Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

standing there with his mouth gaping. Hannish put his hand on George Graham’s shoulder and tried to urge him back toward the house, but Graham was reluctant to go. “Mr. Whitfield fancies my sister, but his manners are too poor to suit either of us.”
    “ You shoot a man for ill manners?” Graham asked.
    “ Only if he persists. I am convinced you would not persist, am I right Mr. Graham? You would not persist in pursuing another lad’s wife, would you?”
    “ Certainly not. I am a married man.”
    “ I had not heard that. Do you love your wife?”
    “ Very much.”
    “ Does she know you are having an affair with my wife?”
    Graham oddly looked defiant. “I assure you, I am not and affair with your wife.”
    “ Of course you are. Come now, Mr. Graham, there is no need to deny it, I’ve plenty of witnesses.” Hannish’s smile turned to a frightening glare. “Mr. Graham, should you ever go near my wife again, I shall see that everyone in Scotland hears of your treachery.”
    George Graham realized Shepard was reloading and began to back away. “But you will pay me?”
    “ At the end of the week, just as I said. Furthermore, I shall be happy to see that the horse is returned to the Hotel.” Hannish pointed down the lane. “Town is that way.”
    Alarmed by the shot, every member of the household was outside watching, when Mr. Graham began to run down the lane. As soon as he was out of sight, they watched Hannish take off his jacket, hand it to Shepard and head for the woodpile.

    The ax was right where Hannish left it the last time – imbedded in the end of a log. He pulled it out, set another log on top of it and delivered a mighty blow. He was not as angry this time as he was perplexed. By his count, Olivia had managed to get her hands on a great deal of money. Had she squandered it or was she up to something? Did she mean to get all she could out of him, and trick him into divorcing her so she could marry George Graham? An hour later, that was the only explanation he could come up with.

    It was a mistake to wear the new shoes Olivia bought him in New York, and it didn’t take long for Graham’s feet to blister on his forced walk down the hill toward town. The worst seemed to be on the outside of his little toes and when he found a rock to sit on, he stopped, took off his left shoe and tried to see what the problem was. He put his hand inside, felt around and when he finally looked up, a man on a horse was watching him.
    “ I had a pair of shoes like those once,” the stranger said. “They have a knot inside, but if you clip it…if you can reach it that is, the shoe begins to fall apart.”
    “ They are very expensive shoes.”
    “ The best there is, the shoemaker claims. I am Charles Whitfield, and you?”
    “ George Graham.”
    “ Care for a ride to town, George?”
    “ I would be ever so grateful.” He hated to, but he put his shoe back on and began to tie the laces.
    “ You’re a scot? I saw you at Marblestone Mansion.”
    George nodded. “You must be the lad MacGreagor’s man shot at?”
    “ He missed.”
    “ So he said.”
    Charles reached down and patted the side of his mare’s neck to steady her. “I hoped to get a look at his wife.”
    “ You are too late; he sent her back to Scotland.”
    “ So soon?”
    “ She only came to beg him to divorce her.” George finally finished tying his shoe and stood up.
    “ On what grounds?”
    “ Adultery. Apparently, it infuriated him and he agreed more quickly than she expected.”
    Charles moved his foot out of the stirrup, offered his arm, helped George mount behind him and headed for town.

    McKenna was more than worried about her brother. He had been in his study for the better part of three days, checking lists and placing orders, now that he could do it by telephone instead of writing letters. She often heard him raise his voice, but it was not in anger, it was to make his order heard through phone lines that did not always carry a clear conversation. As well, Cameron called each day, normally late at night Colorado time. Hannish had not come to the kitchen in the mornings or joined her for lunch, and as the third evening approached, she decided to see if he was coming for dinner.
    “ Come in,” she heard him say when she knocked on the door. She entered, looked around the undecorated room and frowned. “A mounted bear head or two on the walls would tidy the place up a bit.”
    He smiled. “Must I shoot the bears