“I am aware of that,” the Duke answered sharply. “But as it happened I was abroad with my Regiment in India. I only returned to Scotland a few days ago.”
Julia drew in her breath.
“Oh,” she said, “I did not know that. I am sorry if what I said was very rude, but I have been so upset by what I found, I had to do something to save them.”
“So then it was your idea,” the Duke replied, “to find a hidden treasure in The Castle.”
She looked round as if someone might be listening to their conversation.
“You must not say that,” she whispered. “I want the people, especially the newspapers, to believe that the treasure is genuine and really was hidden by the MacCarns, who were, as you well know, continually invaded by aggressive marauding Vikings many centuries ago.”
“I did know that they i
