“Wylcome home, Lady Adelaide,” he said.
Adelaide immediately handed her firstborn over to him. As Will’s eyes settled on the hulking stranger who held him, Mary gripped the door of the carriage. Any moment now she expected the infant to be registering his protest. Instead, he softly gurgled and wrapped his hand as best as he could around one of the man’s thick fingers.
“So, this is William. He is a fine bairn. He is as hairy as a wild mountain boar!”
Mary laughed, but her mirth quickly died when the man mountain caught her eye. With Will still safely held in the crook of his arm, he reached out a hand to her. A blushing Mary took it and stepped down into the castle courtyard.
A murmur rippled through the other castle servants who had gathered over the past minute or so. Mary caught a whispered, “Who is that?”
It only took a sideways glance from him in the direction of the gathered servants, and they all fell silent.
“Wylcome to Strathmore Castle,” he said.
Hugh hurried to Mary’s side. “Master Crowdie, may I present my guest, Miss Mary Gray of Cambridge.”
Having never met many lords or ladies, Mary was not completely au fait with the rules of noble society, but she knew enough to understand that if Hugh was addressing Master Crowdie in such a manner, then he must be an important man.
“Mary, Master Crowdie is the steward of Strathmore Castle. Nothing happens within the walls of the castle and the village without his say so,” explained Hugh.
“Really? And here was I thinking I was in charge.” A tall fair-haired man stepped up to Hugh and slapped him hard on the back.
Hugh embraced the interloper. “Brother.”
Ewan Radley, Duke of Strathmore, was dressed exactly how Mary had imagined a Scottish lord would be, right down to the tartan kilt and thick black coat. She recognized the black, gray, and blue of the Strathmore plaid from the scarf which Hugh regularly wore.
“And you brought a surprise for me—excellent,” said Ewan.
Mary dipped into her best curtsey as the duke caught her gaze. Her left knee wavered as she rose, and Ewan stepped forward to stop her from toppling over. He held her gaze as well as her arm, and she immediately noticed the similarity between him and Hugh. There was no mistaking that they were brothers.
“Your grace,” she said.
“So, you are Miss Gray. I have heard a lot about you over the past few years. May I offer my condolences on the passing of your father.”
She accepted his kind words with a smile. “Thank you.”
Ewan then looked to Adelaide. “Unless you have a duke and duchess hidden in your luggage, I take it that Anne and Mowbray will not be joining us for Christmas?”
Adelaide shook her head. “Don’t get me started on the pair of them. With their constant rows, I am glad that Mowbray threw a tantrum and refused to come. I am certain I would have murdered the pair of them within an hour of us leaving London if they had graced us with their company.”
Hugh offered Mary his arm and the travel party followed Ewan over to the steps of the keep. Assembled on the steps was a trio of women. All three wore Strathmore tartan sashes over blue woolen gowns.
The youngest of the women, who Mary guessed was Caroline, the Duchess of Strathmore, was holding a wriggling toddler in her arms. As the arrivals approached, she handed the child over to a nursemaid and headed down the stairs. She greeted her family members with hugs and kisses before fussing over baby Will who had been safely retrieved by his father.
“It is so good to see you all. I hope the journey north wasn’t too taxing on you,” she said. Her eyes were fixed on Will as she spoke the words.
“He slept most of the way, for which I am eternally grateful,” replied Adelaide.
“Wait until he is a toddler. David has almost inexhaustible energy,” replied Caroline.
When Caroline turned to Hugh, he stepped forward with Mary. At that moment, the other women made their way down to them.
“Your graces, Lady Maude, may I present Miss Mary Gray of Cambridge. Mary is joining us for Christmas and Hogmanay,” he said.
The matching smiles which appeared on their faces had Mary suddenly feeling like she was the cream and they were a pounce of cats.
“Mary. A pleasure to meet you. I am Caroline, Duchess of Strathmore. This is Lady Alison, the Dowager Duchess of Strathmore, and Lady Maude, her sister-in-law.”
Mary looked down at Caroline’s offered hand. She had never met a duchess before, let alone two. She dipped into another deep curtesy, holding tightly onto Hugh’s hand, and prayed that her legs would not fail her this time.
“Hugh, you made it,” said Lady Alison.
Hugh placed a dutiful kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Mama.”
She snorted. “A whole year away from home and all I get is a peck on the cheek. Unhand your lady friend and give your mother a proper greeting.”
Mary caught the blush on Hugh’s cheeks as he released her hand and embraced his mother. Lady Maude then stepped up for her hug, followed by Caroline. If he had thought he was going to make an understated return home, the womenfolk of the castle clearly had other ideas.
Her own soft chortle ended as soon as she saw Lady Alison’s arms held out in greeting to her. “Come now. If you are a friend of my son, you shall also be greeted properly.”
With no choice but to accept the welcome hugs from Hugh’s female relatives, Mary submitted. Lady Alison’s embrace was a little longer than the others, and the smile which sat on the dowager duchess’s face when they finally parted was enough to give Mary pause.
Her unwed son had brought a young woman home for Christmas, and Lady Alison had drawn an obvious conclusion.
As Mary took Hugh’s offered arm once more, and they followed the rest of the Radley
