“What are you trying to say?” Daisy snatched her hand from Rose’s. “That he’s just a flirt? That he isn’t coming for me?” Though her words held a note of irritation, inwardly her stomach clenched. In her less confident moments, she’d faced the same worry. Her heart squeezed in her chest. Why hadn’t he written to her directly? Why had he taken so long?
Rose winced. “It’s possible he doesn’t even know you’re related to Colin. He didn’t mention you in any of their correspondence.”
Daisy’s stomach flopped about. He hadn’t mentioned her once? “That can’t be. The night we met, he told me of how he’d longed to meet a woman like me. He—” She clenched her fists. “We’ll find out soon enough.” Even if he wasn’t coming for her, she was certain all the old feelings would return once they saw each other again.
Rose gave a tentative nod. “Would you really want to marry an Englishman at this point?”
“We’re English, you know?” Daisy fired back, linking her arm through her sister’s.
“Yes, but we live in Scotland, we’ve built a life here. Lily and I have married lairds. And if you left…” Rose bit her lip. “I’d hoped you stay.”
Daisy stopped to look at her sister. “Even if I live in England, I’ll love you just the same.”
“I’ll love you too,” Rose answered. “But try to look at Lord Price with the fresh eyes of your twenty-year-old self. The one that has suffered and risen above. You’re a stronger woman now.”
Daisy shook her head in denial, but Rose’s words did soften Daisy’s irritation and her voice was gentle as she replied, “Thank you. While I appreciate your words, try to understand. When I met Lord Price…it was simply love at first sight.”
Rose frowned. “Daisy, you’re making too much of this. You’ve been in love with at least three men since we’ve arrived in Scotland.” With that, her sister crossed the entry and opened the door, gesturing for Daisy to step outside.
Daisy huffed a breath as she walked through the entrance. Her sisters were always giving her a difficult time about how quickly she developed feelings for a man. They claimed she was prone to infatuation. “I have not.”
Colin stood on the drive ready to greet their guests, standing strategically between two puddles as he waited for the men to arrive. The storm that had blown through the night before had left the ground soggy and wet and delaying the arrival of the men. “You have too. You fall instantly in love with a man from the first dance. You come home swearing you’ll marry him and by the third meeting, you’ve lost interest. Either because he’s misspoken, or because of his table manners, or perhaps—”
“If you’re discussing Laird Sampson, the man went an entire meal with spinach all in his teeth. How can a woman overlook that?” Quietly, she’d been contemplating kissing him but not with his teeth looking like that. Her stomach churned at the memory.
“Is it possible that you just didn’t have a chance to see Lord Price make a mistake so you never had an opportunity to get over a simple crush?” Rose squeezed her sister’s arm, her voice calm and neutral.
Daisy winced. She hated to admit that there were some shreds of truth to Rose’s words. “Well, I’ll have the chance to find out. Won’t I? And in the meantime, I’m ready to meet the man who might just be my one true love.”
“You certainly are.” Rose pulled her sister a touch closer. “You look stunning.”
Daisy drew in a deep breath. Despite Rose’s words of caution, she felt that this meeting was completely significant. Something wonderful was about to happen.
* * *
Laird Blake Abbott kicked his horse into a trot as a large manor house came into view. Colin MacFarland, the ship’s captain-turned-laird was the perfect man to help him. After his father’s passing, he’d inherited the title, the land, and all the responsibility that came with both. And, despite what his father had always thought about Blake, which had never been much, he was ready to take on the challenge.
He grimaced thinking back to his last meeting with his father. Even on the man’s deathbed, he’d been handing out advice. “Don’t get distracted, Blake. Ye ken how ye can be. More interested in fun than duty.”
Blake had held his tongue…barely. Had his father not noticed that his son had taken over the lairdship for the past several years as the elder Abbott’s health had declined? Yes, Blake had been an errant youth. But his father’s rules had been so constricting. He’d done a great many things he regretted for the simple pleasure of needling his inflexible father.
He let out a heavy sigh. That had included becoming engaged to a woman of high temper and spirit. Ailish had been like a wild horse ride. Their relationship had been passionate and breakneck and when the it had finally come to a halt, he’d been left completely spent.
And he’d learned to temper himself. A lesson his father had never acknowledged.
Several small figures came into view, standing by the front steps of the estate. Even from this distance, he could see the varied colors of their dress, alerting him that women were also in attendance. He’d expected to meet Laird MacFarland’s wife, but he groaned at the idea that her eligible sister would also be present.
He was too busy this trip, or in general for that matter, to deal with marriage-minded misses.
Picking up speed, he made his way to the manor, noting a carriage in the distance. Clearly the other members attending their discussion would be arriving as well. Good. That would make all of this run more efficiently and get him back home to his duties as quickly as possible.
Leaning out over the animal’s neck, he pushed his horse faster, eager to meet MacFarland. Blake’s primary business was raising sheep.
