Compared to London and other cities across Europe, life in the Scottish Borders progressed at a crawl. Elise had no idea how she would survive the ensuing weeks without the excitement of her job to ease the boredom.

After placing her napkin on her lap, she stirred her tea. For the next few weeks, she had every intention of sticking to a strict exercise routine. It was imperative that she pass her tests when she came off medical leave. Six weeks—that’s all she had. It was going to be tight.

Elise glanced at her watch, then eyed the window seat with longing. If Sammy hadn’t been due in a half hour, she was more than a wee bit tempted to toss her plans sky high and curl up on the cushion like a contented cat and doze away her morning.

She scooped up a bite of yogurt. A clatter came from the corridor. Elise paused, her spoon lifted halfway to her lips as her mother, Lady Roxbury, a short, impeccably groomed woman with a sweet countenance, entered with a hint of Chanel floating in her wake.

Her mother’s soft blue eyes lit when they landed on Elise. “Oh, darling, I’m so glad to see you up. I wanted a word with you before your father and I leave for London.” She came around the table and kissed Elise’s cheek. “I’m dreadfully sorry to abandon you just after you’ve arrived. We’ll have a cozy chat when Daddy and I get back, shall we?”

Elise tensed. “Cozy chat” was Mother’s code word for one of her infamous matchmaking schemes.

“I’d really rather not.” Elise pushed her bowl of yogurt away, suddenly not hungry.

“You aren’t getting any younger, Elise. You really ought to consider settling down and starting a family of your own.”

The shaft struck home, much deeper than her mother could have intended. Elise’s eyes stung, and she inhaled shakily, her hands fisting in her lap. Just this morning, before she had come downstairs, Elise had scheduled an appointment with a famed London specialist, in the hope her agency doctor had gotten it all wrong.

Unaware of the lethal blow she had delivered, her mother turned to the sideboard and helped herself to a bowl of porridge before she took her seat across the table from Elise.

“I’ve taken the liberty of calling Lady Amelia. She thinks Debenham might do. He’s sporty like you and . . .”

Elise ground her molars and kept her eyes on her plate. Mother meant well, but she liked to see everyone in couples, perpetuating more dysfunctional families the world over. Normally, her mother’s constant pairings simply annoyed Elise, but after her weekend at Jack’s, her arms ached for a child of her own.