by Lauren Smith
That was why Forres had intrigued her the previous evening. When he spoke, his rich, dark voice had that enticing Scottish lilt that seemed to curl in the air like a slow, dancing plume of smoke, mesmerizing her. The candlelight had illuminated his eyes and she hadn’t been able to look away as he talked. His opinions on politics and social issues were well informed and he approved of women being equal to men. He was neither proud nor so opinionated as to alienate any during polite conversation. Even Milly, Rowena’s older, headstrong sister had been impressed with Forres.
“I didn’t know Lord Forres had a child. I thought he was unmarried.”
There certainly hadn’t been a wedding band on his finger. Little whispers had traveled down the table, escaping from behind the edges of water goblets as the ladies at the dinner table had passed along their observations to each other. The fact that he wasn’t married had provoked quite the discussion among the women after the men had gone off to smoke cigars and drink.
“Aye, he’s only got the one. Our countess passed a year ago and my lord’s been sore for missing her.” The older woman’s face was somber as she spoke, and for a moment she didn’t speak. But then a little smile crept back onto her lips. “But now he’s wife hunting.” The nurse winked at her conspiratorially.
Wife hunting? She could just picture the darkly handsome earl prowling through the underbrush, rifle at the ready to hunt ladies who fluttered in autumn-colored gowns like a dozen pheasants as he hunted them. The image was silly enough to make her bite her lip to hide her smile. But then she realized what the nurse had said. Forres had been married. His wife had died.
Rowen cuddled the excited child closer in her arms as she realized the little babe had no mother. All children should know a mother’s love. She squeezed the girl in a hug. Rather than squawk as other children might, the little girl ceased her bouncing and settled more firmly in Rowena’s lap.
“She likes you. Blair doesn’t like most women and hasn’t had a chance to be around too many besides myself and the staff.” The nurse was smiling widely now, a glimmer of hope in her eyes that Rowena didn’t understand.
“Blair?” Rowena spoke the little girl’s name and she lifted her head up to stare back.
“That’s me!” The child beamed at her.
“Nice to meet you, Blair.” Rowena smiled back, then turned her focus back to the nurse. “He’s wife-hunting here in England? Why not take a bride closer to home?”
“I suppose,” the nurse mused, “he doesn’t want someone who reminds him of the previous Lady Forres. He doesn’t share much of his heart, a bit like his father, quiet, but a good man. He needs his heart healed. A good woman would do well for him.”
Rowena brushed her fingertips over the curls by Blair’s cheeks, tousling them. They were as soft as silk and fine as the feathers of a baby bird. She pondered the nurse’s speculations. Lord Forres was hunting for a wife to heal his broken heart? It made her own heart twinge in pain at thinking of how lonely he must be.
Before she could speak again, a man burst around the hedgerows, sprinting toward them. It was Lord Forres. His dark hair was in wild tangles about his head as though he’d dragged his hands through the strands, and his lips were peeled back in an almost feral snarl.
He skidded to a halt just a few feet away when he spotted the nurse first.
“Mrs. Finch!” he bellowed at the nurse. “What the devil were you thinking? Blair could have been…” The wild look in his eyes as he stared at his child, safe in Rowena’s arms, softened, but only slightly.
“She’s safe, my lord,” Rowena replied as she stood, tucking Blair against her right hip.
“Papa!” The little cherub smacked her hands together, wriggling in Rowen’s hold.
“Oh, my wee heart.” The earl strode over to Rowena and plucked Blair out of her arms before she could even protest.
Blair’s cheeks pinkened and her little lips quivered when she seemed to notice her father’s distress.
“There, there,” Forres shushed the babe.
“She’s fine, truly. I was able to catch her before she fell in,” Rowena assured him.
Clear eyes, gray as a winter’s sky, met hers. A tremor rippled through her. How had she forgotten what looking at him made her feel like? Dizzy, excited, and a little anxious. Of course, last night they’d had a dozen people between them, and all manner of candles, dishes, and other things to block them from speaking directly. Yet there had been one moment, when he’d joined in the toasting for the evening and he’d raised his glass. His eyes had traveled from face to face, lingering only on her.
He hastily tried to comb his fingers through hair that was a little too long for the current fashions. There was something different about him, as though the suit he wore was a costume, not part of him. With his broad shoulders, great height, and muscled form, he was more suited to the role of a Scottish warrior of old than a gentleman in a garden. The thought of him in a kilt, brandishing a sword, like a man out of her deepest, secret dreams…another shiver rippled through her and she swallowed hard.
“Thank you, Miss Rowena. I apologize for my…harsh reaction.” Forres gripped little Blair’s head gently with one strong hand as he clutched his daughter to his chest. He closed his eyes and nuzzled the soft curls of his daughter’s hair.
“No need to apologize,” Rowena assured him. She smoothed out her skirts, feeling a little embarrassed at witnessing such a strong show of emotions from a man who the nurse had said guarded his heart.
