He stepped closer. She smelled like a cloud of precious perfume. How he longed to explore her. It had been a long time since he’d been so affected by a lassie. Perhaps it was because she had not been forced on him. That was surely why.
“How little you know of roses, Lord Lyle. They are not easily separated from their thorns, and to do so without care is a dangerous thing,” she said, her tone grave.
“May I speak plainly?” he asked.
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Do you object to me courting you?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “Courting me? Yes, I do object! You ask too much of me, and too soon,” she said, her gaze troubled. “I’m suspicious as to why. You know how I feel about being shackled. I shall not change my mind, my lord.”
He had an uncomfortable feeling she could see straight through him. He was glad she didn’t want to wed. It took the pressure off him. But if his father believed he was courting Crystal, Aaron would be left in peace…at least for a while. Until Lomond found out how outspoken she was.
However, if Aaron was honest, that was not his only motivation.
She was passionate. Very passionate. He was sure of it. And he wanted to taste that passion for himself.
“I’m not a patient man,” he told her quietly. “I know what I want, and I want you. I’m smart enough to engage your attention before other lords do so.”
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested in marriage?”
He smiled. “I don’t believe I proposed marriage.”
A storm cloud crossed her face when his meaning struck her. “Step aside, for I have a great urge to slap you. You assume just because you ask, I will fall into your arms. But you are dead wrong.”
“Don’t be angry with me, Lady Crystal. Neither of us wishes to marry. Why can’t we explore our other options and see where this fascination with each other leads?”
She ground her teeth together. “Are you always this persistent?”
“Never. Before I met you, I had yet to meet a woman who wasn’t angling for a proposal. You fascinate me.”
“I am intrigued by you, as well, but I’m equally suspicious. Do not give the duke the impression you are courting me, because you are not. A lie cannae end well for any of us.”
She glided past him into the grand reception room and eyed his grandmother, the dowager duchess, who was standing in the far corner under the light of a large window, chatting to his brother, William. Two footmen holding trays stood at attention, one close by, another near the dowager duchess.
“The lie must first be told,” he murmured, following her, mesmerized by her swaying hips. She was prickly tonight, but he didn’t miss the heightened color in her cheeks, nor her sharp, shallow breaths. He swept two glasses off the footman’s tray, giving her a flute of pink champagne and keeping a whisky for himself.
She clinked her glass against his, took a sip of the champagne, and licked her lips. “Delicious.”
A bolt of heat shot to his groin. “Thank you.”
“I was not talking about you,” she said, but she gave him an amused smile.
He drank deeply of his whisky, his throat parched, his whole body on fire with longing as they parried words. He dropped his gaze to her lush lips and then farther down, just for a moment, to the tempting swell of her cleavage.
A deep flush across her pale skin, starting at her throat and rising to her high cheekbones, was his reward.
What he wouldn’t do to know this woman, to have her in his bed.
“Come, Lady Crystal. I wish to present you to my grandmother, her grace, Sarah, the Dowager Duchess of Lomond. Be careful to draw in those thorns, for she does not delight in receiving them…though she is not shy about giving them. But I’m sure she will like you because she doesn’t agree with forced marriage herself. She is a woman of great influence, supporting many women’s causes, and has the ear of powerful men.”
“I’ll do my best. Being well-connected is the only way to get things done in Edinburgh,” Lady Crystal said.
Aaron took her arm and escorted her across the room to his grandmother and Will, enjoying the sensation of having her close. “Your grace, I wish to present to you Lady Crystal, daughter of the late Earl Wilding, who bravely led the Scottish troops at Arlaban.” He nodded to his brother. “Lady Crystal, my brother, Lord William, who was also at the salon.”
Will bowed.
Lady Crystal curtsied low, and Aaron was enticed by the swell of her bosom and the neat curves of her body.
The dowager duchess looked her up and down as if inspecting her for market. “I have it on good authority Earl Wilding was inebriated, fell off his horse, and it killed him.”
