The coach wheels rumbled over the dirt lane. The sky had turned a deeper gray, and the wind swept over them with more force.

Georgiana resisted the urge to lean against Hamish. The warmth of his limbs may have brought comfort before, but now she focused on keeping some distance between them.

Soon they would separate...forever. She didn’t need to show Hamish that that fact would cause her pain.

The man hadn’t offered an explanation for his absence. Had he simply wanted to take advantage of the slivers of sunlight? Could he possibly have thought the horses needed exercise? Had he felt too constrained in the bed with her? Had he thought about her at all?

Hamish guided the coach into a village. Though the village resembled others they had visited, not exceeding them in beauty or charm, many more carriages were present. Half-timbered buildings with thatched roofs lined the road. They may have lacked the majesty of their counterparts in Mayfair or Kensington, but they seemed in possession of sufficient charm. Flowers swayed in brightly painted window boxes, a rare luxury.

This was Gretna Green.

This was Scotland.

This was the end of the journey.

“What do you think?” Hamish asked.

“It’s beautiful,” Georgiana said, not needing to be polite.

Hamish grinned. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I do.”

“But I assure you,” Hamish said. “The Highlands far exceed this in beauty.”

Georgiana’s smile wobbled. She didn’t want to think about other things. She didn’t want to be reminded that Hamish’s home was far away, and he was likely to want to return to it. After all, last night had been just that...one night. A single experience to remember forever.

She smoothed her tattered dress, though movement felt unnatural. Her limbs were stiff, as if already preparing for a quiet life.

There were things she could say, if she were the type of woman prone to romantic outbursts. She wanted everything for Hamish. She wanted the young boy he’d once been to be fine. The young boy who’d lost both his parents and still wanted to impress his guardians, even after they too had left this world behind. She didn’t expect the man he was now to make a place for her in his life.

The man had been devastated to discover his brother’s engagement. He was hardly going to desire to tie his life to the sister of the woman who would ruin his family’s estate.

Young couples sat on benches beside a blacksmith’s shop, and Georgiana shivered. There was something about their open affection that caused an ache to make its way through Georgiana’s chest.

She didn’t want to look at Hamish.

She didn’t want to think about the intimate moments they’d shared. Not when soon they would have to go their separate ways.  

“Don’t look sad.” Hamish stepped closer to her, and despite the abundances of horses on the streets, and their accompanying fragrances, Hamish’s particular scent of cotton and cedar wafted over her.

For a wild, wondrous moment she thought that the man might kiss her. She gazed up, noting the way in which the sunlight shone over the chestnut strands of his hair, revealing a variety of golden colors, all of them beautiful. His eyes though, his green, mysterious eyes, were filled only with concern.

She stepped back rapidly, stumbling over some pebbles and her cheeks pinkened. “I-I’m fine.”

She raised her chin and squared her shoulders. Heavens. What was wrong with her? She didn’t need him to think she was mourning the end of their time together. She wanted him to think her strong. 

Perhaps she was a wallflower. Perhaps she’d just had her third season, and perhaps she’d missed her chance for love. But she would have to make do. She would find other things to keep her company. She wouldn’t bemoan the fact that Hamish hadn’t been born in some neighboring village in Norfolk or that he seemed far too intrigued with Lady Isla, someone to whom she could never compare. And she certainly wouldn’t be anything except bright and cheerful.

He’d asked her if she was certain about the experience, and she’d said yes. It would be unfair for her to change the rules now and cling to his shirt and wish they could always remain together—something, she realized, she was regrettably tempted to do.

Gretna Green was the place for other couples to vow to spend the rest of their lives together. Not her.

She forced herself to smile and to be happy for those couples. Somewhere her sister was among them.

Of course, she didn’t know just where. She glanced up, and Hamish must have seen the questioning look on her face. He certainly understood it.

“Gretna Green weddings are usually performed by anvil priests.”

She blinked.

“The blacksmiths. We should go and investigate.”

“Wonderful.” Georgiana nodded, happy to have a plan. Now the only thing she needed to think about was how to best explain to her sister and her soon-to-be brother-in-law (and hopefully he already was her brother-in-law so that Hamish would not feel compelled to stop the wedding), what she was doing here.

Hamish led her toward the blacksmith’s shop. He seemed to know just where everything was. The blacksmith’s shop was a long, white building, and the interior was painted a similar white, though parts of it had darkened. Fires sizzled inside, and a variety of tools were perched on tables and shelves.

