Page 20 of Finding Faith (Seduced in Scotland #2)

O nce Logan deposited Faith at her family home, he left to return home to see to Duncan. Faith knew the responsibility Logan felt for his friend, so while she wasn’t particularly pleased to be left behind, she understood that he needed to be there for Jeanne’s husband.

“I’ll send word later tonight,” he said, kissing her hand after she climbed off his horse.

Jaco seemed perfectly content to stay behind as his master left. Hope, Grace, and Aunt Belle all watched in stunned silence from the doorway as Logan rode off. Turning to face them, she saw a flood of questions just waiting to be tossed at her. Immediately upon entering Lismore Hall, they began interrogating her.

“What in the world was that about?” Grace asked.

“Where’s Graham?” Hope asked. “And why did Mr. Harris kiss your hand? I thought you loathed one another.”

“What is that dog doing here?” Aunt Belle asked, eyeing the animal as it trotted in behind them, cutting in front of the matriarch.

Faith led them into the parlor and explained at length what had happened. She told them that Duncan was alive and had mistakenly believed that Logan and Jeanne had been secretly meeting. When they began to ask why he had thought that, Faith tried to avoid the explanation. Thankfully, Aunt Belle ordered a break in the story so that they could take tea.

Unfortunately, Grace couldn’t hear the rest of the story as a messenger arrived from Harris House. She opened the letter and read it immediately, her brow bunching together as she did so.

“What is it?” Hope asked, standing up.

“Is something wrong?” Faith asked.

“It seems Dr. Barkley is feeling unwell and is unable to attend Mr. Carlyle. Dr. Hall has requested my presence to attend.”

“For a dog bite?” Faith asked, confused.

“No,” Grace said, looking up. “There seems to be another issue besides the bite.” She looked around. “I must go at once.”

“Of course, dear, of course,” Aunt Belle said as Grace hurried out of the room. She turned to Faith and Hope. “Now what are we to do?”

For the rest of the day, all three busied themselves with nonsense. Hope took to her sewing, while Belle sat at her desk, working. Faith however, couldn’t bear to sit quietly in her aunt’s office and decided to retire to her room, where she was able to bandage Jaco’s ear up. The big dog whined the entire time and fell asleep on her bed afterwards.

Once she finished with that, she went to the desk that sat before the window. Her hand moved gently over several paint brushes, as well as the unfinished canvas that stood on the easel next to her desk. Deciding that there was nothing better to do, she sat and worked on the landscape painting of the loch that she had begun weeks ago.

For several hours, Faith painted as she tried to sort out everything that happened. Logan loved her and to her surprise, she found that she loved him too. She regretted not telling him so.

When no news came by suppertime, Faith decided to put away her paints and crawl into bed. She soon drifted to sleep.

When Faith opened her eyes the next morning, she saw Grace enter her room. Jaco, who had followed her to her room last night, began to growl.

“Jaco, stop,” Faith muttered into her pillow.

“Good morning,” Grace said, her eyes puffy from sleep. “It’s time to wake up. Things are happening.”

“What things?” Faith asked before sitting up quickly. Jaco, sleeping on the bed behind her curled legs, stood up, stretched, and then jumped down. “Grace. You’re back.”

Her sister smiled.

“Will you get dressed?” she asked.

“What happened? What took you so long?”

“I’ll not repeat myself again,” she said warily. “Come along. The family is in the parlor.”

With Una’s help, Faith dressed in a daffodil-colored morning gown. Una seemed to take her time brushing and styling her hair. After what seemed like ages, Faith was finally set free, and she hurried to the parlor, followed faithfully by Jaco.

Upon entering the room, Faith saw her sisters, Aunt Belle, Graham, and Logan, waiting for her. Logan stood the furthest away, leaning against Aunt Belle’s desk as the others spoke. Jaco hurried over to him and was rewarded with a scratch behind the ears. Faith found it hard to keep her eyes off him. There was a buzz in the air. Feeling uncomfortably like she was the last to know something, she slowed.

“Ah, Faith, coming here, my dear,” Aunt Belle said, patting the spot next to her on the sofa where she sat. “Grace has some news.”

Faith’s brow lifted quizzically as she sat next to her aunt.

“News? What news?” she asked.

“Well,” Grace said, stepping toward the middle of the group. “Everyone here knows that I’ve been trying to garner entrance into any medical school that might take a woman. Unfortunately, I’ve not been accepted.” She smiled brightly as Faith looked around, noting that the others seemed just as confused. “But none of that matters, as I’ve been recommended by Dr. Barkley to shadow Dr. Hall in Glasgow as his assistant.”

Faith’s chin dropped as Hope came forward. Both sisters crowded Grace.

“Oh, darling, that’s wonderful,” Faith said, gripping her hand tightly. “Dr. Hall has permitted this?”

“In a roundabout way,” Grace said, her eyes dropping a fraction. “Dr. Barkley informed Dr. Hall that he is to mentor me over the next six months, during my time in Glasgow.”

“And what power does Dr. Barkley have over Dr. Hall to command him this way?”

“It would seem as though old Miss Fletcher is actually Dr. Hall’s aunt and she has quite a lot of influence on him,” Grace said, a proud smile coming to her lips. “Supposedly, he is the one who keeps her in such stylish gowns. And for whatever reason, she has insisted, quite ardently, that her nephew grant me a six-month commitment.”

“How fortune for you, indeed, my dear,” Belle said, her silver eyes twinkling with delight and possibly mischief.

“It is. And I will offer my thanks to Miss Fletcher and Dr. Barkley at once for using their powers to coerce Dr. Hall into agreement.”

