Gavin looked at the letter in his hand in utter disbelief. His heart was tearing in two. His brother, wife, and children had been killed when their carriage had slipped down the side of a cliff.
“This canna be true.” He shook his head and fought back tears.
“I am afraid it is, my lord.”
“My lord? No. I doona wish for it. I’m a simple country doctor. I have a humble life and practice here.”
“I am terribly sorry for your loss, my lord. But you are, in fact, the eleventh Baron Craig now, and thus have some rather large holdings that are your responsibility.”
“This was not supposed to happen. Iain had three strapping young lads!”
The solicitor looked grave. “Perhaps, my lord, it would be best for you to return to Castle Craig and see for yourself.”
The solicitor was met with a blank stare from a set of startling blue eyes; a look that was common to those who had been met with grievous news, but who had not yet assimilated the ensuing change in circumstances.
“Verra well. I will join you there as soon as I have made arrangements.”
Gavin went through the motions of closing up his house and seeing his practice into the capable hands of his apprentice, a graduate of Lord Easton’s school. Of late, Gavin had taken many trips into England to the school in Sussex and had toyed with joining it as an instructor on a full-time basis, but he had never been able to cut ties with Scotland. How would he practice medicine as Lord Craig? He would have to find a way, while at the same time doing his best to carry on with his brother’s works in Parliament.
Gavin had seen more death than most, but he had not been prepared for the loss of his brother, or of Iain’s wife and children. They had been the last family he’d had left. He had never before given a thought to running the large Castle Craig estate, and hoped desperately that his brother had appointed a trustworthy steward.
His carriage was loaded with immediate necessities. His servants would send the rest of his belongings with those of his staff who wished to join him at the new residence. He had one final stop before setting off to bury his brother and begin his new life.
The carriage pulled through the gates of Alberfoyle Priory, one of Lord Vernon’s estates that served as an orphanage. He had become attached to a family of children there; the boy was attending medical school, but the two girls were still in residence. It would pain him to leave these children more than anything else. In fact, since he had no family of his own, perhaps they would consider allowing him to adopt them.
“Dr. Craig!” Maili Douglas came running when she saw him and greeted him with a hug. She was promptly lifted off her feet into his arms.
“Hello, my love. Where is your sister?”
“In the sewing class.”
“Would you be so good as to retrieve her? I would like to speak to you both.”
The little girl wrinkled her forehead in concern, but then nodded and skipped off to find her sister. She returned with Catriona, to whom he gave an identical welcome.
“Hello, lass. You have grown again!”
“Am I not supposed to grow?”
“Indeed you are. Only not too fast.” Gavin 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. Craig?” 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 will 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.”
“I will return for you after I have arranged everything with your guardian and buried my brother.”
“Must you leave us?”
“I am afraid so, but I will be back for you soon.” He exchanged hugs with the girls and took his leave to go and bury his brother and his family.
***
Lady Margaux Winslow had wanted to join a convent, but her parents had insisted she instead remove to their new orphanage for a short repairing lease. She had become enamoured with Scotland a few years before, when she had visited Lord Vernon’s estate, to the north of Glasgow, while they were courting. Despite her less fortunate outcome, she still loved Scotland.
After Lord Vernon had married his true love instead, her family had attempted to divert her with trips to London, and to the Continent once Napoleon had been defeated. But she had come to the realization that she was content on her own. She had always been the most independent of her sisters, and decided that brilliant marriages could be left in their capable hands. She certainly preferred the spinster state to marrying for convenience. She found she was content helping with the orphans, though she did very little thanks to the competent staff which her family had appointed.
“What are you pondering, mon chere?” 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.”
“Très 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.
“Allons y.” 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 arranged her hair in a manner worthy of a ball, she noticed. She had to admit she had been experiencing 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. No, she corrected her thoughts. To make a new life.
She made her way downstairs, determined to be more cheerful. If she could only convince her parents she was happy here, then they would be satisfied she was content.
“Ah, there she is now, Lord Craig,” Lord Ashbury said as he saw her.
“Dr. Craig?” Margaux said, stunned as she met the eyes of the handsome doctor who had been enamoured of Lady Beatrice.