Angus had been feeling reasonably cheerful, whistling to himself as he'd set about finding the perfect Scottish breakfast to bring back to Margaret. Porridge, of course, and a true Scottish scone were necessities, but Angus wanted to give her a taste of his country's delectable smoked fish as well.
George had told him that he'd have to go across the street to the fishmonger in order to get some wild salmon, and so he'd told the innkeeper that he'd be back in a few minutes for the porridge and scones, and pushed open the front door.
He hadn't even taken a step into the street when he spied it. His carriage. Sitting innocently across the street with two of his best horses hitched up to it.
Which could only mean one thing.
'Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnne!'
His sister's head poked out from around the side of the carriage. Her lips parted with horror, and he saw her mouth his name.
'Anne Greene,' he roared, 'don't you take another step!'
She froze. He barreled across the street.
'Angus Greene!' came the shout from behind him. 'Don't you take another step!'
Anne stretched out a little farther from behind the carriage, the stark terror in her eyes giving way to curiosity.
Angus turned around. Margaret was racing toward him with all the grace and delicacy of an ox. She was, as always, completely focused on a single subject. Unfortunately, this time that subject was him.
'Angus,' she said in that matter-of-fact tone of hers that made him almost think she knew what she was talking about, 'you don't want to do anything rash.'
'I wasn't planning on doing anything rash,' he said with what he would deem saintly patience. 'I was just going to strangle her.'
Anne gasped.
'He doesn't mean it,' Margaret hastened to add. 'He's been very worried about you.'
'Who are you?' Anne asked.
'I do mean it!' Angus shouted. He jabbed his finger at his sister. 'You, young lady, are in very big trouble.'
'She has to grow up sometime,' Margaret said. 'Remember what you said to me last night about Edward.'
Anne turned to her brother. 'Who is she?'
'Edward was running off to join the navy,' Angus growled, 'not following a fool's dream to London.'
'Oh, and I suppose London is worse than the navy,' Margaret scoffed. 'At least she isn't going to have her arm shot off by some Portuguese sniper. Besides, a season in London isn't a fool's dream. Not for a girl her age.'
Anne's face brightened visibly.
'Look at her,' Angus protested, waving his arm at his sister while he stared at Margaret. 'Look how beautiful she is. Every rakehell in London will be after her. I'm going to have to beat them off with a stick.'
Margaret turned to Angus's sister. Anne was quite pretty, with the same thick black hair and dark eyes that her brother possessed. But she was no one's idea of a classic beauty. No one's but Angus's.
Margaret's heart swelled. She hadn't, until that very minute, realized just how well Angus loved his sister. She laid a hand on his arm. 'Maybe it's time to let her grow up,' she said softly. 'Didn't you say you had a great-aunt in London? She won't be alone.'
'Aunt Gertrude has already written that I might stay with her,' Anne said. 'She said she would like the company. I think she might be lonely.'
Angus's chin jutted forward like an angry bull. 'Don't try to make this about Aunt Gertrude. You want to go to London because you want to go to London, not because you're worried about Gertrude.'
'Of course I want to go to London. I never said I didn't. I was merely trying to point out that my going benefits two people, not just one.'
Angus scowled at her, and she scowled back, and Margaret caught her breath at how alike the two siblings looked in that moment. Unfortunately, they also looked as if they might come to blows at any moment, so she deftly stepped between them, looked up (Anne was a good six inches taller than she was, and Angus topped her by well over a foot), and said, 'That's very sweet of you, Anne. Angus, don't you think Anne made a good point?'
'Who's side are you on?' Angus growled.
'I'm not on anybody's side. I'm just trying to be reasonable.' Margaret pulled on his forearm, drew him aside, and said in a low voice, 'Angus, this is exactly the same situation about which you counseled me last night.'
'It's not at all the same thing.'
'And why not?'
'Your brother is a man. My sister is just a girl.'
Margaret glowered at him. 'And what is that supposed to mean? Am I 'just a girl' as well?'
'Of course not. You're… you're-' He fished the air for words, and his face grew rather agitated. 'You're Margaret.'
'Why,' she drawled, 'does that sound like an insult?'
'Of course it isn't an insult,' he snapped. 'I just complimented your intelligence. You're not the same as other females. You're… you're-'
'Then I think you just insulted your sister.'
'Yes,' Anne piped up, 'you just insulted me.'
Angus whirled around. 'Don't eavesdrop.'
'Oh, please,' Anne scoffed, 'you're talking loud enough to be heard in Glasgow.'
'Angus,' Margaret said, crossing her arms, 'do you think your sister is an intelligent young woman?'
'I
'Then kindly offer her some respect and trust She isn't running blindly away. She has already contacted your aunt and has a place to stay and a chaperone who desires her presence.'
'She can't choose a husband,' he grumbled.
Margaret's eyes narrowed. 'And I suppose you could do a better job of it?'
'I'm certainly not going to allow her to marry without my approval of her choice.'
'Then go with her,' Margaret urged.
Angus let out a long breath. 'I can't. Not yet. I told her we could go next year. I can't be away from Greene House during the renovations, and then there is the new irrigation system to oversee…'
Anne looked to Margaret pleadingly. 'I don't want to wait until next year.'
Margaret looked from Greene to Greene, trying to work out a solution. It was probably rather odd that she was here, in the middle of a family squabble. After all, she hadn't even known they existed the previous morning.
But somehow this all seemed very natural, and so she turned to Angus with steady eyes and said, 'May I make a suggestion?'
He was still glaring at his sister as he said, 'Please do.'
Margaret cleared her throat, but he didn't turn around to look at her. She decided to go ahead and speak, anyway. 'Why don't you let her go to London now, and you can join her in a month or two? That way, if she's found a man she fancies, you can meet him before things grow serious. And you'll have time to finish your work at home.'
Angus frowned.
Margaret persevered. 'I know that Anne would never marry without your approval.' She turned to Anne with urgent eyes. 'Isn't that correct, Anne?'
Anne was taking a little too long to ponder the question, so Margaret elbowed her in the stomach and said again, 'Anne? Isn't that correct?'
'Of course,' Anne grunted, rubbing her midsection.
Margaret beamed. 'You see? It's a perfect solution. Angus? Anne?'
Angus rubbed a weary hand against his brow, grasping his temples as if the pressure would somehow make
