“I win prizes at those Highland Games. Didn’t I win us a pig last year? And a barrel of whiskey?”

“You did. But then you also went down to Aintree for the races and then to St. Andrew’s for the golf,” Lachan said with a grin.

“Well, that’s business, isn’t it?” Murdoch replied. “I have to go to Aintree to watch our racehorses.”

“While I’m stuck at home dipping the sheep.”

“Of course, I’m the elder.”

“But I’m the smarter.”

“You are not. Whatever put such an idea into your thick head?”

They had half risen to their feet. Fig looked at me nervously, suspecting this might come to blows. “Georgiana, you really should look in on your brother before he goes to sleep.”

“Of course,” I said. “Excuse me, won’t you?”

“Come back when you’re done,” Lachan said. As I went out I heard him say, “Whoever thought that wee Georgie would turn out so nicely?”

And for the first time in ages I smiled to myself.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Castle Rannoch
August 17
Now very late in the evening.

“So that’s the sum total of your house party?” I asked Fig as we started to climb the staircase to Binky’s room. “Two wild cousins? In which case it’s lucky Mrs. Simpson brought her own friends.”

“Of course that’s not the sum total,” Fig said. “We have two more young men staying here. I don’t know where they’ve disappeared to.”

“No other women?”

“It is a shooting party, after all,” Fig said. “I believe Binky did ask a couple of females but they were busy.”

I grinned to myself. It would indeed take a brave young woman to endure Castle Rannoch. “Not too many women are interested in shooting, I suppose,” I said kindly.

“I can’t see why not,” Fig said. “I absolutely adore it.”

“So who are these young men?” I asked, feeling suddenly hopeful at being the only unattached female in the group. “Anyone I know?”

“Well, you must know Prince George.”

“The king’s youngest son?” I asked. “Oh yes, I know him well enough.” As I said it I remembered a rather disreputable party at which His Highness had begged me not to mention to anyone that I’d seen him there.

“An ex-navy officer and quite handsome,” Fig went on. “A good catch for you, Georgiana.”

Again I kept quiet about the look that had passed between him and the performer Noel Coward, and the fact that I’d seen him slip into the kitchen at that party, where I later found cocaine being used. Not such a good catch, in fact. But quite pleasant, as relatives went.

“I expect the king and queen have someone of higher rank than me in mind for their son,” I said tactfully. “A European alliance at this unsettled time.”