“Dear me.” He gave an embarrassed sort of cough and tapped his pipe into the ashtray. “And I suppose I can’t expect you to travel by a slow train to Edinburgh, and the overnight Pullman into Glasgow won’t work then?”

“I can’t make an easy connection from Glasgow, nor expect our chauffeur to meet me there,” I said.

“Very well, it had better be tomorrow then. I’ll have my girl book your seat. And I can’t urge you strongly enough to talk to nobody in the meantime.”

“I presume you want me to telephone my brother to let him know I’m coming?” I said.

“Don’t worry, that’s been taken care of,” he said.

I felt myself flushing red again, wondering just what had been said. Would it be clear to all that I had been sent home in disgrace like a naughty schoolgirl? Sir William rose to his feet. “Very well, you’d better get going. Don’t answer the telephone whatever you do, and if you can draw the blinds and make the house appear to be unoccupied, so much the better. My man will call for you in the morning.”

Annoyance was gradually overtaking fear. This man was ordering me around as if he was my superior in the army.

“And if I choose not to go?” I demanded.

“I should have no alternative but to bring the matter to the attention of Their Majesties. I should hope you’d wish to spare them any embarrassment. Besides, I understand you are expected at Balmoral in the near future anyway. You are merely putting forward your arrival by a few days. Simple as that. Off you go then. Enjoy the grouse shooting, you lucky devil. Wish I could be up there instead of stuck behind this desk.”

And he gave me a hearty laugh, playing the benevolent uncle now that I was following his wishes. I nodded coldly and left the room with as much dignity as I could muster.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rannoch House
Still August 16