Page 134 of The Highlander Is All That

Ah, innocence. What a tragedy it was.

“Shall we try again?” Mary asked, taking her arm.

“Yes, let’s. But no more cucumbers for me.”

Her sister laughed. “I should think not. At least, for a while.”

As they took their seats in the parlor, everyone wanted to know what had happened, and fortunately, Elizabeth was spared this humiliation when the door opened and Anne and Ranald entered and all attention turned to them.

Elizabeth stilled and gaped at her sister. There was a smile on Anne’s face unlike anything she had ever seen. “Hello,” Anne chirped. “You’re back! And oh, Elizabeth, they found you!” She rushed over and enveloped Elizabeth in a huge hug.

Shocked at this uncustomary warmth, Elizabeth was at a loss for words.

“Technically, she was not lost,” Victoria announced as Anne hugged the rest of her sisters and their aunt.

“Really?”

“The Duchess of Moncrieff had hidden her in Cornwall.”

“Cornwall!” Anne cooed. “How lucky for you.”

Elizabeth nodded. “It was lovely.”

“Pity Twiggenberry found her though,” Mary said.

“He tried to kidnap her,” Victoria gushed. “It was so terribly romantic.”

Elizabeth frowned at her sister. “I assure you, it was not.”

“And then,” Victoria continued on with a fiendish glee, “Blackworth tried to violate her.”

Bower frowned and bristled.

“Oh, no worries,” Esmeralda assured him. “Hamish saved her.”

“Did you?” Anne asked, her eyes shining. “How heroic.”

”Elizabeth,” Bower asked, his expression concerned. “Are you all right?” Thank God someone was concerned about her.

“Yes, I am. Thank you very much, Lord Bower.” She shot a speaking look around the room.

“You should probably call him Ranald now,” Anne said on a sigh as she took a seat and selected a cake. Bower sat beside her. Elizabeth noticed they were far too close for propriety. And then, to her bemusement, Bower took Anne’s hand. And Anne allowed it.

Silence settled like a boom. Everyone stared.

Aunt Esmeralda cleared her throat. “I . . . ah . . . What do you mean?”

“Well,” Anne said, her gaze on Bower’s face. “While you were having your adventures . . .”

“We were having an adventure of our own,” Bower finished for her. Then he lifted her hand and kissed it.

Aunt Esmeralda gaped at the couple like a landed cod. “What are you saying?” she asked in a choked voice.

Anne’s smile was brilliant. She skated her gaze around the room. “We were married in Scotland.”

“Married?” Elizabeth breathed. What a shock. What an utter shock. But . . . given Anne’s obvious joy, she could not contain her delight. “Congratulations,” she cried and ran to hug her sister.

“Egads.” Esmeralda put her hand to her forehead and slumped in her chair, but no one noticed because they had all, in a flurry of silk, rushed to Anne’s side.