Forres met her gaze. “I saw Blair from the window in my chambers. She was walking toward the fountain…” He shook his head as though to banish dark thoughts. “I’m just glad she’s all right.”
“’Course she is, my lord. The young lady caught her right quick. The wee bairn was safe in her care,” Mrs. Finch assured Lord Forres.
“Why don’t I take the lass inside for a bite to eat and nap?” Mrs. Finch reached for Blair, and Forres didn’t immediately hand his daughter over. When he finally did, it was with a sigh and great reluctance.
“Be a good girl, Blair.” He chucked her under the chin and the little girl bobbled up and down in her nurse’s arms.
Rowena watched this familial intimacy, her heart flipping inside her chest. Mrs. Finch started to walk back toward the main house, and as she passed by Rowena, Blair reached out with one chubby little hand and waved at her before resting her cheek on Mrs. Finch’s shoulder. A strange pull in her made her want to rush after the child.
The Earl of Forres cleared his throat and Rowena came back to herself.
“Have you been enjoying the house party, Lord Forres?” she asked, hoping that was the right course of conversation. It was the first time she’d been alone with a man aside from her father or servants.
Alone with a man…
Rowena’s heart tripped and she had to collect herself before she panicked. Her sister Milly had just gotten engaged early this morning, against her will, because a fortune hunter had snuck into her room the previous night and been caught by their mother. Nothing beyond that had happened, but it had been enough to scandalize them into marriage. Was being alone with Forres like this enough for a scandal?
“The party has been a pleasant distraction,” Forres admitted with a small smile. “It’s Miss Rowena, isn’t it?”
She nodded.
He held out the crook of his arm to her in silent invitation. The gesture was gentlemanly, but also natural and masculine.
A heat of a blush worked its way to her cheeks and Rowena didn’t know what to do.
“Oh, come now, Miss Rowena, ’tis only my arm. I won’t bite.” He grinned at her and chomped his white teeth together in a mocking way.
A giggle escaped her, startling them both. Then he laughed too. The sound was rich and warm and oddly comforting given that he was a complete stranger. After only a brief hesitation, she placed her arm in his. Little tingles shot up her arm at the simple point of their connection.
“Allow me to e
scort you back to the house.” Forres nodded his head toward the massive tan stone edifice of Hampton House. It reminded her so much of Pepperwirth Vale, her family estate only four miles away. Two ancient families, the Grahams and the Pepperwirths of the Vale, had been neighbors for nearly two hundred years.
She and Forres walked in silence for a few steps before Forres spoke again.
“I wish to thank you again for rescuing my daughter. Blair is…” He paused, and Rowena peeked up at him, noticing a slight ruddiness to his cheeks. “Blair is very precious to me. I’m afraid I’m overly protective of her.”
“I understand, my lord. I was informed you’d lost your wife a year ago. My condolences. That must have been hard for any parent to raise a child alone.”
Forres halted and turned to face her, his eyes slightly wide in surprise. “Yes…yes, it is hard.” He recovered himself. “Blair is a wee bit wild, as I was when I was a bairn.”
Rowena couldn’t resist smiling. “You were once a wee child?” Her own childhood had been full of adventures, as much as a well-bred English young lady could have had in the country, but she imagined Forres had a much more colorful life.
“Oh, aye…” His Scottish accent thickened to a richer brogue as he laughed. “I was always off in the woods or on a horse. My nurse couldn’t keep me in a clean set of trousers to save my life.” His gray eyes twinkled with a merry warmth as he led her through the maze of gardens.
“And little Blair is like you.” Rowena laughed in delight. The idea of the darling child running among the Scottish heather, wild and free, was a wonderful thought.
Forres nodded. “Yes, but she could use a wee bit of taming.”
“Taming?” Rowena asked, tempted to smile. “All children need to be able to run free sometimes. I was often getting into scrapes when I was younger.”
Forres smiled at her. “Now that I cannot imagine! A proper young lady like you?” He was teasing her and she couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh yes, I was a bit of a tree climber and I was always bringing home tadpoles, baby birds, and all other manner of fauna. I once nursed a baby deer back to health after its mother was killed one spring.”
He covered her hand with his where it rested on his other arm. “I was much the same. Always bringing home creatures. I rescued a pine marten one winter, raising the kit in my bedchamber beneath my parents’ noses. It was a fine beast, a smart creature. He lived for nine years as a devoted pet, much to my mother’s dismay.”
“It would have been wonderful to grow up in a castle in Scotland as a child.” Rowena sighed dreamily, picturing the earl as a boy scampering about the woods.
“It was, but I’ve seen southern England here and it is just as beautiful. You live on the neighboring estate, don’t you?”
“Yes, Pepperwirth Vale. It is a lovely house and all my memories there are happy ones.” She was beginning to see just how fortunate she had been to grow up so loved and adored and be free of tragedy.
