“I did, Elinor,” Guy said, a smile in his voice as he bent to embrace his sister. She was much shorter than he and he half lifted her off her feet before kissing her warmly on both cheeks and setting her down again. “Hamish.” He held out his hand to a tall, thin gentleman standing beside Elinor. “Allow me to present my wife, Petra.” He drew Petra forward, his hand warm and reassuring around hers.

Petra smiled up at the Duke of Brandon. He didn’t appear to be in the least intimidating, except for a rather faraway look in his eyes, but his smile was warm enough as he bowed over her hand and welcomed her to his home.

At this moment a raucous tide of humanity swept out of the doors still standing open, surged across the gravel and engulfed Guy with shrieks of “Uncle Guy, Uncle Guy.”

Petra watched in astonishment as Guy seemed to disappear under the onslaught, then reappeared with children clinging to him. He held a small girl on his hip as he laughingly fielded the others.

“Enough, brats,” he exclaimed. “At least let me stand up straight.” He seemed to shake them off, like a horse shaking off flies, and they fell back in a babbling semicircle around him. “Be quiet for a moment, all of you,” he instructed in a voice that miraculously brought silence. He set the little girl on her feet. “I want you to meet your new aunt, Petra.” He reached for Petra’s hand and drew her up beside him. “For some reason at the moment I can’t remember all your names, so come up one at a time and introduce yourselves.”

“Oh, Guy,” Elinor protested softly. “Of course you can remember their names.”

Guy shook his head and crooked a finger at the tallest boy in the group. “I have a feeling you might be Adam.”

The boy who was probably around fifteen, Petra guessed, laughed and came up to her and bowed. “My name’s Adam, Lady Ashton. Welcome to Innes.”

“Thank you, Adam.” She shook hands solemnly and Adam took it upon himself to marshal his brothers and sisters and usher them forward to be introduced.

Introductions completed, the children turned their attention to Guy again, swarming over him as they went into the castle. Two massive log fires burned at either end of the cavernous hall, despite the relative warmth of the October weather. A footman came forward with a tray of filled glasses.

“Whisky, Petra, or something less powerful?” Hamish asked his sister-in-law. “It’s a customary welcome here in Innis, but we are adaptable.”