The Pursuit (15 page)

I
T
was much easier to rant and rave at her younger uncles than it was at the elder group. When Ian One and those of his brothers closest to his age showed up later that day, after Melissa had lit into Ian Six, she’d known she would be at a serious disadvantage. They reasoned with her just as her father did, calmly, with assurance that they were right and she was wrong. She’d been forced to listen to them, especially after they began by apologizing for not telling her everything to start with.

When the younger bunch of brothers showed up the day after, she was expecting more of the same from them—apologies first, then the reasons they thought Lincoln wasn’t a good choice for her. She’d already decided that she wasn’t going to repeat herself, at least until her father showed up. She’d already told Ian One that although his concerns were sound, she simply
didn’t, nor ever would, believe that Lincoln Ross Burnett was capable of hurting her.

She did have some doubts now that her father would see her side of it, though.
I’m thinking he’d rather ye be safe.
She hadn’t been able to get that parting remark of Ian Six’s out of her mind.

Ian One had pretty much said the same thing, reinforcing those new doubts. She hadn’t counted on seeing Lincoln again before her father showed up. He had agreed to stay away until then. So she wasn’t going to have any further opportunity to bolster her certainty, to counter theirs. And she expected to hear more of the same now from her younger uncles, which was only going to intensify her doubts. With so many of them set against Lincoln, it was seriously daunting, the thought of changing their minds.

Her first clue that this meeting with her younger uncles wasn’t going to be as she assumed came when she arrived in the parlor where they were waiting to find Ian Six going about the room, gathering every object that might be throwable. She raised a brow at him in question. He blushed but continued to pick up a few more items—and then couldn’t figure out where to put them all so they’d be out of her reach.

In a teasing gesture, she held out her skirt, forming a deep pocket, indicating that would be a good place. He gave her a stern frown. She shrugged, leaned back against the doorframe, crossed her arms in a relaxed manner. He decided simply to hold on to the items for now.

“Well, then, who’s tae be the spokesman today?” she said nonchalantly.

They were all contained in one area of the room, filling up the two sofas and two chairs in the center grouping of furniture. It was a large room, though. There were three other, smaller groupings, each with several chairs along with a table and lamp, spread about the room. These were designed for more private conversation, far apart from each other. And there were still more single chairs set here and there, just in case a large crowd showed up.

After posing her question, her uncles glanced at each other for a moment. One by one, they all pretty much cast their eyes down, silently telling each other they were passing the buck. Neill realized with chagrin that he hadn’t been quick enough to lower his own eyes.

Melissa grinned at her second-youngest uncle because he just happened to be the shyest of the lot. “So it wasna decided ahead o’ time, and now you’re elected by default, eh?” she teased.

Neill lacked confidence in himself. He knew it, his brothers knew it, yet not one of them spoke up to get him out of this fix. Which, come to think of it, was quite alarming in itself.

All humor gone, she gave him a steady look and said, “Just say it.”

He nodded, cleared his throat. “Ian One ordered us here, and rightly sae, tae make a confession. We’ve done something we’re no’ proud o’, on second thoughts, though we had the best intentions.”

“‘We’? As in…?”

“Just those of us here,”

“Correction,” Ian Six put in, giving Neill a baleful look for starting off in error. “I wasna part o’ this, Meli, nor would I hae been had I known o’ it. Only just heard aboot it m’self. But I’m thinking ye should sit down afore more is said.”

She came away from the door, stiff now with dread. “I dinna want tae hear this.”

“We wish ye didna hae tae hear this either, but it has tae be said.”

“Nae,” She shook her head, repeated adamantly. “Nae. Go back tae your hotel—back tae the Highlands for that matter. There’s no reason for you tae be here any longer. I already told Ian One that I’d let m’da decide the matter.”

“But our older brother, in his
infinite
wisdom, neglected tae mention that tae us,” Charles said in his typical sarcastic fashion. “All we knew was that Linc scoffed at our warning tae stay away from ye and sought ye oot anyway, and something had tae be done aboot that.”

“But that was your fault, for no’ telling me tae begin wi’, what you’d done,” she replied. “Lincoln felt that
somebody
should’ve told me, and rightly so.”

“Aye, we’re sorry for that,” Johnny offered.

A few more of them piped up with the same, but it was too late for apologies on that score, when they’d apparently done something much worse. Or was she simply letting her imagination
run wild? They could just be so guilty about that oversight that having to add a little something to it now was too much in their minds.

She sighed and moved farther into the room, sat down between Ian Five and Callum on the first sofa. “So tell me, then, what did you do now?”

