Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

arm Ronan offered her.
    “ Oh, who cares?” Sassy said, tossing her hat away.
    “ I care,” McKenna said, quickly picking it up. “‘Tis not proper for a lady to be without a hat. Sit beside me in the wagon and I shall fix it.”
    “ In that case,” said Hannish, “Prescot, put Donnel and Blanka in the carriage.” Just then, he thought of something. “Miss Leesil and Miss Cathleen, should anyone ask, what last name have you chosen?”
    “ Covington,” both answered at once.
    Hannish smiled. “Good. Sometime soon, we shall see a judge about making it legal.”
    “ Oh sister,” Blanka said to Donnel, “They are girls. When they marry the name will be lost forever.”
    Donnel nodded. “True sister, we need a boy to carry it on.”
    “ We can give it to one of our orphans,” McKenna suggested.
    “ Oh yes, do,” said Donnel, “Give it to all the little boys without last names.”
    McKenna leaned close to Hannish and whispered, “I believe we have a name for our orphanage now. We shall call it, ‘The Covington Home for Children.’”

    The men sat on the fold-down bench on one side of the wagon and the women, complete with box lunches in their laps, sat on the other. As soon as they were all seated and the wagon began to move, McKenna started to pin Sassy’s hat on while they all sang, Wait for the wagon . She finished, settled back in her seat just as the song ended and loudly said, “Brother, I am not fond of this box lunch idea. I do not wish to eat my lunch with a stranger. Therefore, I am counting on you to buy it.”
    “ I cannae,” he said, leaning forward a little.
    “ And why not?”
    “ Because I’d not like to keep you from meeting the man of your dreams.”
    McKenna frowned. “Alistair, I shall give you twenty pounds if you buy mine.”
    Alistair winked at Sarah. “Do you see that box lunch in Sarah’s lap? I had Jessie put a big slice of cake in it just for me.”
    McKenna glared at Alistair for a moment, and then turned her attention to the next man she thought would be more willing. “Prescot?”
    Just as Prescot began to answer, Millie spoke up, “I believe Prescot might buy mine…if he is wise, Miss McKenna.”
    Everyone laughed when Prescot clutched his chest. “Help, Mr. Hannish, I think cupid just shot me in the heart.”
    McKenna waited for the laughter to die down and then moaned, “Will no man here buy mine?” She was about to plead again when Cathleen interrupted.
    “ Must we, Miss McKenna? Sassy and I would rather not have a stranger buy our lunch. Please do not make us.”
    “ No one will force you, Cathleen,” said Hannish. “You and Sassy can share a lunch and I’ll take the other one. Have we a bargain?”
    “ We do,” said a relieved Cathleen.
    “ Maybe next year,” McKenna soothed. “You are too young yet to be wantin’ a husband.”
    Sassy’s eyes widened. “‘Tis for findin’ a husband?”
    “ What did you think it was for?” a frustrated Keith asked.
    Sassy glared at him. “I dinna think it was to put a woman on display so as a man might want her. I dinna think that at all.”
    “ She has a point,” said McKenna. “Hannish, you shall share my lunch with me, and ‘twill not cost a penny. Keith can have Cathleen’s lunch, unless he can buy one of his own.”
    Dugan was completely confused. “Are you sayin’, if a lad does not bid high enough, he might go hungry?”
    “ It means exactly that,” said Shepard. “What is a lunch, and a pretty woman to eat it with, worth to you? I’ve my eye on a little thing called, Twyla, and she is worth half a month’s pay, maybe more.”
    “ You Americans have a funny way of courtin’,” Egan said. “In Scotland, we just ask them to take a walk or a ride in our buggy.”
    “ We do that here too,” said Prescot, “when a man has a buggy to take her in.”
    “ You wish to use the carriage?” Hannish asked. “Why did you not say so?”
    Prescot rolled his eyes. “Because I did not think Millie would go with me until just now.”
    Millie glared at Prescot, “I been tryin’ to get your attention since the day I came. You are a stubborn man, and blind as a bat, you are.”
    Prescot pretended to look stern. “Woman, we shall discuss this over lunch, providing you do not cost me a fortune. You’re a might too pretty, if you ask me.”
    Millie blushed. “Thank you…I think.”
    Hannish elbowed Prescot. “I’ve a few dollars I can lend.”
    “ I am saved,” Prescot