The House of Lyall (59 page)

The solicitor stepped closer to the bed. ‘When I talked to Samuel on the telephone, Lady Glendarril, he asked if the money had originally been left to anyone else, and when I told him that before he and Ruth were born, it had been left to you, and that your close relationship with Andrew had continued until the day he died, Samuel asked me to draw up documents for the transfer of his share to you personally.'

‘But I don't need his money,' she muttered. ‘Not at my age.'

Robert, worried by the deep red spots which had appeared in her ashen cheeks, took hold of her trembling hand, ostensibly to steady her but actually to feel her pulse, which, he was relieved to find, was only fractionally fast. ‘You had better accept it,' he advised. ‘You'll have the money you always wanted and the power to save the Castle Lyall from falling into other hands.'

‘The power,' she repeated faintly. ‘The power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.'

Looking wryly at Ruairidh, Robert said quietly, ‘You had better go, all of you. This has been too much for her – she was a bit overwrought to begin with. I'll stay with her for a while, to make sure she's all right.'

Marianne looked at him pathetically when the door closed behind them. ‘I was a very wicked woman at one time, Robert, but I was punished for it. First of all, I lost my darling Ranald, then my beloved Hamish, then dear Dorrie. Could it be that God is relenting now? Is He giving me a chance to redeem myself?'

‘It seems that way,' he murmured cautiously.

‘I'm going to plough it all into the estate. I'll make sure all the debts are paid. I'm going to get back on my feet again, and take a proper interest in what's going on.'

‘That's the spirit! And don't forget, there
is
a Bruce-Lyall heir, after all.'

‘And Ruth's Colin is a spare,' she smiled, ‘like Hector insisted on. “An heir and a spare”, that's what he used to say.' She fell silent for a moment, then said, ‘I just hope Andrew's clerk doesn't talk them out of what they want to do with the money.'

Robert's drawn-out sigh told of exasperation. ‘Graham Dalgarno isn't a clerk, he's the senior partner now, and he wouldn't have told you if he wasn't happy about it. For goodness' sake, woman, stop wallowing in self-pity and give a man a chance to be happy for you.'

‘I'm sorry, Robert. I know I'm up and down and I'm being unreasonable. I don't know how you've managed to put up with me for so long.'

‘Neither do I.' But his eyes were twinkling.

Downstairs, Melda was weeping softly but joyfully in her husband's arms. ‘I can't believe it. It's like a fairy tale. We've got two children, the mill will soon be back on its feet, and –'

‘God's in His heaven and all's right with the world,' he quoted, grinning. ‘Like all fairy tales, it has a happy ending.'

‘A truly happy ending,' she agreed. ‘Ruth's nice, isn't she? I wish she would keep something for herself, though, to buy some new clothes. Did you notice the darns on the elbows of her cardigan? And her shoes were all down at the heels.'

Ruairidh burst out laughing. ‘Trust you to see that. With all that went on here today, it amazes me that you had time to notice.'

‘Yes, it's been quite an afternoon. I feel absolutely drained.'

‘I do, too, so we should leave the analysing, the guessing and the planning until tomorrow, and take it easy for the rest of today. Not another word!' He laid his finger on her mouth to stop what she was about to say. ‘I told Bessie we wouldn't need her after we'd had afternoon tea, so what about just going to bed? We can come down later for something to eat if we feel hungry.'

‘Ruairidh Bruce-Lyall! What would Mother and Father say?' Melda gave a little snigger. ‘That sounds as if they were a married couple, but you know what I mean. She'd be shocked.'

‘So let her be shocked.'

‘Are you all right, Ruth?'

‘Yes, Graham, I'm fine. It's just that there's been so much to take in, I don't know how I feel about it yet. Do you think I'm daft to give up my inheritance?'

His heart almost stopped at the opportunity she was presenting to him. Could he? Should he? Taking a deep breath, he said, ‘How can I when it has given me the courage to … This is probably the worst place I could have chosen to … Oh God, Ruth, I'm trying to ask you to marry me.'

He hadn't dared to look at her, and held his breath waiting for an answer which didn't come. ‘I'm sorry,' he said flatly, after a few seconds, ‘I shouldn't have placed you in such an awkward position. I quite understand –'

‘No, you don't,' she replied gently. ‘You took me by surprise, but I think I'm trying to say yes.'

‘You are? I can't believe it!' Coming to an open gate into a field, he drew off the road and took her in his arms. ‘You'll only be a Bruce-Lyall for a very short time in that case; just till I arrange the wedding. Won't you be sorry about that?'

Ruth cocked her head to one side to consider, then laughed, ‘Ruth Bruce-Lyall's a bit of a tongue-twister, isn't it? Ruth Dalgarno's much easier, wouldn't you say?'

But nothing more was said, or needed to be said, for some considerable time.