Lady Crystal gasped and glanced from the dowager to Aaron with wide, shocked eyes.
“Your grace, the lassie only recently lost her father. Condolences would be in order, not insults.” He wouldn’t blame Lady Crystal if she ran sobbing from the room, as had several of the ladies the duke had invited home after his grandmother interrogated them to test their mettle.
“My condolences, Lady Crystal,” the dowager said, though her expression held wickedness. God help him, he never knew what would come out of her mouth next.
“Although the earl and his men were all fond of the drink, I never saw it affect him,” Lady Crystal said, her voice even, though he noticed her hand trembled a little holding her flute. She was clearly upset and trying to hide it.
A sense of protectiveness overwhelmed him. “Whisky is water to Highlanders, without the contagion,” Aaron said supportively.
“The only time a real Scot stops drinking is when he’s dead. Here’s to the honor of your lord father,” Will said, raising his glass to Lady Crystal in salute.
Lady Crystal blinked, then looked his grandmother in the eye with a steely gaze. “Perhaps the deliverer of the news was trying to save my feelings. I dinnae ken. I was told he took a musket ball in the chest. However, it is true his stallion completed the job.”
Aaron silently applauded her. “I’m sure your father will be greatly missed.”
“You may not be aware,” the dowager said to Crystal, “but the people on my mother’s side are Tulluchs—Highlanders. Your family is well-known to me. The Wilding earls have quite the reputation as fighters.”
Aaron took Crystal’s empty champagne glass, swept up two more from a passing footman, and moved in close to his grandmother. He narrowed his eyes in warning as he passed her a glass. “Behave,” he ordered sotto voce before stepping back and giving the other glass to Lady Crystal.
“Aye, we’re known for our wildness, hence the name,” Lady Crystal said evenly. “The first Wilding lord received the earldom in the thirteenth century for cutting off the head of the king’s enemy and presenting it to him. The Wildings have always fought for what they believed in, and while we would prefer a Stuart monarch on the throne, we are loyal to the king.”
“I recall your lot supported the fool Bonnie Prince Charles, who turned up with twelve fighting men and expected to take the English throne,” the dowager said, looking down her nose. “Luckily, my clan knew better.”
“Or were too afeared to support their rightful prince,” Lady Crystal said with a deceptive smile, her gaze strong with challenge.
After a tense moment of absolute silence, his grandmother’s expression relaxed, her shrewd eyes narrowed, and her normally pinched lips softened. “Those foolish Stuarts would listen to no one, and now we are saddled with a mad king and a regent as lascivious as he is fat.”
Aaron rubbed his temple, pained at his grandmother’s ungracious description of Prince George. Not that he disagreed…
“Lady Crystal, I’m sure we are about to be called in for dinner. Come and see the magnificent portrait the duchess recently acquired, hanging at the end of the hall.”
The dowager gave him a wicked
smile as if she knew he was trying to get Crystal away from her.
He held out his arm, and, to his relief, Crystal linked hers through it. When they were safely out of hearing distance, he said, “I apologize for my grandmother. She has an unfortunate habit of interrogating young ladies, even though I told her you were not forced upon me by my father.”
“Seeing as I am not a contender for your hand, it is of little import what the Dowager Duchess of Lomond thinks. Though I do admit her manner is somewhat trying.”
He led her over to the George Romney painting of the beautiful Emma Hamilton. “Lady Crystal, your disinterest wounds me. Please say you like me just a little.”
She fixed him with a vexed stare. “Certainly not, for you already have an inflated opinion of yourself. Besides, the Dowager Duchess of Lomond is not the only member of your family who is a bit trying. Have you not noticed where you led me?”
“To the painting of the most beautiful and famous woman in England,” he said, puzzled.
“Infamous, you mean. The mistress of Lord Nelson,” she said, exasperated.