“It’s you!” The blacksmith smiled. “But you’ll need to go to the end of the line outside.”

The man’s friendliness was unexpected, and she blinked. “Sorry. We’ve come to attend a wedding.”

The blacksmith looked puzzled. Evidently the weddings here did not tend to have guests. 

“There are many weddings,” the blacksmith’s assistant said.

“Er—yes.” Georgiana considering the row of couples sitting outside the man’s shop. “Have you seen a blond English woman and a Scottish man? He’s blond too. And—er—a duke.”

The blacksmith raised his eyebrows. “I would have remembered them.”

“Perhaps yesterday? Or the day before?” Georgiana’s voice sounded strained, and Hamish squeezed her shoulder. She fought to resist the urge to sink into the pleasant sensation.

“They must not have arrived yet. You can wait outside.”

Georgiana nodded meekly and then exited the blacksmith’s shop, conscious of Hamish behind her. She scrutinized the line of couples. Some of them looked blissfully happy and excited, and others looked nervous, as if half-expecting angry relatives to ride up to put a halt to the wedding. Still others looked resigned. None of them resembled Charlotte or the duke.

“I don’t see them,” Georgiana whispered. “Perhaps they’re already married.”

Hamish squeezed her hand.

Had she missed her sister’s wedding?

Sadness moved through her.

It shouldn’t be important. The ceremony would be short, scarcely a minute. The blacksmith wouldn’t muse over the meaning of life and love. What did it matter if she were there to witness it?

Georgiana nodded and sank down onto a bench. She was exhausted.

Where was Charlotte?

Had something horrible befallen her? Had she decided not to elope after all? Charlotte tended to have traditional urges... And if Charlotte and the duke were not coming—who would vouch for her presence? Had she destroyed her reputation for no reason at all?

“Perhaps they were married in disguise,” Hamish suggested.

“They would have to use their real names for the marriage to be legal, and then—”

“—And then they would have known who they were.”

Hamish looked thoughtful.

He should have looked upset. He should have looked furious.

This was Georgiana’s life, and now it was in tatters.

Charlotte was not here.

Her stomach churned, as if assuming she were at sea in the midst of a terrible storm, as if thinking it impossible that only her emotions tumbled against her.

She would need to resign herself to being a spinster, making the occasional cryptic comment to suggest that she had been in possession of a past—the proper sort, with occurrences in it, but to be mostly respectable and allowed to cultivate her own interests. Would she be able to ever design a garden again? She’d torn up the vicarage garden three times, and it now looked spectacular. Would she ever be able to receive a commission if her reputation would become known as ruined? Would she be able to be taken seriously in anything if people knew that she hadn’t even taken her own reputation seriously?

It wasn’t as if she could explain the rush of emotions she received when in the presence of Hamish.

Carriages drove through the town, and she scrutinized each one for a glimpse of her sister’s flaxen hair.

Most carriages when they entered Gretna Green moved slowly, as if the passengers were aware of the momentous change they were about to undergo. Though this practice was useful at allowing her to determine if her sister was in one of the carriages, it was always disappointing when a carriage neared them and contained strangers.

A strange heavy feeling in her stomach thickened and twisted. At some point her legs had become leaden, and if Hamish had desired her to amble, she was not certain she could have done so.

Hamish stepped forward and took her hands in his. She glanced down, conscious of the warmth that emanated from him.

Or perhaps his hands merely managed to make her heart race.

“Georgiana,” he said.

Was his tone more serious than normal?

“You’re wrong,” he said. “There is going to be a wedding.”

She blinked. “Much as you seem to take pleasure in disagreeing with me, I don’t see how—”

“Then I’ll tell you.” He beamed, and light seemed to radiate from him.

Something seemed odd.

Something seemed like—

Hope surged within her, moving swiftly so she found herself for one ridiculous moment smiling back at him. She forced herself to shut any absurd sentimental thoughts down. They’d had a pleasant few days. She’d cherish their journey forever. Every man would be compared to him, and no man would live up to him, but that was fine. At least she’d experienced time with him, and if the ache in her heart, the ache that she felt, even though she was still in his presence, even though they’d not yet separated, felt strong, that didn’t mean she wanted it to go away. It would be a blissful reminder.

