Dinna tarry one day more than you must.”Īfter seeing the pair off, Keir went in search of a hansom cab. “London’s no place for the like of you, young MacRae. “Dinna worry, I’ll be keeping myself out of trooble.” But I gave my word to his mither I’d keep him out of trooble.” Looking grim, he added, “’Twould be my preference to take you back with us.” “Aye,” returned Slorach dryly, “and ’tis well that you’ll be gang back to Islay before the doing of them.” Turning to Keir, the elderly man said ruefully, “He’ll be griping all the way home. “There are many things I havnae done yet in London,” he protested. Owen, on the other hand, a lighthearted lad barely out of his teens, was reluctant to go back to Islay. Slorach, a dour and wizened Calvinist of sixty-five, was more than eager to leave London, which he regarded as an unwholesome den of sin and beggary. After that he went to collect his men, Owen and Slorach, and accompanied them to the Victoria Railway Station, where they would take an express up to Glasgow, and from there proceed to Islay. Keir met with a hotel manager and then a tavernkeep in Farrington, both of whom had agreed to contracts for private bottling. I look forward to our next meeting on Friday.” “Like His Grace, I’m glad to have made your acquaintance, MacRae. Was the man not well? Had he recently received bad news? Keir tilted his head slightly, regarding Kingston with a frown. He looked away and cleared his throat as if he were just now feeling the sting of the whisky. “I’m glad-” the duke began, but fell abruptly silent. “I’ll be off, then.” He turned to find the duke’s intent gaze still on him. “I have another meeting soon, and I dinna like to be late.” He paused, thinking over his schedule. “A verbal agreement will do for now,” Keir replied. MacRae,” he ventured, “shall we proceed with a partial payment and delivery agreement?” Hoagland wore a distracted expression as he beheld the two of them. “I’d say the credit should go to Lady Merritt’s mither,” Keir said. It didn’t look promising when one of us brought back a veterinarian, but to his credit, it all turned out well.” “She told you about that? Yes, I was one of the volunteers who went out in search of a midwife or doctor. “I’ve known her since the day she was born.”
The duke’s sudden easy smile was like the sun giving off light. Keir felt the small muscles of his face relaxing. The mere mention of her name softened the tension in the atmosphere almost miraculously. “Aye, a flat at one of the Sterling warehouses.”
“You’ve found satisfactory accommodations, I hope?” After another unaccountably long silence, the duke picked up the empty dram bottle and regarded the label.
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