“Persuade him, Mummy. I know you can if you try. It would be a perfect solution for both of you. You wouldn’t have to look around for suitable servants and have people in the house you didn’t know. He’d benefit from fresh air and country living. London in winter is so bad for his chest.”

“It would make things awfully simple, wouldn’t it? And give me more time for shopping. I’d have to put it to him in the right way, so that he felt he was being invited and not as a servant.”

“You could suggest that Mrs. Huggins come and cook for you and naturally she wouldn’t want to travel alone so you suggest that you pay his way to accompany her. You know what he’s like. He hates not being busy, so he’d be bringing in the firewood and that sort of thing without being asked. And then you hire a local girl to clean, and bob’s your uncle, as he would say.”

My mother laughed that wonderful bell-like laugh that had enthralled theatergoers for years. “You’re becoming as devious as I am, darling. All right. I’ll do it. And by the way, guess who I saw going into the Café Royal this evening? None other than the delicious Darcy.”

“Darcy? But I thought he was in Argentina.”

“Not any longer, obviously. I’m sure it was he. Nobody else has those roguish black curls—so very sexy.”

I wanted to ask if he was alone, but I couldn’t make myself. “Then I expect I’ll be hearing from him in due course,” I said, trying to sound breezy and unconcerned, “although he won’t come up to Scotland, I’m sure. Fig is so jolly rude to him.”

“Then escape to London and meet him in a hotel, darling. You’d have a blissful time.”

“Mummy, you’re not supposed to suggest things like that to your unmarried daughter. Besides, think what the royals would say if they got word of it.”

“Oh, bugger the royals,” Mummy said. “It’s time you stopped trying to please other people and started living for yourself. I always have.”

* * *

IT WAS ONLY when I climbed into bed and curled into a tight ball in an attempt to bring back life to my frozen feet that I realized what I had done. I had condemned myself to spending Christmas with Fig and her family.

Chapter 4

STILL CASTLE RANNOCH

DECEMBER 15

Stopped snowing, at least for a while.

I was awoken in the morning by loud bumping noises and muttered curses. Queenie appeared and instead of bringing in my morning tea she was dragging my trunk.

“Here you are, miss,” she said. “Your trunk like you wanted. I hope I got the right one. It does have your name on it.”

I sat up, my breath coming out as steam in the freezing cold of the room. “Yes, it’s the right one, Queenie, but I’m afraid I won’t be going anywhere after all.”