After a mostly silent few hours, they finally reached Edinburgh, taking rooms at the Beehive Hotel, which was right in the heart of the city. While Ewan and Caroline settled into their private suite, a maid and footman accompanied Lady Emma and Lord Stephen on a hastily arranged shopping trip to the Royal Mile. The youngest Radley children excitedly chattered as they departed their parents. Their mother waved them a fond farewell, then closed the door.
The click of the latch signaled an immediate shift in the air. Ewan sensed a heaviness settle in the room, and he braced himself. Caroline took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling before rounding on him.
“I know you think you are doing something nice for us. And yes, the children appreciate the visit to Edinburgh, but I don’t think you . . . oh.”
She cupped her hands to her cheeks, blinking back tears. Ewan took slow, considered steps toward his wife. It was rare for Caroline to lose her composure, or whatever this thing was, and he was wary of adding fuel to the fire.
“I just want you to relax. To enjoy yourself. Have some fun visiting the shops here in Edinburgh. My love, you are like a tightly coiled spring,” he offered.
She sighed and her gaze dropped to the floor, along with any hopes Ewan might have held for them to spend a pleasant afternoon together strolling through the streets of the city. “I know you mean well. And while I don’t wish to appear ungrateful, I honestly couldn’t give a damn about going to the shops. I just want to get to Strathmore Castle.”
His attempt to make his wife happy had faltered, but Ewan wasn’t to be dissuaded. He was not going to add to her near constant worry over the plans for Christmas.
“I’m sorry, Caroline. I thought you would appreciate some time for yourself. For us. We will leave here at a sensible hour tomorrow and be at the castle by midafternoon. Then you can check on how the arrangements are going. But once that is done, I want your promise that you will take some time for yourself. And I don’t mean an hour or two. Sweetheart, I am worried about you.”
He reached for her, intending to draw Caroline into his arms, offering comfort while also seeking her agreement.
Instead, she stepped away, creating more space between them. “I can’t make that promise, Ewan. A castle full of guests takes a lot of managing. I might just go for a walk. Alone. I need to be able to think.”
Ewan cursed himself. He had pushed Caroline—thought he was doing the right thing by bringing her to Edinburgh and offering her some time in her favorite city. Instead, all he had managed to do was add to her already strained nerves.
“I can come with you,” he offered.
She shook her head and opened the door. By the time another apology had worked its way to his lips, Caroline was already out into the hall.
He raked his fingers through his gray-streaked hair, perplexed at what he should do next. They hadn’t even gotten to the castle and Caroline was on the verge of breaking.
There has to be something I can do to help her.
Caroline had to be made to see that things didn’t all come to a halt when she wasn’t around. That others could help. The rest of the family were capable of dealing with their own problems. If his duchess wouldn’t make time for herself, then he would.
It’s not all down to her.
He had to get his wife away from overseeing every little detail at the castle—even if it was only for a few days.
A hopeful smile drifted to his lips as the obvious solution slipped into his mind. The first chance he got, he would spirit Caroline away from Strathmore Castle to a private and secluded oasis. And he knew the perfect place.
Once he had her alone, naked, and under his command, then he could work his magic. By the time he was finished, his wife would not only be sated, but she would be relaxed to the point of not having a care.
“You won’t want to come back to the castle. I promise.”
ChapterFive
“Iknew we should have ordered more blankets for this winter,” said Caroline. There were enough beds, just, but she was worried that people would be cold. Scotland wasn’t exactly a forgiving place at this time of the year, and ancient castles were not the warmest of accommodations. Strathmore Castle had been built primarily as a fortress; creature comforts came a distant second.
“I am sure we have enough. Besides, if I know Adelaide and Mary, they will both bring extra blankets. And the others will have rugs in their coaches,” replied Lady Alison, the dowager Duchess of Strathmore.
Caroline considered the piles of blankets laid out on the long table of the great hall and slowly shook her head. Lady Alison was probably right. She usually was.
But what if she is not? We can’t have people being cold.
“Do you think Dunn’s in the village would have some woolens for sale?”
Lady Alison lifted her walking stick, bringing it down on the stone floor with a loud crack. “Enough!” she snapped. “No one is going to freeze to death over the festive season. Master Crowdie will make certain of it.”
From the moment she had stepped down from the travel coach late the previous day, Caroline had been fretting over sleeping arrangements. She had already moved several family members more than once. And people hadn’t even begun to arrive.
Lady Alison beckoned her daughter-in-law over to where she stood warming herself in front of the fire which blazed in the enormous stone fireplace of the great hall. Caroline left the table and made her across the floor. When she reached the dowager duchess, Lady Alison took a hold of her hand. “What is wrong? Why are you so skittish? This isn’t how you usually behave at Christmas.”