“But are you certain you wish to do this?” Hope asked, concerned. “A professional life for a lady is… Well, it’s not done often.”

“No, it isn’t. And it can be very difficult,” Aunt Belle said as she peered back down at her. Then, she winked. “But I believe if there was anyone ready for such an adventure, it would be our Grace.”

Grace smiled.

“Thank you, Aunt Belle.”

“But who will go with you?” Hope asked, still worried.

“Well,” Grace said, nodding toward Logan. “Mr. Harris had the suggestion that his sister, Arabella might accompany me, if,” she said, turning back to Aunt Belle, “we have a chaperone. That way I can work with Dr. Hall and Arabella can enjoy the social side of the city.” Her expression turned pleading. “Would you be able to chaperone us, Aunt Belle?”

The old woman stood up and clapped her hands together loudly.

“Why, what a brilliant idea, indeed!” she said, giving Grace a kiss on the cheek. “I would love too. Oh. Except,” she turned to Faith, “I’ve a prior commitment.”

Faith stared at her aunt and then at Logan. Heading to London had been the idea, but since she had concocted that plan, everything had changed. Gazing over at Logan, Faith suddenly felt as if all eyes were on them.

“If I could,” he started, reaching for Faith’s hands as he came forward. “I was hoping that I might convince you to stay in Scotland for just a little while longer.”

“Just a little while?”

Logan smiled.

“If I say forever, will you hold it against me?”

Faith giggled, ashamed that her eyes felt suddenly wet. She turned to face her aunt.

“I…” she started before shaking her head. “Aunt Belle? Would you mind terribly if we don’t go to London?”

Belle gave her a gentle smile.

“Of course not, dear,” she said before turning to Hope. “And now I believe it’s your turn to share some news?”

Hope swallowed visibly, gave everyone a short nod, and turned to Graham.

“Well, since everyone is sharing. I… um, we, actually…” Hope stumbled through her words as Graham’s hand came to rest on her arm.

“What is it?”

“We…” Hope said, her cheeks turning bright red. “We are… Expecting.”

Graham frowned ever so slightly as if he didn’t understand.

“Expecting?” he repeated. “Expecting what?”

“You know,” she said.

For a fraction of a moment, it seemed he didn’t know, but then Graham’s entire face changed.

“Are you…” Graham started, but in the next instant, his arms were wrapped tightly around Hope as he twirled her around.

Just as quickly, he put her down and gingerly touched her stomach. It might have been inappropriate in front of everyone, but as it was just family, neither Graham nor Hope seemed to mind.

“Are you alright? Can I do anything?” he asked, almost frantic. “Do you feel well?”

“Yes, yes,” Hope said, laughing.

As everyone congratulated Graham, Logan pulled at Faith’s hand, and they stole away to the corner of the room. Logan spoke softly to not have the others hear.

“I was hoping that you might have a different answer to my previous question,” he said, rubbing Faith’s knuckles with his fingers.

“Previous question?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Yes,” he said, smirking. “I’m sure you remember.”

“Would you mind refreshing my memory?”

“Minx,” he said. “Very well. Would you marry me, Faith?” She opened her mouth to answer, but he immediately spoke over her. “And not because we’ve been together. Not because of any reason other than the fact that I love you.”

Faith’s smile spread across her face.

“Yes. Yes, I would like that very much.”

“God, Faith… Come, let’s ask Belle for her blessing,” he said, but as soon as they turned toward the others, they noticed that Belle already had a steady eye on them.

“If the best laid plans of mice and men all go awry, it’s because no one ever let a woman take charge of a situation,” Aunt Belle said smugly.

“What does that mean?”

“Only that the world would be a far more organized place if women were in control,” she said, smirking. “Who else could facilitate two relationships within a year, all on her own?”

“Wait,” Hope said. “You certainly meddled in my and Graham’s lives, but I don’t think you can take credit for Faith and Mr. Harris.”

“Can’t I?” Belle said. “I’m very well connected, my dears. Wealthy and determined. I promised your grandmother that I would marry you three off, and marry you off I shall.”

“But that’s impossible,” Faith said slowly. “Unless the painting…”

“The painting was the easy part,” Aunt Belle said with a wink.

Faith’s eyes widened as she stared at her aunt.

“But there isn’t any possibly way that you…” Faith said, her face falling. “Unless you somehow knew…” She turned to look at Logan. “Did you—”

But he was shaking his head, holding his hands up.

“I didn’t know.”

Faith whipped around to her aunt.

“Aunt Belle, how on earth can you claim to have orchestrated all this? It’s impossible.”

“If there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years, it’s that nothing is truly impossible,” she said with a wink. “Besides, I would do anything for my girls.”

“Still, there’s no possible way—”

To stop another quarrel, Logan pulled Faith into his arms and kissed her firmly in front of everyone. Faith’s ire began to melt away and she wrapped her arms around Logan’s shoulders. Jaco barked happily at them as they broke their kiss, smiling and laughing down at him and then at everyone else. Yes. This was where she belonged.

Faintly, Faith heard Belle speak.

“Who says fairytales don’t exist?”

Through Jaco’s barking, Faith barely registered Grace’s response.

“I don’t know about fairytales,” Grace answered. “But matchmaking two out of three of your nieces is quite successful. Unfortunately, I think your talents will fall short for me, as I have no intention of ever marrying anyone.”

And just as Faith’s kiss with Logan ended, she heard Aunt Belle quietly retorted, “Oh, but my dear, you’re next.”

The End