Brianne’s eyes brightened with curiosity as they fell upon Elspeth. She hurried forward, her hand outstretched. “How do you do. I’m Brianne Delaney and you must be Elspeth MacGregor. Patrick has told me all kinds of interesting things about you.” Her grip was as strong and cordial as her grandfather’s had been as she eagerly shook Elspeth’s hand. “I’ve wanted to see London and Edinburgh since Rising Star persuaded Patrick and me to study geography with her.”

“We can’t even get you to St. Louis,” Malvina said dryly.

“Someday.” Brianne laughed. “There’s plenty of time.” She turned to Silver seated at the place next to Elspeth and gave her an affectionate wink. “Isn’t that right, Silver? There’s no hurry about leaving Killara when there’s always so much to see and do here.”

Silver returned her smile and Elspeth could see no hint of resentment in her expression. It would have been impossible for Silver not to be stung my the favoritism shown Brianne by her grandparents, but she obviously did not blame her cousin for their discrimination.

“You’re too late for dinner,” Malvina said with an effort at gruffness. “You’ll have to grab a bite in the kitchen.”

Brianne nodded. “Rosa will fix me something.”

“And probably a better meal than she served us.” Shamus grimaced as he shook his head with mock ruefulness. “She wouldn’t want her pequiña to go hungry.” Then the amusement faded from Shamus’s face. “Did Patrick ride back with you?”

Brianne shook her head. “Cort told me he rode out of Shamrock five minutes after Dominic arrived.”

Shamus frowned. “I thought he’d gotten over the foolishness that made him fly up at Dominic. I’ll have to have a talk with him. It’s not like Patrick to hold a grudge.”

Brianne avoided her grandfather’s eyes as she said lightly, “Give him a little time. Patrick won’t let Dom leave Killara without settling their differences.” She turned back to Elspeth. “Why don’t I have Rosa fix me a tray and bring it up to Rising Star’s room? Then we can get comfortable and you can tell me all about Edinburgh and the journey across the sea and-”

“Miss MacGregor hasn’t been well,” Shamus said. He turned to Elspeth. “You mustn’t let this wild gypsy impose on you.”

“I don’t feel at all tired.” Elspeth found to her surprise that it was true. She had been so fascinated by the myriad complexities of the Delaney clan that she felt as if they had lent her a large quantity of their own vitality. “I would like very much to have a chat.” She smiled. “Though I imagine your account of your life here will be a great deal more colorful than what I can tell you. It’s true I’ve done a good deal of traveling but I’ve actually lived a very quiet life.”

Brianne grinned impishly. “Well, from what Patrick says, you’ve recently been making up for any past monotony.” She turned away and started for the door. “Just give me ten minutes to talk to Rosa and then get the smell of horse off me and I’ll join you in Rising Star’s room.”

“Elspeth is occupying your room because it’s the best bedroom,” Malvina called after her. “And Dominic is occupying his old room, and Silver’s here, so you’ll have to sleep in one of the guest rooms.”

Brianne smiled and said over her shoulder, “I’ll sleep on the couch in the library. I’ve always loved the smell of that room. The scent of ink and the leather binding of the books and Gran-da’s pipe tobacco…”

Then she was gone, her words drifting behind her as they had rushed before her, in a bright, shining trail.

12

The flames of the candles in the wrought-iron chandelier had been extinguished and the hall was in darkness when Dominic opened the front door. He paused a moment, looking at the stairs and silently cursing the time it had taken him to ride from Shamrock. He had wanted to see Elspeth before she retired to her room and it was almost midnight. He had been worried all day about whether Rising Star had told Elspeth she had a map to Kantalan, and now he would have to wait until morning to find out. He shut the door quietly behind him and moved swiftly toward the curving staircase.

A door opened down the hall, releasing an arrow of light into the darkness and silhouetting the man standing in the doorway of the smoking room. “Dominic?”

Dominic paused with his foot on the first step. “Yes, Da.”

“Come in and have a drink with me before you go to bed. How’s the barn coming along?”

Dominic turned and walked toward him. “It should be. finished by tomorrow evening. Josh told me to tell you he was going to ride up and check on those strays in the foothills before he came home.”

Shamus nodded with satisfaction as he turned away from the door. “That’s good.” He crossed the room and dropped into the big chair by the fireplace. No fire burned in the dark grate on this warm night and his father had discarded his jacket, vest, and tie and rolled his shirt-sleeves to the elbow. “I can always count on Joshua. He’s a good, steady man.” He picked up his half-empty glass of bourbon. “Get yourself a drink and let’s have a talk.”

Dominic smiled as he crossed the room to the cellarette and poured a small quantity of bourbon into a glass. This summons from his father was expected. During every visit to Killara there came a time when Da took him aside and tried either to bully or persuade him to his way of thinking. He might as well get it over with now as later. “Sean and Cort are doing a fine job with Shamrock.” He turned back to Shamus. “Are you going to leave them there much longer?”

His father stretched out his legs before him and gave a long, mournful sigh. “I don’t know if I can afford to do without them here on Killara. Cort is crazy to try his hand at some fancy horsebreeding at Shamrock and I’d hate to take him away, but I may have to do it.” His heavy lids veiled his eyes. “After all, Killara is the primary property and I’m getting old. I can’t be expected to shoulder the burden much longer.”