Perhaps Georgiana had been a bit too talkative in her seasons. Perhaps her hair had been a bit too auburn, and undecided men might perhaps have decided a bit too often to go with someone who was less likely to birth redheads who might be teased as witches on Eton and Rugby playgrounds. Perhaps even Georgiana had been not quite accomplished enough; her watercolors might be only tolerable. The colors she chose might be appealing in her way, but her likenesses never quite resembled her subjects enough to win praise with men whose only criterion for judging art was comparing it to reality. And though she managed to hit all the right notes in the correct order, she never managed to have that mysterious otherness that would cause people to really listen.

But despite her normalcy, she’d traveled to Scotland, all alone with Hamish. She’d experienced more of life than she could have if she’d married the first timid member of the ton who’d offered her to dance.

She shouldn’t expect more.

Except...

Hamish kept his eyes fixed on her, and his lips were pointing in a distinctly upward direction. His eyes, always pleasant, could now be described as sparkling.

The man who’d climbed up through her balcony window and proceeded to give her insults had transformed.

She shifted her feet on the ground, and tried to see if, despite everything, the duke and Charlotte were approaching.

There were many couples.

But perhaps some man had donned a Scottish kilt or some woman had draped herself with tartan. Perhaps there was some other reason for the man to be grinning at her in this fashion.

And then the moment was lost.

A coach was barreling down the street, and Hamish’s lips quirked. “Those people are eager to marry.”

“Y-yes,” she said, wondering what it would be like to be one of those couples, knowing that all one’s betrothed wanted to do was to marry one—and hastily.

The couples’ bliss seemed so far removed from anything to which she could ever aspire, and shame moved through her. For a wild moment she’d hoped for the impossible. Of course Hamish wouldn’t go about proposing to her. There would be many weddings here today. That was just a fact. She shouldn’t imagine things that weren’t there from his attempts at conversation. Everyone knew that men were less prone to good conversation than their female counterparts. It was practically a fact, and nothing that should be held against him.

The driver urged the horses forward, and they galloped over the dirt road. Dust rose up about them, as if seeking to mimic the clouds above.

“Whoa!” the driver called. “Whoa.”

Hamish’s expression immediately grew to one of concern. “It’s a runaway.” Hamish dashed toward it. “I’m going to help.”

“Wait!” Georgiana called out, her voice wobbling, fighting nausea.

Hamish turned. “What is it?”

“It’s not a runaway,” she said, and her voice trembled. “I think they’re just moving quickly.”

“Are you certain?”

Georgiana wanted to nod, but her gaze was transfixed to the coach. 

It slowed to a stop.

“You’re right.” Hamish’s voice emanated pride, as if he were impressed at her cleverness.

He needn’t be. 

The lump in her throat grew larger.

“They don’t want to marry. They’re already married. The carriage—I—er—recognize it.” She’d seen it many times before, and Hamish’s smiling face managed to pale.

He remembers it.

“You-hoo!” A soprano voice Georgiana could never forget, would never forget soared through the village. “Georgiana!”

He swallowed hard. “It’s—”

“Yes,” Georgiana said.

It belonged, of course, to her mother.

Which no doubt meant that her father was also present.

Georgiana had never particularly feared her father, or, for that matter, her mother, but she suspected that they might not like to discover her with Hamish.

The idea had been that she would find her sister, and her sister would vouch for her.

The idea had certainly never been that her parents would discover her, alone with an unmarried man with absolutely no chaperone in sight. Not when they would be able to discern that she’d traveled with him.

Heavens.

She hadn’t meant to do this to him.

She’d sneaked onto his coach, deliberately, confident in her plan without giving him even the courtesy of discussing it with him.

If she had told him that she intended to travel alone with him all the way to Gretna Green, all the way to Scotland, he would of course have disagreed.

She hadn’t given him that choice.

I have to now.

So even though Georgiana could see that it was her family’s carriage, and even though she recognized her mother’s voice and it seemed clear that her mother recognized her, given the enthusiasm with which her mother was shouting her name, Georgiana fled.

The action was ridiculous, but remaining seemed impossible. Her feet padded over the dirt lane, and she wove around the occasional puddle.

Her heartbeat quickened, as if urging her to continue faster, and she picked up her skirts and ran. Her legs burned and her throat was dry, but it didn’t matter.

All that mattered was that he not be found to have compromised her.