“Remember, my grandfather tends to exaggerate matters. At the request of the Crown, I simply made a few discreet inquiries on some government matters whilst on my travels. Nothing very dramatic, I assure you.”
She looked dubious. “According to your grandfather, you’re something of a master spy.”
Kade sighed. “Only in Grandda’s head. But I do stand ready to help you, Charlie. That’s a promise.”
She gave him an uncertain smile, as if unsure how to take his offer.
“Perhaps you could tell me the problem?” he prompted.
“Right. Well, the Clan Iain thistle brooch is a family heirloom, always passed down from mother to eldest daughter when she comes of age. Legend has it that it was a present from Queen Margaret to one of our ancestors. It’s to be worn at clan gatherings and formal occasions.” She tapped her shoulder, where her tartan sash was fastened with a gold pin in the shape of a stag’s head. “As you can see, no thistle brooch.”
“Gone missing, has it?”
She grimaced. “When I went to fetch it this morning from my jewelry box, it was gone.”
“When was the last time you wore it?”
“Last January, for our Hogmanay celebrations. I keep it in a leather pouch in the back of the box, so I always know where it is.”
“No chance of misplacing it, then.”
She shrugged. “I don’t think so, although I don’t precisely remember putting it back. Nor does my maid. Naturally, we tore my room apart looking for it, but came up empty.”
Kade briefly squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. That must have been very distressing.”
“And exceedingly inconvenient, given the circumstances,” she said with a sigh.
“Scots do tend to take their family heirlooms rather seriously. Is the brooch very valuable, aside from its historical significance?”
She nodded. “It’s made of a very fine silver, and set with amethysts and diamonds. It’s quite lovely and in very good shape, so one would never guess its age by looking at it.”
“It sounds like just the sort of thing an enterprising thief would love to get his hands on.”
“True, but my jewelry box is always locked and only Mamma and I know where the key is kept. I also have a valuable set of pearls with matching earrings, along with a few other good pieces, and they were untouched.”
“That is rather odd.”
“A disaster is what it is,” she replied. “If I don’t find the blasted thing, my family will never forgive me.”
“Certainly I understand that your family would be distressed to lose such a valuable heirloom, but I fail to see why they would be so upset with you. Or why its disappearance would have the power to apparently ruin your sister’s wedding.”
Charlie looked embarrassed. “It’s mostly because of the legend attached to the brooch.”
Kade had to shake his head. “Of course there’s a legend. It’s the Highlands, after all.”
“As I mentioned, the brooch is to be worn on all special occasions, and it signals that the oldest daughter is eligible for marriage.”
Kade reached for his whisky. “Isn’t it usually obvious by the fact that the young woman is unmarried?”
“Well . . . there’s a bit more to it than that.”
“No doubt something arcane and mysterious,” he dryly replied.
She crinkled her nose. “Unfortunately, yes. The legend says that if the oldest daughter marries or even enters into a courtship without the brooch, she will never find true love, and misfortune will follow her all the days of her life.”
Kade had just taken a mouthful of whisky, and his impulse to laugh caused a catch in his throat. He managed to force the brew down.
“You’re joking,” he rasped, his eyes watering.