Complete silence and more downcast looks. She stiffened again. Was it so bad that not one of them could get the words out?

Ian Six, not sharing their guilt, didn’t have a problem ending the suspense. “They had Linc shanghaied on a ship bound for China. They paid a crewman to make sure he canna leave the ship at any ports it stops at on the way. Sae he’ll be making the complete journey, which can last from two tae four years—or longer.”

She stared at Ian Six, then at each of her other uncles in turn. Not one, other than Ian, would meet her eyes. Ian apparently believed what they’d told him and what he’d just shared with her. She didn’t.

“This is a joke, right? You just want me tae think he’s gone sae I’ll forget about him. You found out he had tae leave town for some reason, and you’re using that. I canna believe you’d lie tae me like this.”

There were so many hot blushes after that, the temperature in the room rose a notch. “It was my idea, Meli. I take full blame,” Jamie said, looking miserable.

“Yours, was it? But you’re all here, so you all
were in agreement, and I havena heard the end of the story yet. I’m still waiting.”

Ian Four and Neill, sitting on both sides of Johnny on the other sofa, nudged him to speak up. At thirty-two, he was the oldest there at the moment, and they figured if she’d believe any of them, it would be him.

He didn’t like being put on the spot, however, so his tone was a bit surly as he said, “Ye were right on one count, Meli. Ye know verra well we wouldna lie tae ye.” She started shaking her head, but he had more to say. “No real harm has been done other than showing Linc a life he’d probably ne’er thought tae pursue. It’s a grand experience, going tae sea, according tae Jamie, who’d like tae do the same. And since yer da would hae forbidden ye tae wed the mon anyway, we’ve assisted ye in getting o’er the notion o’ having him that much sooner. It’s done. No one was physically hurt, which is what it would’ve come tae wi’ Linc defying us. Which is no’ tae say we dinna regret doing it. We didna give it enough thought, or take into account just how furious Linc will be.”

Melissa’s mind went numb. They’d put him out of her reach. They’d decided the matter for her, when they didn’t have that right.

W
HEN
Ian Six reported that Melissa had locked herself in her room and wouldn’t speak to anyone, even the duchess, the MacFearson brothers began to fight among themselves. Their arguments came close to blows on several occasions. Charles came under the most fire, since no one was able to stomach his sarcasm when tempers were already short. Guilt turned them all defensive.

Ian One took it upon himself to visit Megan St. James and explain to her what had transpired, so she wouldn’t worry unduly over Melissa’s seclusion. Receiving a severe tongue lashing from that beautiful, if formidable, lady had put him in a foul mood again.

He’d mellowed in his older years, but it was hard to tell that week. And although he should have sent a detailed letter to Lachlan, because of his mood, he was very brief in the missive he sent
off, telling him merely that they’d interfered with Lincoln Burnett’s courtship of Melissa and suggesting that Lachlan come to London sooner than planned, since she was upset about it. He didn’t include a note to his sister. He was really not looking forward to explaining to her what they’d done.

Because they expected Lachlan and Kimberly to show soon, the brothers elected to stay in London for the time being—to face the music, so to speak. They spent a lot of time at the St. James residence, waiting, or at least hoping, that Melissa would get over her shock and come down to rail at them, and
before
her parents arrived. They deserved it. It would be good for her. And she could then get on with having her season—and Lachlan and Kimberly then wouldn’t be quite as furious with them.

The duchess tolerated them in her house and after a few days even began inviting them to dine with her, since they seemed at such a loss for what to do with themselves. She was still too annoyed with them to invite them to be her house-guests for the duration, but she made a small effort to entertain them, gracious lady that she was. They
were
Melissa’s relatives, after all, though at the moment the poor girl was probably wishing they weren’t.

They were having dinner with her tonight, had almost finished, when the butler arrived to say, “An
un
expected guest, Your Grace.” Then, to Ian Six, “If you even
look
at my nose, Master Ian, I shall quit my post, which is likely to annoy the duchess.”

Megan glanced at the youngest MacFearson,
who was already starting to blush, and said, “Yes, extremely annoyed, as it happens.”

His blush got much worse, but no one noticed, because the mentioned “visitor” now stood in the doorway—filled it with his large size, actually—and had everyone’s attention. Silence reigned. Shock had a way of doing that.

Megan was least affected. She left the table, cordially offered her hand to Lincoln Burnett. “You’re back? Somehow that doesn’t surprise me in the least. But you will avoid…disturbing my furniture while you’re here, won’t you?”

It was an order, not a request. No fighting in her house under any circumstances.

Either way Lincoln would have replied, “Yes, Your Grace,” and did.