He blinked and looked from the painting to her, noticing a similarity in facial shape and luminosity. “Now, there’s a wonderful idea. The lady is a distant relative of Lady Hamilton, the woman who threw the fan in Sir Walter’s salon. Both are strong, entertaining women. You’d fit in well.”
She put her hands on her hips and started tapping her foot. “One more word from you on that subject and I’m leaving. I do not intend to be entertaining you!”
“But you’ve made up your mind that you’ve no interest in marriage,” he protested.
“And so have you, so do not insult me.”
“But you do feel something for me.” He looked at her intently, studying her beautiful face, needing the reassurance. “I know you do.”
“Irritation comes to mind,” she said, moving away from the mistress portrait.
He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles, wishing they were alone so he could take her in his arms. “You inflamed my mind and my body with your speech last night. How can we move forward? I want to keep seeing you. You entrance me. Permit me call on you.”
“For what purpose? I keep telling you, I didn’t come to Edinburgh to find a husband or a lover. There is so much good I can do here for women.”
“You have many ideas, and I’m a good listener. I know Edinburgh well, and all the important people who could help you,” he said with fervor. He didn’t want to let her slip out of his life. And if his interest in her kept Lomond from pressuring him to find a wife, even for a short time, that was a major achievement. On paper, the daughter of the wealthy earl would appear very acceptable to Lomond.
Until his father found out more about her.
“Tell me. How will all this interest in me benefit you?” she asked, her eyes alight with suspicion again.
“Why, I’ll have the pleasure of your company.” He grinned. Until the point where his business interests paid off. Then his condition for rescuing the estate would be that forced marriage was off the table.
Meanwhile, a little fun with Lady Crystal couldn’t hurt.
Far from it. He could already feel pleasure flowing through him at the thought.
In his fascination with Lady Crystal, he didn’t notice his grandmother and Will approach.
“Your lassie is feisty,” the dowager said in his ear. “Far better than those silly, fluttering chits Lomond insists the family meet. We need strong blood in this family.”
Crystal snatched her hands from his, shooting him a deep scowl.
“I knew you would approve of my choice, your grace. Lady Crystal has the fortitude and temperament of a Highlander, and as you know, one should never cross a Highlander, for they are fierce.”
He looked from the dowager to Lady Crystal. There was a furious flush in her cheeks from being described as his choice.
“I can see that, Lyle,” his grandmother said. “You, young lady, I rather like. You’re not a bubbling idjit like the other lassies my son has forced poor Lyle to meet.”
“Thank you for your kind words,” Lady Crystal said politely, though her teeth were clenched. “But please be aware, Lord Lyle and I are not courting. That will never happen.”
“We’ll see about that,” he said benignly. “I’m glad you find Lady Crystal as lovely as I do, your grace. She does have some rather interesting ideas about women, which she explained to me recently.” Aaron smiled at the dowager duchess. “Ouch!” The little chit had just stamped on his foot.
Will laughed.
“I can see you are clever,” the dowager said to her. “You’d be good for Lyle.”
“At putting him in his place,” Will said with a grin.
“If only he would stay there. Please do not read anything into my visit. Lord Lyle and I barely know each other,” Lady Crystal said stiffly. “While we share a common background and some beliefs, we also differ on several fronts. After this weekend, we may not see each other again.”
Not if he had his way.
“Why on earth would you not?” his grandmother asked, clearly puzzled. “Are you precontracted to another?”
“No, your grace. My father has passed, and I am of age, so I control my own fate,” Lady Crystal said proudly. “I have committed myself to serve the cause of women in need rather than to find a husband.”
“A worthy goal,” the dowager said agreeably. “I do a lot of work in that area myself.”
“No brothers or male guardian, Lady Crystal?” Will asked, appearing nonplussed by the idea of a totally independent woman.
“None,” Lady Crystal said.
