“The rope was not old,” Siegfried said. “Prince George brought it over himself from Balmoral. We laid it out to measure it and it was in fine form. Nothing wrong with it.”

“Obviously something was wrong with it or it wouldn’t have broken,” I said.

Then I noticed Hugo’s face. It had a strange, wary look to it. What was he doing up here in the first place? Or Lachan, for that matter? This was rather out of the way for a good haggis hunt, surely, and I thought I remembered someone saying that Hugo had gone down to be with his friends on the loch.

Lachan himself appeared at that moment. “Och, she’s awake and talking. That is good news. Well, let’s carry you back to the castle, wee Georgie, and get some brandy down you for shock. Your Highness, why don’t you run on ahead and tell them we’re coming so that they can have a bed with a hot water bottle ready.”

“Very well,” Siegfried said. “If you are sure the two of you can carry her between you.”

“Between us?” Lachan laughed. “Why, she weighs no more than a feather.” Then he swept me up into his arms.

“I’ll bring the rest of their equipment, then,” Hugo said.

Lachan strode down the steep path as if I weighed nothing at all.

I was beginning to recover. “So what happened to your haggis hunt, then?” I asked. “Surely you didn’t bring them up here to do their hunting?”

He grinned. “It was canceled. They made the mistake of telling one of the groundsmen about it and he laughed himself silly. Now they’re right put out about our little joke.”

“I thought it was rather a good joke, personally,” I said.

“So did I, but your brother has given Murdoch and me a stern warning. No more silly tricks or we’re on our way home.”

“Have you played any other silly tricks, then?” I asked.

“What? Oh no. Nothing at all.” I was sure from his face that he was lying. Had he confessed to Binky that he was responsible for setting the trap? Surely he wasn’t the White Lady. Nobody could have mistaken anything as large, red and obviously male for a ghostly woman.

As we approached the castle, servants ran out to meet us. Siegfried must have embellished the story or told it with great drama because they were looking terrified.

“Oh, my lady, thank goodness you’re safe,” Hamilton said. “And thank you, Mr. Lachan, for saving her for us. Your room is ready, my lady, and I’ve taken the liberty of having some hot tea and brandy sent up.”