He frowned. “But there is not.”
“Perhaps when last you visited.” She shrugged her shoulder. “But things do change, and new outlooks, even from a rhetorical battlement on top of a manor, can be created in very little time. More of a widow’s watch, as Americans might call it.”
“Dear lord, woman,” he exclaimed. Did she know what had happened that night on MacLauchlin Castle’s battlements? He should have protected Prudence from such scandal and never done it in the first place.
“No need to fear, my friend.” Emma rested a hand on his arm and looked at him most seriously. “No one knows of your little tryst with Lady Barrington, not even I to its extent, for Maude and I made sure your tracks were well-covered.”
“Which means at least one knew,” he concluded. “One who ensured all stayed away lest anyone come upon us?”
“Though quieter, it was the end of a holiday, and peoplewerestill about the castle,” she reminded. “But that is neither here nor there. What matters is what came of it, and that was beautiful, aye?”
“Undeniably,” he said softly, wishing he were back there this very moment.
“Good then,” Emma said just as softly. “So is a much scaled-down battlement on a Scottish country manor. Which is not all bad if it helps put the same look on her face that you wear now, I would say.”
While unsure what such a structure would look like, he appreciated the gesture and said as much. He then kept Prudence with him for the remainder of the night via Emma’s memories, yet nothing was quite like hearing from her.
So he read her next letter and could not stop himself from smiling yet again.
3 January 1816
My Loving Second-in-Command,
I must say I am most taken by my new castle and its subjects. Some old and some new, but all quite loyal. Even the former monster at the gate. Be sure to brace yourself for I have impactful news. That monster even went so far as to offer the hint of a smile the other day.
Yes, you read that correctly. My stalwart English butler defied the rules of his late and very unlawful king and indulged in the upturn of the corner of his lips. It was brief, most certainly fleeting, but it has given us all great hope that the dragon guarding our gates might be more welcoming to strangers going forward.
As to other things. The holidays were lovely, but I must admit they would have been better enjoyed with my second-in-command by my side. I hope you fare well and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Your Beloved and Lonely Commander,
Prudence
He stared at the word ‘lonely’ for some time. Wanted to rush to her immediately but knew better. She was finding her way and saying what made sense. Besides, he could not go to her if he wanted to. He had too much business in which to attend. Things his new position made impossible to avoid. While he considered sending her jewelry, he suspected she would frown upon it. That it might make her feel like a kept woman when she was no such thing.
So he wrote, hoping his words told her everything she needed to know.
Everything he had come to feel.
15 January 1816
My Much Missed and Beloved Commander,
I would be by your side if I could. Defend you ’til my last dying breath. Unfortunately, the weight of a kingdom weighs heavily on me, and I must see to my people. Might you travel the land and visit me? For I would pay a ransoms weight in gold to see you.
He paused with his quill over the paper, debating how blunt he should be but decided there was no other way. Not when it came to Prudence and how much he missed her.
Moreover, I would pay anything to hold you again, my commander. Kiss you. Taste you…
Know you were mine. Love you in ways you have never been loved before. Keep you safe until the end of time. All words, of course, he did not pen yet but felt more by the moment. Hour. Week. Month.
Your Devoted and Equally Lonely Second-in-Command,
Jacob
Despite endless business, it felt like the days ticked by far too slowly as he awaited her response. One that took longer than usual. So long he dreaded it when it came. Feared it, that is, until he opened it and knew whether he was Duke of Argyll or not, he had no choice but to obey.
19 February 1816
