the day away from picklin’ yer liver, Silver left.”
“What?” He jerked up from the pillows, spilling several drops of the foul mixture onto his hand.
“Ye heard me. Now drink up before ye make a bigger mess.”
Daniel shook his head and grimaced as pain tore through his temples. “What do you mean Silver left?”
Mrs. Burns expelled a gusty sigh, clearly losing patience. “Went back tae England, that’s what I mean, Duke.”
“Went back to England? But how…?” His words trailed off as he recalled the conversation he’d had with Garrett yesterday about borrowing the carriage. Damn! That must have been what his friend had tried to tell him. Remorse for so many things gone wrong burned low in his belly. “I assume Garrett escorted Silver and her aunt to the dock?”
“Aye.”
Daniel glanced back at the glass in his hand, bringing it a bit closer. The smell hit him and he made a face. “What’s in this?”
“Ye really dinna want tae know,” she replied, then scurried from the room, grumbling something about men being stubborn asses.
As Daniel stepped down the stairs half an hour later, he had to admit the foul-tasting concoction had actually worked. Both his headache and stomach gripes were gone. It tasted worse than it smelled, but pinching his nose with a thumb and forefinger had helped get the ghastly stuff down.
He had just taken a step toward the rear of the house when a deep voice called to him from the drawing room. “A word, Huntington, if ye please.”
Daniel turned, surprised to find the eldest MacLaren standing there. “Duncan, I am glad you’re here. I’d like to borrow a horse.”
The man’s eyes dipped down to Daniel’s valise and back. “Are ye goin’ after Silver?”
That stopped Daniel short. He hadn’t expected the question, but lying would gain him nothing. He just didn’t know how Silver’s brother would react to his answer. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded. “I am.”
The large Scot crossed his arms, eyeing him suspiciously. “Why?”
Daniel really had no time for this. He needed to intercept Silver before she boarded the ship back to England. He shifted from one foot to the other. “I just need to sort some things out with your sister.”
Duncan’s eyes narrowed. “What things?”
As Daniel groped for an answer, the man stepped closer. “Would this have anything tae dae wi’ Fiona?”
“Fiona?” Daniel shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“That was the reason for ye comin’ here tae this house, isna tha’ true?”
“Yes, but—”
“Silver wanted me tae tell ye tha’ Fiona is yours. And tae keep your gold.”
Daniel sucked in a breath at the unexpected statement. “I don’t understand.”
Duncan scowled. “Tha’ makes two o’ us.” He leaned closer. “Summat be wrong wi’ Silver and I kin ye can tell me what it is.”
Wondering just how much to say, Daniel glanced at the painting over the mantle across the room. Silver’s mother could have been her twin, and she looked so happy in the portrait. Something tugged at his heart. He wanted to see Silver smile with the same light dancing in her eyes, the same wide smile just holding back laughter, the same rosy blush to her cheeks. “I would like to see your sister happy,” he said softly, facing the large Scot once again.
Duncan eyed him for several long seconds. Then, as if coming to some sort of decision, he slid his arms down his sides and gave a curt nod. “Ye best be off then.”
“Good bye, Duncan. I thank you and your brothers for seeing to my recovery.” Daniel shook the man’s hand and turned toward the door. Now that he had a horse, a very fast horse, he could catch up to Silver easily.
“One other thing, Huntington.”
Daniel stopped at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. “What is that?”
“Connor went with them.”
“What has
“What?” He jerked up from the pillows, spilling several drops of the foul mixture onto his hand.
“Ye heard me. Now drink up before ye make a bigger mess.”
Daniel shook his head and grimaced as pain tore through his temples. “What do you mean Silver left?”
Mrs. Burns expelled a gusty sigh, clearly losing patience. “Went back tae England, that’s what I mean, Duke.”
“Went back to England? But how…?” His words trailed off as he recalled the conversation he’d had with Garrett yesterday about borrowing the carriage. Damn! That must have been what his friend had tried to tell him. Remorse for so many things gone wrong burned low in his belly. “I assume Garrett escorted Silver and her aunt to the dock?”
“Aye.”
Daniel glanced back at the glass in his hand, bringing it a bit closer. The smell hit him and he made a face. “What’s in this?”
“Ye really dinna want tae know,” she replied, then scurried from the room, grumbling something about men being stubborn asses.
As Daniel stepped down the stairs half an hour later, he had to admit the foul-tasting concoction had actually worked. Both his headache and stomach gripes were gone. It tasted worse than it smelled, but pinching his nose with a thumb and forefinger had helped get the ghastly stuff down.
He had just taken a step toward the rear of the house when a deep voice called to him from the drawing room. “A word, Huntington, if ye please.”
Daniel turned, surprised to find the eldest MacLaren standing there. “Duncan, I am glad you’re here. I’d like to borrow a horse.”
The man’s eyes dipped down to Daniel’s valise and back. “Are ye goin’ after Silver?”
That stopped Daniel short. He hadn’t expected the question, but lying would gain him nothing. He just didn’t know how Silver’s brother would react to his answer. Squaring his shoulders, he nodded. “I am.”
The large Scot crossed his arms, eyeing him suspiciously. “Why?”
Daniel really had no time for this. He needed to intercept Silver before she boarded the ship back to England. He shifted from one foot to the other. “I just need to sort some things out with your sister.”
Duncan’s eyes narrowed. “What things?”
As Daniel groped for an answer, the man stepped closer. “Would this have anything tae dae wi’ Fiona?”
“Fiona?” Daniel shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“That was the reason for ye comin’ here tae this house, isna tha’ true?”
“Yes, but—”
“Silver wanted me tae tell ye tha’ Fiona is yours. And tae keep your gold.”
Daniel sucked in a breath at the unexpected statement. “I don’t understand.”
Duncan scowled. “Tha’ makes two o’ us.” He leaned closer. “Summat be wrong wi’ Silver and I kin ye can tell me what it is.”
Wondering just how much to say, Daniel glanced at the painting over the mantle across the room. Silver’s mother could have been her twin, and she looked so happy in the portrait. Something tugged at his heart. He wanted to see Silver smile with the same light dancing in her eyes, the same wide smile just holding back laughter, the same rosy blush to her cheeks. “I would like to see your sister happy,” he said softly, facing the large Scot once again.
Duncan eyed him for several long seconds. Then, as if coming to some sort of decision, he slid his arms down his sides and gave a curt nod. “Ye best be off then.”
“Good bye, Duncan. I thank you and your brothers for seeing to my recovery.” Daniel shook the man’s hand and turned toward the door. Now that he had a horse, a very fast horse, he could catch up to Silver easily.
“One other thing, Huntington.”
Daniel stopped at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. “What is that?”
“Connor went with them.”
“What has
Similar Books
