Worried that he was about to get in a fistfight, Hannish stopped and stared at the intruder. At last he smiled, let go of the woman and deeply bowed, "Your grace, welcome to America."

"We'll have none of that between brothers." Cameron tightly gripped his brother's hand. "How I have missed you. You have met my lovely wife, I see."

He turned to her. "You are Flora? I have heard many wonderful things about you. Will your husband kill me if I hug you?"

"Oh, never mind him." She giggled and wrapped her arms around him.

Cameron was too excited to continue the niceties. "Brother, come with me, I've a tale to tell you'll not believe." He grabbed his wife's hand and led them both to a grinning McKenna. Have you a place where we can talk privately"

Advertisement..

"The study will do," McKenna answered, heading that way.

Sassy couldn't help but see the four of them leave. "Who is that?"

Alistair answered, "His brother. You will like him; he is not as…formal as Mr. Hannish."

Hannish urged them to sit down and sat in the chair next to his desk. "I hoped, but I did not think you would arrive in time."

"The ship stalled at sea for a day, but we managed. Brother, I…" Cameron tried.

"Stalled? Did it no have sails?" Hannish asked.

"Brother, I…"

McKenna rolled her eyes. "Let him speak, Hannish, he apparently has something important to tell you."

"Very well, I am listening."

Cameron reached into his inside jacket, pulled out a letter and unfolded it. He put on his glasses and then cleared his throat. "I received this letter from Lady Bayington on the twenty-seventh of June, at which time I employed one D. L. Jackson, a Barrister, who in turn asked Scotland Yard to discern the truth of the matter. I read the letter to you now:

Your Grace,

Lord Bayington and I agree, as we are most fond of both you and your brother, and can maintain our silence no longer. There is something you should know about the woman Hannish married. Olivia and I were born in the Shetland Islands, more specifically Scalloway and played together as children. It was apparent early on, that Olivia intended to get what she could from the world in the way of riches and celebrity, and I, in my foolishness followed in her footsteps."

Her first husband…"

"What?" Hannish gasped.

Cameron looked over the rim of his glasses at his brother. "Aye, her first husband."

"She never said a word."

"Brother, if you will let me continue, you will soon see why."

"Please," said Hannish.




Most Popular