Love in the Highlands by Barbara Cartland Page A

problem to solve I ask myself which will be the most sensible or the most valuable."
    Lavina laughed.
    "One always gets back to money in the south," she
    replied. "I am sure people in the north are the same, although I expect you to be more patriotic."
    "I think we are patriotic," the Scotsman agreed. "At the same time we try to be sensible and not in any way so easily aroused to anger as our ancestors were."
    Lavina laughed again.
    "As far as I remember, the history of Scotland is full of battles and I have always felt I should be careful in case I insulted anyone, and suffered in consequence."
    Sir James smiled.
    "I think you are quite safe," he said. "I assure you the Scots love beauty, whether it is a flower or a woman. You will find yourself admired wherever you go."
    Lavina blushed.
    "Thank you," she said. "Now I will not be so frightened of saying or doing the wrong thing."
    "Then Scotland welcomes you with open arms," he replied. "I will give a party immediately in your honour at my own house."
    "I shall be delighted to accept," she said. "And so, of course, will my fiancé."
    "Your fiancé?" he asked in dismay.
    Then she realised that he had not been there for the announcement of her engagement.
    "Tell me it isn't true," he said. "This is an imaginary fiancé."
    "No, he's sitting over there, next to Lady McEwuan, Lord Elswick."
    There was silence. Then the young man said,
    "That makes me more sad than I can say."
    As he spoke Lavina looked up into his eyes. She felt for a moment as if they held her captive.
    Then she blushed and turned away, feeling that something strange and unusual had happened.
*
    In the following days the whole neighbourhood opened its arms to them. There were dinners, lunches, dances. Something happened every night.
    Sir James invited them to his estate, so that he could show them his horses which, everyone agreed, were the best for miles around.
    The Marquis seemed to think so too, for he studied the horses with admiration, and spent a long time discussing them with Sir James. Nobody noticed that now and then the Marquis regarded him with cool hostility that sat oddly with his friendly words.
    Lavina, glancing across at them from a few yards away, saw only that the Marquis seemed at ease, and was reassured.
    When she was alone with her father she could not help saying to him,
    "You know, Papa, I think this visit to Scotland is doing us all a great deal of good, but most especially the Marquis. He is becoming almost human."
    Her father laughed.
    "What do you mean by that?" he asked.
    "You know exactly what I mean," Lavina replied. "He was laughing and talking about the horses and going from one to another. He found them as marvellous as we did and I thought he was becoming almost human."
    "He was certainly very amusing at dinner last night after the ladies had left the room," the Earl said. "He told us stories which I had never heard before and some of the jokes, while not for female ears, were extremely witty and amusing."
    Lavina stared.
    "Lord Elswick knows jokes that are unfit for females?" she echoed. "I don't believe you, Papa."
    "My dear, every gentleman knows jokes that are unfit for females," her father declared firmly.
    "Good heavens! You too?"
    "I do after listening to Elswick last night," he said mischievously.
    Sir James produced a dainty, spirited little mare for Lavina to ride, and accompanied her on a short trip around his grounds.
    "We'll go for a longer ride together tomorrow," he said. "At least, I hope you'll want to."
    "But are you not going fishing tomorrow?" Lavina asked. "I'm sure that Papa and Lord Elswick – "
    "They're going fishing," Sir James answered. "But I'm not."
    The expression in his eyes made Lavina look away because she was blushing.
    "I – I don't think I can," she said, wishing she were free to flirt with this handsome young man.
    "You could if you really wanted to," he said. "Surely your 'lord and master' would not object to an innocent ride?"
    "My lord