Free True Heart by Arnette Lamb

who’s confusing her?” Agnes taunted.
    Virginia said to MacAdoo, “Then you are not related to me?”
    He folded his burly arms across his chest. “Nay, lass. We share no common blood. We were friends and will be again.”
    â€œYes, I hope so, MacAdoo.” She hadn’t spoken his unusual name in so long the word stumbled off her tongue.
    â€œLet’s sit.” Cameron led her to the only couch and sat beside her. He pointed to the hogshead. “When I made port in Glasgow and found that cask, I went straight to Agnes. She lives there, too. She sent word to all of your family.”
    Virginia said a silent prayer that others in her family had survived. But who? “Tell me about them.”
    Agnes stripped off her gloves as she spoke. “We are nine siblings counting you. Only one lad, thank the saints. I’m the eldest of your four older sisters—Lottie, Mary, and Sarah. Unusual as it is, we are all the same age, and we are not”—she slid a glance at Cameron—“a litter, as some trolls say we are. We all have different mothers. Father raised us alone until your mother, Lady Juliet, came to the Highlands. We were six years old at the time. You were born the next year.”
    â€œCareful, Agnes,” Cameron said. “If that’s not confusing, nothing is.”
    One thing was certain to Virginia, legitimate or not, Lachian MacKenzie loved all of his children equally. He’d found Agnes a very important earl.
    Ignoring Cameron, Agnes continued. “Then there’s Lily, a year younger than you and wed to Randolph Sutherland. She’s so modern she delays childbearing. Next is Rowena. She’s eighteen, truly accomplished, and studying music in Vienna. Cora is sixteen, and she intends to catch a prince at her coming out. Our brother, Kenneth is thirteen and making an occupation of being a dreadful boor.”
    Virginia rejoiced. Her sisters and brothers were alive, and they had fulfilled their dreams, except for Kenneth, and he’d been too young to know what he wanted. Agnes loved them too. She had always been direct in her manner, but the affection in her voice shone clear.
    The most important question begged to be asked. “Where are my mother and father?”
    Tears pooled in Agnes’s eyes. She dried them with her gloves. “A few days out of Norfolk. They sailed shortly after us. Hoots, it’s wonderful to see you again, Virginia.”
    Virginia couldn’t sit still. Not stopping to consider the right or the wrong of it, she rose and embraced Agnes. As her favorite older sister squeezed her tight, Virginia wondered how many times she’d prayed for a moment of Agnes’s company. Reliable Agnes, who smelled of lilacs. Loyal Agnes, the only one who had not laughed when an eight-year-old Virginia had declared her undying love for Cameron Cunningham.
    Virginia said the first thing that popped into her mind. “I’m very lucky.”
    â€œAye, and so are we all.” Drawing back, Agnes offered Virginia a glove to dry her tears.
    â€œOh, no. I couldn’t. I’ll soil your fine—” Virginia stopped. She was speaking like a servant.
    â€œHere, take it,” Agnes insisted. “They’re only gloves. I’ve dozens of them.”
    They were ordinary to her. As a bond servant, Virginia was fortunate to have a pair at all. But Agnes must never know about that.
    In her struggle to contain her wayward emotions, Virginia counted her blessings. Her brothers and sisters thrived. Mama and Papa were alive and on their way to Poplar Knoll. Cameron, Agnes, and MacAdoo were here at last. They would take Virginia back to Scotland.
    Cameron said, “Agnes tricked the earl of Cathcart into marrying her.”
    â€œI did no such thing.”
    Ignoring her, he went on. “They have two children from his first wife. Agnes has a son, Jamie, and a new daughter who is named Juliet for your