Page 18 of A Highland Duke to Claim Her Heart

“Four weeks ago, shortly after theHMS Charlotteleft the port for Inverness, there was a terrible storm that swept through the North Sea. It capsized many ships on their crossing, and we believe many souls were lost.”

A strange ringing was filling Ewan’s ears, and yet, he could hear every word the harbormaster said with perfect clarity, as if they were being carved into his brain.

“And theHMS Charlotte?”he murmured.

The harbormaster’s gaze was soft. “We received word that theHMS Charlottenever made it to The Hague. We believe that it was one of the ships that perished.”

Ewan felt unsteady, as if someone had cut off his legs from under him. The whole world swayed, then seemed to fall to pieces around him. He had to put out a hand to steady himself, and even then, he could not feel the table as he grasped it.

Christopher…

His wild, reckless, sometimes insensitive, always trouble-making, mischievous, clever, hilarious brother…

He was gone.

He looked up at the harbormaster, whose eyes were soft and understanding.

“Is there a chance the ship came into another port?” he asked. His voice was hoarse.

“We would have received word,” the harbormaster said gently. “It is possible that the ship is still lost at sea and will find its way to a port, but seeing as how it has been four weeks, and there were only enough supplies on the ship for a week’s journey…”

Ewan swallowed. Somehow, he managed to nod.

“Thank you,” he muttered, the words scraping against his throat. He tossed the whole coin purse on the table. He would have no need of it now. “Thank you for your help.”

On the ride back to Calder Castle, it began to rain. The sky was dark above him, splashes of black and gray, as the heavens opened and the torrential downpour began. Ewan did not care. He did not even seem to notice. Probably he was cold and shivering. Probably his life was at risk to be out in the storm for as long as he was. But he could feel nothing.

Only the numbness that came with true grief.

And underneath the numbness, rage.

Rage at his foolish younger brother for running off and risking his life. Rage at the world for its senseless cruelty. But most of all, rage at himself.

I could have stopped him.

He was convinced that he could have done something to stop Christopher from running off. Had he pressured him into the marriage? Was that why Christopher had felt the need to run away? But no, Christopher was the one who had wanted the marriage, the dowry.

What, then? What could Ewan have done to stop this?

The worst part was the realization that perhaps, there was nothing he could have done. And the powerlessness of that was unbearable.

And then, of course, there was the matter of Lady Cassandra and the marriage that had been contracted. He knew that this would not be so easily dealt with. Lady Pembury was furious; more important still was the alliance with Lord Pembury.

Pembury was a respected and powerful politician in Westminster, and if Ewan was going to expand his influence to bring new feats of engineering to the Scottish people, the drainage systems and aqueducts that he knew would improvetheir lives significantly, especially in the Highlands, he needed this alliance.

It was late when he arrived at Calder Castle, and after a quick bath to ensure he did not catch pneumonia, he dressed in his sharpest suit and told his valet to ask Lady Pembury to meet him in his study. Once he was there, he poured himself a scotch and stood in front of the fire for a long moment, staring into the flames. The burn of the liquor was good. It numbed some of his feelings. And it made what had to happen next a little easier.

There was a knock on the door, and he set the tumbler down on the mantle.

“Enter.”

The door opened and Lady Pembury came in.

“Your Grace,” she said, curtsying warily, her eyes moving over him with penetrating intensity. “You have returned earlier than I would have imagined. I thought you would be several days in Inverness, searching for your brother.”

Ewan stood up straight, squaring his shoulders.

“I assume, from the fact you have returned sooner than expected, that you were able to locate your brother,” she said.