“Very well, I’ll leave you to your business, then,” the lady said and with a signal to the butler, who had hoped to witness the ensuing theatrics and was disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to, left her guests to iron out their numerous differences.

The silence continued, probably because Lincoln’s expression was completely inscrutable, giving them no clue to the degree of his rage. He looked fit, no worse for wear, but that could be deceiving.

William was the first to break the uncomfortable spell, remarking, “Och, Linc, I’m amazed tae say I’m actually glad tae see ye.”

“You’ll forgive me if I doubt that,” Lincoln replied quietly.

William chuckled. “I
did
say I was amazed.”

Callum wasn’t amused, but he did reiterate, “Actually, I’d say we’re all relieved that a mistake we made got rectified somehow. Sae, aye, for that reason alone, we’re glad tae see ye. It has nothing tae do wi’ anything else.”

Lincoln accepted that explanation with a nod. “I have an aunt and a cousin who depend on me. Did you even think to inform them that you’d arranged for me not to be around for a number of years? Or were you going to leave them to wonder indefinitely over my ‘disappearance’?”

Ian One answered, “I sent them a note, that due tae a lack o’ good judgment on the part o’ several people, ye were sent tae China for a number o’ years. Ye havena seen them yet tae find that oot?”

“I only just got back a few hours ago. I wanted to know if I would have the authorities to deal with or not, in case they had reported my absence.”

Ian nodded. “They may not have believed the note and summoned the magistrate anyway. Are ye implying ye’d rather no’ deal wi’ the authorities o’er this?”

“It’s a personal matter that I’d as soon keep that way,” Lincoln replied.

They’d thought as much, knowing him, or thought at least that having the law to answer to hadn’t been one of their worries. His retaliation was, though, and his display of calm was making more than one of them nervous.

“Ye didna like the sea at all?” Jamie asked with genuine curiosity.

“Is he serious?” Lincoln said to no one in particular.

“Aye,” Adam replied. “It was his idea, ’cause he has a hankering tae sail.”

“Then he should have got on that ship instead,” Lincoln replied simply.

“I’m wishing I had,” Jamie mumbled.

“How’d ye know we’d be here—or was it Meli ye came tae see?” Johnny asked.

“I gave my word that I’d stay away from Melissa until her father arrives. Whether you believe it or not, I tend to keep my word.”

“Had
some
of us known that ye had agreed tae stay away, we wouldna be having this conversation right now,” Malcolm said with a frown sent toward Ian One.

Ian One explained to Lincoln, “Melissa did inform me o’ that. Whether I believed it doesna matter. I’m afraid I wasna quick enough tae let the rest o’ m’brothers know.”

“Which exonerates no one,” Lincoln replied in the same quiet tone. “Be that as it may, to answer your question, I went to your hotel first. It took me less than an hour to find your name in the register. I had a feeling I’d find you here. I assume that you haven’t told Melissa about the little trip you planned for me?”

“Nay, we told her,” Ian Four said. “She’s taken to her room e’er since.”

Lincoln shook his head in disgust, the first bit
of emotion he let show. “You don’t tell her when you should but do tell her when you shouldn’t. Is there no end to the idiocy that runs in your family?”

Usually the MacFearsons wouldn’t stand for an insult like that. Usually they’d all be leaping to their feet and swinging fists almost immediately. Not one of them moved, however, likely because they’d said as much to each other more than once in the last few days.

“Frankly, it will be m’pleasure tae let her know ye somehow cut that trip short,” Johnny said. “How did ye, by the way? It’s only been five days.”

“I was put ashore in France. I would have been back sooner, but it took an extra day to find a harbor with a ship departing immediately for London.”

“Aye, but how’d ye talk yer way off the China-bound ship?”

“A bit of extreme luck that you picked a ship captained by an old schoolmate of mine. I’d only just run into the chap a few days prior to hear how he’d taken to the sea. He was rather put out that one of his men was taking on crewmen against their will. Almost dumped the fellow overboard.”

“We still canna let ye court our niece, but ye’re due retribution if ye’re wanting it,” Adam remarked.

Lincoln surprised them by saying, “I want none.”

“Then what are ye doing here?” Ian Four asked warily.

“I spent quite a few boring hours on that ship with nothing to do but consider my options. Dealing with my bride-to-be’s parents is expected, part of the process, as it were. Dealing with the rest of her relations is not. And there’s only one thing that you MacFearsons actually understand. So here’s an address,” Lincoln said, tossing a card onto the table. “Be there tomorrow morning at nine, the lot of you. I want you off my back.”