Receiving a slap on the arm, he immediately went down to send a groom off after the duo. But he only got halfway to the stables when he espied his uncle, Blane McKendry. The minister was approaching from the direction of the loch. And he was walking with two people.
Lady Taylor Fleming and Franz Aurech, the Duke of Bamberg.
And they both appeared to be extremely jovial. In fact, Dermot noticed they were holding hands.
“Ah, nephew,” the cleric called out as they approached. “We have cause for celebration.”
“Indeed, we do,” Dermot replied, shading his eyes against the sun and trying to avoid looking at the two island castaways. “And it’s a fine day for a celebration.”
He wondered how his uncle heard about the baby. He hadn’t sent word to the village, but thankfully, someone had done it.
“After the storm last night,” Blane McKendry began, “I knew that old George Hanover, that monster of a pike the Squire and I have been angling for since you were a lad, would surely be rising for a fight. You remember last year the Squire nearly had the blackguard, but the beast tore the rod right out of his—”
“I recall, Uncle. It was an epic battle.” Fishing. Island. It now made sense how these three were together.
“Aye, so this morning I rowed out to the island. Thought the Squire would already be there, but I beat him to it.” The minister smiled with obvious satisfaction. “Then, just as I was going by the cottage, I saw a few wisps of smoke and realized someone was in there. And who should answer my call but these two fine people.”
Dermot hazarded a glance at them. Standing arm in arm, they appeared to be unperturbed by the story. Whatever response Millie feared from her friend, it didn’t show in Taylor’s shining face.
“And once we shook hands all around, what do you think they asked me?”
“For a fish to fry up for breakfast?”
“Nay, lad! A wedding!” The minister beamed at his companions.
“I asked your uncle to marry us today,” Bamberg announced, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Taylor held onto the duke’s arm and smiled happily at the minister. “Your good uncle here has given up a day of angling in order to officiate at our wedding. And we’re hoping you and Millie will stand up for us as witnesses.”
Bamberg nodded. “We should like to be married at once. Do you mind, McKendry? Do you think Lady Millie would mind?”
Millie would be thrilled. And how appropriate that these two should want to be married now, without Taylor’s horrid father and brother present. Very satisfying, indeed.
“Not at all. I’m certain she’ll be delighted,” he replied. “Come inside. I have some news of my own to convey.”
They’d done it. Millie’s perception of her friend’s true feelings, added to his own cleverness in giving them time alone, had kept a duke from being ditched.
The Duke and Duchess of Bamberg. It certainly had a fine ring to it.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
We hope you enjoyed
As many of you know, our characters live and breathe for us. At the end of the Pennington Family series, many of our readers wrote to us asking if some of the family members could come back in future stories. Well, this was a little teaser. Those of you who have read our previous novels and novellas will remember Millie and Dermot from
Here is a listing of other books involving the Penningtons:
And we’re not done. You’ll be seeing the Penningtons again.
This Spring, our novel
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Peace and Health,
Nikoo and Jim (writing as May McGoldrick).
TO TEMPT A HIGHLAND DUKE
AUGUST
BRONWEN EVANS
PREFACE
