The next turning, away from the worst of the deprivation and what she belatedly realised must have been the rookery known as Devil’s Acre, surprised her again, for the alley opened out onto a church square, and she could once again see the warehouses and wharves of the river. The houses here were terraced, small but built with something resembling a plan. On the other side of the square, the shouts and screams were of children at play in a yard in front of what she surmised was a school.

“Here we are,” Lochiel said, indicating one of the tiny cottages.

“Would you mind terribly if I saw Mr. Scott on my own?” Margaret asked impulsively. “I know Mama would say it is improper, but . . .”

“I think we’ve gone well beyond the bounds of propriety already, don’t you?” Lochiel touched her arm. “I’ll wait here for you. Take as long as you need.”

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FORBEARANCE. I didn’t mean to be so long, but Mr. Scott’s wife insisted I take tea, and I had so many questions, and . . .”

Lochiel shook his head. “I can tell from the smile on your face that it went well.”

“I feel so much better.” Margaret beamed. “I know you made things right with him, but it has been weighing on my mind, how much I owe him. It mattered a great deal to be able to thank him in person. And now I owe you for helping me to do so. I am extremely grateful.”

Without thinking, she put her hand on his arm, but he didn’t seem to mind at all, pressing her fingers and smiling down at her. “Was he able to enlighten you regarding the displaced tenants?”

“Why, yes, and it was shocking to hear. It seems that no provision was made for them at all. How could that have been permitted?”

“The demand for new roads and railways is insatiable. Even your father could not prevent the building of the new embankment in front of Montagu House. He was heavily criticised in the press for putting his personal wishes before public need.”

“Ha! Then I am not after all the first member of our family to bring the Buccleuch name into disrepute!”

“To be fair, the duke later claimed that his position had been misunderstood.”

“My position has been misunderstood,” Margaret said indignantly. “However,” she continued, taking a deep breath, “that is in the past. I must remember that my father knows best. What have I said to make you smile?”

“You said it as if you were swallowing a particularly unpalatable spoonful of medicine. Your determination to be a dutiful daughter is laudable.”