“Now, that I must see,” Angus exclaimed, wobbling to his feet and practically falling into Kade’s lap.
Royal clamped a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. “Don’t fall, Angus.”
“Fah.” He tried to elbow Kade aside. “Where’s the lassie?”
“Sorry, Grandda. She just disappeared behind that stand of trees up ahead.”
“Drat,” said Tira, who’d also been trying to get a glimpse over Kade’s shoulder. “I wish I’d seen her. Are you sure it was a girl? What fun to be able to ride a horse that way.”
“But you’re a splendid sidesaddle rider, pet,” her mother said. “You’ve never once fallen off a horse in all the years you’ve been riding.”
“That’s because I’m careful. And just think how much faster I could go if I was riding astride.”
“Well, perhaps you can try it sometime when we’re back at Cairndow,” Ainsley replied. “But only with your father and certainly not in a kilt.”
“I think a kilt would be dashing,” Tira said. “Don’t you, Papa?”
Royal smiled. “Very dashing, if a trifle scandalous.”
“Who cares about that?” The girl heaved a sigh. “I wish I’d seen her, though.”
After helping his grandfather get seated, Kade smiled at his niece. “Sorry, lass. She was out of sight in less than a minute.”
Angus patted Tira’s hand. “We might see her again. We’re deep in the Highlands now, lassie. Things can get a wee bit strange up here.”
“Very true,” said Royal. “I remember when—”
A sudden jolt knocked them all off-balance. Royal grabbed Ainsley, while Kade clamped onto Tira. When the carriage jerked to a halt, Angus slid to the floor with a muffled yelp.
Kade plopped Tira down on the seat and reached for his grandfather, bracing himself against the rocking carriage. “Are you all right, Grandda?”
“Aye,” the old fellow said as Kade hauled him up. “Dinna worry yerself, son.”
“You hit the floor rather hard,” Ainsley said in a worried tone.
“Just a wee thump on my arse.” Then he shoved his hat out of his eyes. “But why in blazes is yer coachman sendin’ us all akilter like that?”
“Perhaps we broke a wheel,” Ainsley suggested.
Raised voices could be heard from outside, mostly from the coachman. Royal frowned and began to reach for the door handle, but the door opened to reveal Billy, their groom.
“Are ye all well, sir?” he asked. “We gave ye quite the jolt, but it couldna be helped, I’m afraid.”
“We’re fine. What happened?”
“Ye’d best come see for yerself, sir. Mr. Brown’s about ready to pop his cork.”
“So we can hear,” Kade dryly said.
While Royal climbed down to the road, Angus peered out the window on the other side of the carriage. “Well, now, that’s somethin’ to see,” their grandfather said with a chuckle.
“What?” Kade asked.
“Ye best come down, sir,” Billy said to Kade, a bit urgently.
Kade stepped out of the carriage. Brown, their coachman, out of sight on the other side, was clearly directing his ire at another person. Royal had already gone around to join him, but Kade stopped to take a quick glance at the horses. They were annoyed, snorting and stomping a bit, but they seemed unharmed.
“You’ll thoroughly check the horses?” he said to Billy.
