The sound of the front door opening and feminine footsteps in the hall made him look at the clock again. Fifteen minutes past five o’clock. Finally. They were home. But…he heard only one pair of footsteps. His nape prickled again as Louisa appeared in the doorway. One look at her face made him jump up.
“Where are Lorelei and my sister?”
“We were supposed to meet at the Pot and Pineapple, but…I thought maybe they had come home.” She looked around vaguely as though expecting to find them.
“Where did they go?”
She refocused on him. “Sailing.”
“Sailing?”
“Yes. Captain Taylor had promised to take them several weeks ago—”
“And I told them specifically nae to go!”
“Yes, well.” She looked uncomfortable. “Yesterday at Lady Molyneux’s fete, he mentioned it again.”
Alasdair groaned. It was just like Fiona to defy him. And if Lady Melissa hadn’t insisted on going for a carriage ride in Hyde Park yesterday, maybe he could have stopped this.
“I am sure they are fine,” Louisa said. “They said they would be back by supper. Maybe the wind died and it is taking a little longer.”
He ran his hand across his nape where his hair was practically standing on end. “I doona like it. I’m going down to the docks.” He stopped halfway to the door. “What are the names of the ships he owns?”
“There are three.Sea Master, Sea Farer, Sea Rover,” Louisa answered. “The first two are big, though, meant to sail the ocean.”
“And the other?”
“Sea Roveris smaller, he said it had only a four-man crew.”
“’Tis his private boat then?”
She shook her head. “I do not know. He said he uses it for Channel crossings and trips in the Mediterranean.”
“Good Lord Almighty…” He was stopped from continuing by the sound of the butler at the front door. A moment later, heavy boots thudded in the hall and Gavin strode through the door.
“MacGregor. Glad you are here. We need to talk to your sister and Lorelei.”
“They are not home yet,” Louisa said.
He turned steely eyes on her. “Where are they?”
She looked from him to Alasdair and back. “Sailing. Captain Taylor invited them for the afternoon.”
“Dia damn e!”
Alasdair’s uneasiness grew. “What?”
“I had my uncle ask around.” Gavin cursed once more, this time in English. “He found out who Erik Taylor is…or, at least who he is related to.”
“And?”
“Erik Taylor’s mother is a sister to Laird Cameron.”
Alasdair frowned. “That makes him a cousin to Neal.”
Louisa looked from one to the other. “Who is Neal?”
“Our neighbor to the north,” Alasdair answered. “He abducted Lorelei’s sister Juliana and tried to force her into marriage but my brother Rory intervened and ended up betrothed to her.”
