She wanted to make an excellent impression on her new relatives. It was only when she went downstairs that she discovered that there were other guests for dinner, who had been out fishing that day. "Cousin Lavina," said Andrew, "let me introduce my friend, Sir James McVein, whose estate runs next to this one." Sir James was six feet tall and had been, she learnt later, in the army until he came into his father's title. He had then retired to look after his very large estate. She found herself sitting next to him at dinner, and realised that he was definitely one of the best looking young men she had ever seen. Also one of the most amusing. He kept her laughing by telling her the things which had happened in the north since he had served in the army and the difficulties he had encountered since he became a land owner. "My father was Scottish and my mother was English," he told Lavina.
