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Christmashadbeen her favorite time of year in the convent. Festivities there had been simple, lovely, and heartfelt. The sisters had taken great joy in decorating the church and dining hall, and had even held a special dinner on Christmas night to celebrate the Savior’s birth.
Alasdair beamed at her. “There you go. All settled.”
Well, she couldn’t stand up to the entire family. And perhaps leaving Blairgal wasn’t such a bad idea. She’d have the manor house to herself and could spend time planning her next steps without everyone trying to coax her out of them.
“Very well. I can leave in a few days. The rest of you can come down when you’re ready.”
“There is the issue of a chaperone, however,” Walter said, frowning. “You won’t have one at Breadie Manor until Eden arrives.”
Ah, the perfect excuse to avoid socializing.
“The housekeeper will be there, and I promise I won’t leave the estate. Besides, I’ll be too busy planning the parties to do anything.”
“Goodness, pet,” said Eden, “you’re not a servant. We want you to have fun, not just work.”
Alasdair suddenly looked crafty. “Maybe dear Mamma-in-law could go with her. No one could possibly object if Donella was chaperoned by Lady Reese.”
Donella was too horrified by that idea to even respond.
“Certainly not,” Eden firmly replied. “I need Mamma’s help with the children.”
Most of them blinked at that remark. Lady Reese, while fiercely loyal to her family, was the least maternal woman one could imagine.
Her ladyship pressed a soulful hand to her bodice. “I couldn’tthinkof abandoning Eden in her time of need.”
“Good God,” Fergus muttered.
“Then I suppose I will just have to stay here,” Donella said, trying to sound regretful.
Eden beamed at her. “Not to worry, dearest. You can stay with the Kendricks. I wrote to Cousin Victoria just this morning, and she’s expecting you in Glasgow by the end of the week.”
Donella stared at her, once more too aghast to utter a sound.
And when Eden and Uncle Riddick exchanged a quick glance, she finally realized that the pair of them—assisted by Lady Reese—had been ten steps ahead of her, all along.
She was going to Glasgow, whether she wanted to or not.
Chapter Sixteen
Donella snuck down the stairs of Kendrick House to find the hall empty. She’d arrived at lunchtime to encounter an entire household determined to pamper her into submission. It had been much the same at Blairgal, to the point where she’d been happy to escape the parade of servants and family ready to leap to her assistance at a moment’s notice, whether she wanted it or not.
She’d grown used to self-sufficiency. In the convent, Donella had performed every chore, from the endless washing of floors to long hours tending the kitchen garden under a hot sun. So as lovely as it was to be spoiled, she’d had enough, since it was beginning to make her feel useless and guilty.
The sooner she could begin her work at Breadie Manor, the better.
Escaping there for most of every day would also minimize her contact with Logan. The idea of seeing him again, especially after that ridiculous good-bye on her part, made her cheeks flame with heat and her stomach go topsy-turvy. God only knew what he thought of her, especially after that embarrassing scene with Alasdair at the crofter’s cottage.
And yet here she was, living under the same roof with the man. It was the perfect illustration of just how much control she’d lost over her life.
Six months. You only have to stick it out for six months.
Then she’d be free to do what she wanted.
She made her way to Lord Arnprior’s library, hoping to avoid the notice of the butler or a footman. Clearly a conspiracy was in the works between Kendrick House and Blairgal Castle, one that involved a great deal of well-intentioned meddling that was sure to drive her insane before the holidays even arrived.
What she needed more than anything else was peace and privacy, and she hoped to find that in the study. The only other alternative was her bedroom, where her assigned maid was fussing over her clothes. Donella didn’t need a lady’s maid, especially since she had so few gowns, but Victoria had insisted—just like she’d insisted on a shopping expedition tomorrow.
“You’ll need a new pelisse, some day gowns, at least three dinner dresses, and a ball gown,” her hostess had said after examining the meager contents of Donella’s trunk. “Lord Riddick was quite clear. He’s opened accounts for you at several stores and expects me to properly kit you out.”
