if only for a short while, Struan not deluding himself into thinking that she’d want more than what was expected for her to offer.
He had avoided the question on the journey up, which hadn’t been too difficult thanks to the natural discomfort of travel.
Now, however, Elspeth looked just as excited as she had starting out the journey. She sat in her seat again, which was good, since having her backside more or less in his face was incredibly distracting.
She beamed at him. “I can’t wait to walk into your home. Our home. It will be so different from the house I grew up in, and I can only imagine how grand and romantic it must be.”
“You may be disappointed. It’s not fashionable in the way that a lot of the townhomes in Edinburgh are fashionable. You’ll probably find it out-of-date and gloomy.”
“Out-of-date and gloomy are not insurmountable problems. I do hope your housekeeper stocks a large supply of vinegar.”
“Housekeeper,” he echoed. Oh, no.
There was a problem approaching that, while also not insurmountable, did give Struan pause.
He had written a few weeks previously from Edinburgh to inform the household that he would be returning by the end of the month and planned to stay indefinitely.
This missive would be taken in the spirit it was meant: he had no wish to surprise the household, but also expected that everything would be in place when he arrived.
The household, from the butler on down to the youngest stable lad, would understand that there was no trick involved but that competence was assumed, and anything less would not be tolerated, especially given the timely alert.
However, when Struan had sent word, he had absolutely no notion that he would be bringing along anybody else, let alone a wife.
The sudden arrival of a new and unknown mistress would send the household into a tumult.
What would the housekeeper and the maids think?
How would they handle the sudden appearance of the lady who would have power over their livelihoods and lives from this point on?
Struan was now going to present to the household a woman who not only they had never seen, but who they had never even dreamed of existing.
It was unfair, perhaps not in a technical sense, for Struan was the absolute master of his house and could do as he liked.
But it would be an unpleasant shock to announce one thing and carry out another. He hoped they wouldn’t react too badly.
The carriage pulled up to the house just as the sun was setting.
The servants were already standing assembled and waiting, because the carriage had been sighted at least five minutes previously.
Therefore, Struan was able to catch the astonishment in many of the expressions when he helped Elspeth step out of the carriage.
The butler’s eyes had widened to almost comical proportions, but fortunately the housekeeper, Mrs Negus, was more than equal to the occasion.
She stepped forward and gave a little curtsey to Struan.
“Welcome home, sir. We have done our best to make the house ready for your return and hope you will find it satisfactory.” She looked sidelong at Elspeth, so Struan picked up his cue.
He said, “This is my wife, Elspeth McGregor. We married in Edinburgh, just before our journey. I realize this is a surprise, but there was no time to send word ahead.”
Elspeth took a step forward. “I’m happy to see Linneliath at last, and I can already tell that the home and all the grounds are exceedingly well cared for.
I look forward to exploring everything.” Elspeth smiled after she said this, of course, because Elspeth smiled practically as often as she breathed.
And her beaming countenance had the usual effect, at least as far as Struan could tell, because everyone straightened up a little, gave minuscule nods, or a discreet smile back—that being the limit of expression a well-trained servant would permit themself in such a moment.
But that was enough for Struan to realize that Elspeth would have all of these people eating out of her hand within days.
Whatever concerns he had about the state of the house, at least he did not have any concerns about the household.
Elspeth’s natural charm of manner was almost magical in its ability to turn potential adversaries into allies.
Feeling both hopeful and slightly terrified of the changes ahead, Struan offered her his arm. “Welcome home, Ellie.”
Elspeth curled her hand into the crook of his elbow, and her smile seemed like it would crack the cloudy sky wide open.