Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

Perhaps he has been away.”
    “ Perhaps so. I should pay a visit to his mother some afternoon. She asked us to dinner, but I begged to postpone until after Olivia arrives.”
    “ Would you like me to take you?”
    “ Protect me, you mean. I can manage, mother taught me right where to hurt a lad.”
    Hannish chuckled, “I am sure she did and I remember seeing her do it once. Perhaps I should go in any case. It will do me good to get out of the house.” He picked up one of the newspapers she discarded and began to read it. “Am I to expect an announcement soon?”
    She wrinkled her brow. “What sort of announcement?”
    “ The one about your engagement?”
    “ Oh that. I wondered when you would ask.”
    “ Care to tell me about him?”
    “ You will like him. He is beyond a doubt the most unsightly man I have yet to see. He has saggy cheeks, wears his hair far too long and…”
    “ Yet you love him?”
    “ Not at all. I refused him repeatedly, but he had the encouragement of one Duchess MacGreagor.”
    “ And this is why you do not get on with my wife?”
    “ She kept inviting him to the house, so I moved away. It dinna help; he still managed to appear regularly.”
    “ So you fled to America to relieve yourself of him?”
    “ Nay, I came to see you.”
    “ And to rid yourself of him.”
    “ Oh Hannish, how is it I manage to attract the wrong sort of man? I want to marry, but I want a man I care to look at first thing in the morning.”
    “ Do not fret; we will see many an unmarried man come to call soon.”
    She giggled, “So long as his name is not Charles.”
    “ Indeed.” He decided he had already read that paper and folded it back up. “Sister, how old do you think Sassy is?”
    “ I am not certain, why do you ask?”
    “ Keith seems very attentive to her lately.”
    “ He is not the only one. She is admired by Shepard and Dugan as well. I confess I quite enjoy watching all three of them vying for her attention.”
    “ What does Sassy say about it?”
    McKenna put one paper on the table and reached for another. “She ignores them if she can, which is a bit odd since most girls her age are smitten with every lad she sees. What worries you?”
    “ She seems so very innocent, and having been raised in an orphanage, I wonder if she can possibly know the ways of men. Suppose she is too easily convinced?”
    “ I see your meaning. You wish me to have a motherly talk with her.”
    “ Would you? I would hate to see any harm come to her, particularly under my very own roof.”
    “ You are right, I will talk to her. Did you cablegram Cameron? I do hope he managed to rescue Sassy’s sister.”
    “ I did, and the moment we have telephones I will call him. It is very rewarding to do something that will make others happy.”
    McKenna studied his face for a moment. “You look tired. Are you not sleeping?”
    “ I try, but there is much to consider.”
    “ Anything I can help with?”
    “ Nay, there is nothing.” He picked up another paper, one he had not yet seen and began to read it.
    “ Shall we visit the Whitfields tomorrow?” she asked at length.
    “ The day after would suit me better. I shall send Shepard to give them fair warning.”
    “ Good.”

    McKenna was not looking forward to her delicate discussion with Sassy. Having not been married herself, she was not quite certain what to say and only had Donnel’s words of caution to fall back on. Nevertheless, she left her writing desk, rang the bell, and waited for Sassy to come.
    “ Sit down, dear, I wish to speak to you about something.”
    “ Have I done wrong?”
    “ Not at all.” McKenna waited until Sassy was settled in one of the new chairs chosen especially for that room. “I was wondering…I mean, since you were raised in an orphanage…I wonder if you might know where babies come from.”
    “ Mostly through the front door.”
    McKenna smiled. “I do not mean that, I mean…”
    “ Oh, you mean how are they made? I am surprised no one has told you yet. Shall I explain it?”
    “ Please.”
    “ You see, we got more girl babies than boys, but there is a difference…in how they are.”
    “ I do know that much.”
    “ Good. Now with a boy baby, one must always see that…that part is covered with a cloth in the changin’, or you get mighty wet.”
    “ That, I did not know. My brothers are older, you see.”
    “ I learned the hard way and more than once.” Sassy stood up, walked to the window, and tried to