Free My Laird's Castle by Bess McBride

again.”
    Captain Jones sent Colin an amused glance.
    “Yes, it is true,” he said, pretending to roll his r ’s. “That is part of our mission here. It is likely that until Scotland obtains freedom from England, soldiers will always roam these lands.”
    “Would that were true,” Colin said. He resumed eating. I picked at my food. I liked both men, but they were on very opposite sides of history.  
    “But enough of that,” Captain Jones said, not at all offended. “Tell me more about yourself, Mistress Pratt. Where is your family? Do not say that you traveled to England alone? Tell me more of Montana, Massachusetts.”
    My eyes widened at his words, but I quickly raised a hand to my mouth to stifle a laugh. I threw a quick look at Colin, who gave me an innocent look. He had much to answer for in giving Captain Jones that ridiculous description of Montana, but it looked like it was up to me to provide answers.
    “My family remained in Montana,” I said. “Yes, I traveled alone. Perhaps that’s a bit unusual, but then so am I. Montana, as Colin said, is a small village south of Boston. About a hundred people or so.” I was definitely winging it.
    “How very adventurous of you, madam. And why did you come to Scotland?”
    “Why, to visit my cousin, of course,” I said with a straight face.
    “To visit Lord Anderson?” Captain Jones’ blond eyebrows lifted. “Is there an understanding between you?”
    Colin choked again, and I thought I knew what Captain Jones meant. I laughed, too loud.
    “An understanding? Ha! No, of course not! He’s my cousin !”
    Captain Jones smiled, but he did not join in my laughter.  
    “But surely not such a close cousin that you cannot marry? In England, it would be considered much more proper to marry one’s cousin than to travel without family across the ocean to visit a male cousin. Perhaps I pry, but I cannot understand why you have come so far alone.”
    “Ye do pry, Captain Jones,” Colin said. “Why my cousin has come to visit me is our business, no? It canna possibly be of interest to the Crown.”
    Captain Jones appeared ready to give up. He nodded. “Yes, of course. I have been rude. Please forgive me, Mistress Pratt. I could not curb my curiosity.”
    I smiled, graciously, I thought, and turned my attention to my food.
    “What is the agriculture of Montana?” Captain Jones asked. “Surely a discussion of your homeland could not be considered prying?”
    Colin said nothing, and for the next half hour I made stuff up about corn, beans, cows and horses. I should have paid better attention during history classes. I thought I had, history being one of my favorite subjects, but at the moment, I could remember nothing, and so I rambled.
    Colin rose at the end of the meal and extended his hand to me.  
    “Good afternoon, Captain Jones,” I said. I took Colin’s hand and followed him from the great room.
    “That was awful!” I whispered, and then I gave him a playful punch in his rib. “Montana, Massachusetts? He’s not going to let that go!”
    “I had nae idea where your Montana was and sought only to help you.” He led me down a hallway, past the library and toward what I thought was the back of the castle.  
    “The rain has lightened. Come into the garden.” He stopped by a heavy oak door and pointed to some wooden shoes and a heavy cloak hanging from a hook. George appeared out of nowhere, but Colin waved him off, and the butler returned to wherever he spent his time.
    “Don these shoes and the cloak.” Colin himself wore boots, but he took a heavier overcoat from the hook and put it over himself.  
    I slipped into what essentially were clogs and draped the charcoal-gray hooded cloak around my dress. Colin pushed open the door, and we descended the stone steps to view a beautiful garden spread out over about half an acre. Soft lawns, as in the front of the house, trailed away into the forest, which itself climbed up into the hills. The rain had