Shadows of Doubt (30 page)

“Hello, my love. Where is your sister?”

“In the sewing class.”

“Would you be so good as to get her? I would like to speak to you both.”

The little girl wrinkled her forehead in concern, but nodded and skipped off to find her sister. She returned with Catriona, who received the same welcome as her sister had.

“Hello, lass. You have grown again!”

“Am I not supposed to grow?”

“Indeed you are. Only not too fast.” He choked up as he thought of his three nephews who he would never see again, and who would never grow any older...

 
“Why are you sad, Dr. Gavin?” Maili asked.

“I found out that my brother and his family have died.”

“Like our mama and papa?” Catriona cocked her head up to look at him.

“Yes, lass. Just like that.”

Catriona and Maili crawled into his lap to comfort him. “Are you all alone like us now?”

“I am, and that is part of what I wanted to speak to you about. I have to move away, and would not be able to see you as often.”

“Please don’t leave us!” the girls cried.

“I was hoping you would come with me—and Seamus, too when he is home from school. Would you like that?”

“Would you be our new papa?” Catriona asked.

“I would adopt you, yes. But I will never try to replace your papa or mama.”

The girls threw their arms around his neck.

“That would be perfect.”

***

Lady Margaux Ashbury had decided to join a convent, but her parents had insisted she instead remove to their new orphanage north of Glasgow for a short repairing lease before doing something drastic. She had been enamoured with Scotland when she had visited Lord Vernon's estate when they were courting a few years back. Despite her less fortunate outcome, she still loved Scotland.

After Lord Vernon married his true love instead, her family had attempted to divert her with trips to London and to the Continent after Napoleon was defeated. But she had come to the realisation that she was content on her own. She had always been the most independent of her sisters, and decided that the brilliant marriages could be left in their capable hands. She certainly preferred the spinster state to marrying for convenience. She found she was content there helping with the children, though she did very little with the competent staff her family had hired.

“What are you pondering,
mon amie
?” Margaux heard her mother ask.

“Very little,
Maman
,” she remarked, as they sat darning socks for some of the children. Her parents had remained with her, hopeful to change her mind.

“We are having a guest for dinner tonight. Someone interested in contributing to the orphans.”

“
Tres bien
,” she said absent mindedly. Guests were a normal occurrence with her parents.

“You should wear the emerald satin. Bring some colour to your face,
non
?”

“If you wish,
Maman
.” Margaux cared little for what she wore these days.

“
Nous allons
.” Lady Ashbury stood and directed her daughter to do the same. “I will see you at dinner.”

Lady Margaux went through the motions of dressing. Her maid dressed her hair in a manner worthy of a ball, she noticed. She must admit she had been having a mild case of the dismals. Once she established a routine here, she would come out of it she was certain. She had never been one to sulk, but she needed to find something useful to occupy her time.

She made her way downstairs, determined to be more cheerful. If she could only convince her parents she was happy, then they would be satisfied she was content.

“Ah, there she is now, Lord Craig,” Lord Ashbury remarked.

 
“Doctor Craig?” Margaux said, stunned as she met the eyes of the handsome doctor who had been enamored of Lady Beatrice.