“Are you saying you dinnae wish me to call on you after this weekend? My lady, you wound me. I am used to a long line of lassies worshipping me,” Aaron said, slapping a hand over his heart, dramatically feigning hurt and sadness. He couldn’t resist pushing her, and he enjoyed it even more when she pushed back.
His grandmother gave him a fond smile. “Ignore him, Lady Crystal. He’s off his head thinking every lassie wants to marry him.”
“It’s good Lyle has finally come across a woman who isn’t falling for his dubious charms. I swear, we won’t be able to fit in this room from the size of his head. Thank you for taking him down a peg,” Will said.
Aaron laughed before turning back to Lady Crystal. “Come, my lady. The butler has announced dinner is served.”
She shot him a frosty look and gave a tight nod but did as he asked.
Gesturing to Lady Crystal to accompany her, the dowager led the way across the drawing room into the long hallway and toward the family’s small dining room used for less-formal occasions.
Aaron nudged his brother. “It seems the dowager approves of my choice of lassie.”
“Think your warnings to behave have worked?”
Aaron groaned. “Not so far. Good lord, she as much as called the late earl a drunkard. Lady Crystal responded well, though. She’s formidable. I’ve not met a lassie like her.”
Will nudged him back with a wink. “I noticed your lassie doesn’t seem so keen.”
“She has no interest in marriage, but I plan to get to know her better,” Aaron said, following the women. “Don’t you think she’s the loveliest lassie?”
His brother gripped his arm, his tone low and serious. “Be careful, Aaron, for this is the game of the heart. This lassie may consume you with her fire.”
…
Crystal was satisfied she had put Lord Lyle in his place. It was one thing to speak about desire, but quite another to take Lord Lyle to her bed. She was still a virgin, after all, but a reluctant one. There would be no visits to her bedroom, as much as she and Hilda had joked about it. But she wasn’t above wanting him…
That was the problem. The overwhelming attraction wouldn’t die, even though she didn’t need the encu
mbrance. Deep down, she knew he was up to something. What kind of game was he playing? It didn’t make sense.
Yet.
In the dining room, the duchess sat at the upper end of the table, and the duke at the base. Crystal was honored to sit to the right of the duchess as her guest. The Dowager Duchess of Lomond sat on the duchess’s left. Lord Lyle sat on the duke’s right, and Lord William on his left, next to Crystal.
A footman served wine while others brought in white soup, placing the tureen in front of the duchess to serve, as it was a small family gathering. Soon the table was graced with a great variety of other dishes as well.
Once the footmen had finished placing the filled soup bowls in front of them, the duke turned to her and raised his glass in a toast. “Welcome to our table, Lady Crystal. It is a delight to meet you. My son has not graced us with a visit from a lady guest before.”
“Thank you, your grace,” she said and tipped her head in acknowledgment, suddenly aware of a tension in the family she hadn’t noticed before.
“The lad is like a stallion paraded through a stable of well-bred fillies,” the dowager said to her son. “You need to allow him his own choice.”
“Thank you for your support.” Lord Lyle raised his glass to his grandmother. “And for the stallion comment.”
The Dowager Duchess of Lomond smiled so her eyes crinkled at the sides.
Crystal looked from one to another. No doubt, that was why Lord Lyle had brought her here: to appease his father. “I hope he hasn’t given you the wrong impression. Lord Lyle and I barely know each other. I have not been in Edinburgh long.”
“Knowing each other is not a requirement for marriage,” the duke said.
She gave him a tight smile. “My father was of the same mind. Fortunately, the war distracted him before contracts were signed,” she said in a pleasant tone, not wishing to anger the duke but nonetheless needing to get her point across. “I prefer making my own choices. Love is important in marriage.”
Lord Lyle nodded, and she smiled.
“Love is a luxury for our class,” the duke said bluntly. “Especially when one has a family lineage and an estate to keep up. I won’t have my heir choosing anyone willy-nilly.”
An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord (Scottish Lords and Ladies) Page 5