Page 91 of The Tartan Trap

He met her eyes and nodded, then bit the end off the biscuit. Margaret had to repress a little shiver.

She focused her attention on the teapot in front of her. It would have been difficult to speak of such things even if the sight of Callum eating a biscuit wasn’t so distracting.

“Is it a stipulation of your inheritance that you must marry?”

It was the last, secret fear Margaret harbored. Even though she admitted it was a remarkably ridiculous one, she wished to hear Callum refute it, anyway.

He tapped his smiling lips; that too was distracting. “There’s no stipulation of inheritance that says I must marry. The title is mine, free and clear. Though I will admit inheriting the title has only increased my desire to marry.”

“In what way?”

“It’s a large responsibility. Perhaps those who’ve long held a title have forgotten the honor it is, the duty that comes with it. But my father saw his father elevated to the rank from no title at all. It was his service to the monarchy that earned it. My father didn’t wear the title as if it were his inherent right, and he taught me not to take it lightly, either.”

“Rightfully so,” Margaret said, giving a nod of approval to a man she’d never meet.

“I want to marry a kind, honest lady, one who’ll love our children and hopefully love me too, if I can manage it.” He smiled a bit self-consciously, like he wasn’t sure that would be possible.

Margaret threaded her fingers together. Was it possible the man truly believed that any woman would have difficulty with the task?

Callum gave a little shrug and continued, “I want to have heirs, as most noblemen do. However, I care about raising them to be good men who are worthy of the title and the responsibility of all the land and people depending upon it, even more than just continuing my family line.”

Margaret nodded dumbly. It was all she could manage, as she was suddenly struck by how attractive it was to hear Callum speak plainly about actually raising his children. It seemed that many noblemen were only interested in the siring part of having children, and not at all in what came after they were born.

Callum perused the tea tray anew. Now that Margaret had witnessed his appetite, she felt even worse about denying him refreshments those first few weeks.

He selected another piece of shortbread and said, “At the end of the Season, I’ll head back to my home in Moray. Hopefully with my new wife in tow.”

If the look Callum gave was meaningful, Margaret was too distracted to notice.

“Moray?” she said, blinking.

In her mind, all she could hear was Mrs. Fuller saying of the secret benefactor, “He’s to return home to Morley.” Moray and Morley could be easily swapped, especially if one had heard “Moray” spoken in Callum’s deep, accented voice.

Margaret sat straight. “Callum, are you the benefactor of St. Alban’s Orphanage?”

He blinked at her for a few moments, then grimaced. “I never wanted anyone to find out. How on earth did you manage it?”

“It was something Mrs. Fuller said…” She trailed off in distraction.

A hundred thoughts and questions whirled through Margaret’s mind. The most pressing one was also too arrogant to speak aloud: Had Callum rebuilt the orphanage for her, somehow? But no—Mrs. Fuller had clearly stated that construction had started well before Margaret and Callum had ever met.

“That’s…” She shook her head. “That’s simply wonderful, Callum.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to keep it a secret,” he said. “Even Ellis doesn’t know.”

“Of course. Such a thing is your business, entirely. It’s only a string of happy coincidences that led me to find out.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d love to tell you about it,” he said.

Margaret blinked up at the shy quality of his tone. “Of course.”

Callum smiled and said, “I’ve already secured eight apprenticeships, with many more promised.”

“Apprenticeships?”

“I’ve procured several for the young women old enough to work, but my true goal is to have one for every young man aged thirteen to sixteen.”

Margaret’s shock rendered her rather mindless; she asked, “But why?”