Page 12 of Ghost of the Ton

“Aye,” Robbie replied. Then he glanced at Shona and flinched.

“Ha!” Murdoch laughed. “Ruled by yer cock, ye are, Robbie.” He gestured to the young man standing beside Ailsa. “Mark my words, Brodie, if ye wish for a quiet life not plagued by a woman’s henpecking and yammering, ye must show her who’s in command, like ye would taming any mare.”

Brodie nodded his head, coloring. His gaze flicked to the path Iona had taken, then he lowered it to the ground.

Poor, lovesick lad. But that little wildcat would wither his cock. She needed a firmer hand—a man prepared to place a bit and bridle over her head and keep her on a short rein. Brodie needed to find his ballocks before he began courting.

Ma ordered the servants to return to the castle, then she slipped her arm through Hamish’s and he led her into the building.

“Has Iona been troublesome in my absence?” he said.

“No more than usual, son. The next time ye venture to London, ye must bring back a wife. I’m sure the company of a woman near Iona’s age will settle her. An English lady might be a good influence on her and show her the rewards of good and virtuous behavior. But perhaps ye wish to wait awhile before finding another wife. Ye must tell me of that poor lassie ye married.”

“Her name was Euphramia,” Hamish said. “A doctor’s daughter who wished to keep her fortune from a wastrel cousin.”

“Did she say that?”

“Her lawyer did.”

“What did she say?”

“She gave me her blessing to marry again,” Hamish said, recalling the softly spoken words from the woman behind the veil whose features were indistinct, save a pair of bright eyes that looked upon him as if he were her savior. “It was the last thing she said—her dying wish.”

“Poor lass,” his mother said. “To think: how unhappy her life must have been to have done such a thing! If only she’d lived and ye could have brought her home. But I daresay ye’ll find another wife. Must ye marry for convenience still?”

“Aye, I must,” he said.

“A pity,” she said, sighing. “What might seem a noble gesture at the altar is a decision that will remain with ye forever.”

He lifted his mother’s hand to his lips. “If ye were prepared to make such a sacrifice when ye married, Ma, why may I not be permitted to do the same? I’ll do it gladly for the sake of the souls here.”

And to honor Euphramia’s memory.

Chapter Five

A low, steady hum vibrated through Mia’s body, which rocked from side to side, as if she were riding a ship across an ocean in a storm. Though darkness surrounded her, the pain that gripped her body refused to fade.

Perhaps Reverend Staines had spoken an untruth when he said that all pain ceased the moment a soul entered heaven.

Or perhaps she was destined for hell…

The hum separated into a multitude of voices, perhaps demons ready to claim her.

“She stirs.”

A voice spoke, gentle and feminine, in contrast to the harsh cackles she’d expected. But perhaps that was how demons ensnared unwary souls, promising softness before delivering retributions for the sins committed in the mortal life.

“Ma’am?”

A hand touched her cheek.

Mia whimpered and opened her eyes. But rather than the fires of Hades, a bright white light filled her vision.

“A-am I in heaven?” she whispered.

A blurred shape appeared. Mia blinked, her eyes stinging with moisture, until the shape came into focus to reveal a young girl dressed in a neat, plain pale-blue gown and apron. From beneath a starched white cap, wisps of pale-blonde hair peeked out, forming curls that seemed to glow in the sunlight. She leaned forward to reveal a face with soft blue eyes and elfin features.

It was the face of a girl.