Before they could speak further, they reached the doors to the veranda at the back of Hampton House and Rowena’s mother was rushing toward her. Her mother, usually one to be immaculately dressed, was now wearing a wrinkled gown, her hair a bit frazzled. She must have been up all night worrying about Milly’s situation.
“Rowena! Dear, you must come at once. Your sister…” Her mother halted at the sight of Lord Forres standing beside Rowena, their arms still linked.
“Lord Forres.” Lady Pepperwirth recovered, her strained features smoothing into a beautiful mask of pleasantry.
“Good morning, Lady Pepperwirth.” Forres bowed.
“Er…yes, good morning, my lord. I’m so sorry for disrupting your walk with my daughter.” Her gaze darted between them.
Forres seemed to sense her unease, and ever the gentleman, he took control of the situation.
“Shall I go speak with the staff regarding luncheon?”
“Oh yes, thank you, Lord Forres.” Lady Pepperwirth exclaimed in relief.
Forres turned his focus to Rowena and heat flooded her cheeks when he took the hand that had been resting upon his arm and raised it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss on her bare skin. When he released her hand, Rowena clutched it to her chest as she watched the handsome Scotsman stride away into the house.
“Well, that’s certainly encouraging, isn’t it?” Her mother glanced back at where Forres had gone.
With a little exasperated sigh, Rowena stared at her mother.
“He is very polite, mama, but I don’t think—”
“Oh hush, every man with a good sense would be interested in you, dear. From the moment you were born, I knew you would grow up to be a beauty, just like your sister, but thank heavens you’ve a sweeter temperament.”
“Mama!” Rowena protested. “You know Milly is as sweet as me. She simply doesn’t suffer fools.” Rowena adored her older sister, Milly, but sometimes Milly acted a bit prickly, especially to young men because she feared marriage and the loss of her sense of self. It was a complicated notion, but Rowena understood that Milly feared a husband would repress her freedom.
Lady Pepperwirth puffed out her chest. “Yes, well, your sister has certainly gotten herself involved in a bit of trouble with her attitude. Your father and I have a fine mess to deal with getting a wedding arranged quickly with as little scandal as possible.”
Guilt clawed at Rowena’s insides and she pressed a hand to her stomach. Here she had been enjoying a walk with Lord Forres while her sister was no doubt suffering preparations for a wedding to a man she didn’t know and didn’t love.
It was my fault she was compromised. That part made her feel even worse. The previous evening Milly had come to Rowena and explained that she was worried that Owen Hadley, the handsome fortune hunter, had set his sights on Rowena. Unfortunately, Milly had been right about Owen and been comprised when he’d snuck into her room on accident rather than Rowena’s. It was Owen and Milly’s wedding her parents now had to plan.
“Does she really have to marry him?” The thought of her beloved sister trapped into a marriage because she’d been protecting Rowena made her stomach roll over.
“Of course she does,” her mother said with a slight frown. “But don’t worry about her, Rowena. She can use a bit of marriage to improve her mood. Mr. Hadley might be a suitable match after all. Now come, dear, tell me how you and Lord Forres met this morning.”
Rowena rolled her eyes. Her mother was relentless when it came to marrying off her children.
“I don’t think he is interested in me, Mama. He was being polite, that is all.”
“Humph,” her mother huffed. “Well, his land holdings in Forres are immense, his temperament is good, and he’s a fine-looking man. We’d best snap him up before he takes his wife-hunting to London.”
Snap him up? That was the last thing she needed. A husband. Of course she wanted one, but she’d only just come out. A girl had every right to enjoy at least one Season, the dancing, the balls, the gowns, the suitors…Rowena did want to experience it at least once before she made a decision.
“Mama, I want to enjoy the Season. Must we discuss marriage now?” She knew she sounded a little childish, but she didn’t want to rush such a monumental decision. “Well, I suppose we have plenty of time to discuss Lord Forres later.” Her mother’s lips pursed. “I’ve come to tell you that your father and I must take Milly straight home to settle the wedding plans. You are to remain here at Hampton for the duration of the party. The dowager countess will be a diligent chaperone for you.”
Her parents were leaving? Rowena clutched her mother’s arm. “But you can’t go, Mama. I need you here—”
“Nonsense. It’s time you were off my leading strings and on your own for a bit. We won’t be far, but it’s time you spread your own wings, find what makes you fly.” Her mother patted her hand gently.
Find what made her fly? What nonsense was her mother talking about?
Following her mother inside the grand
Hampton House, Rowena paused in the entry. The muted old light came in through the vast windows of the entryway illuminating the grand staircase. Only last night she’d descended those steps as a debutante in a white gown, the eyes of every man at the party fixed on her. She didn’t revel in the attention, but it was pleasant to be noticed for once. Her sister Milly had always been such a beauty and Rowena had hoped she’d garner a reputation as a beauty like Milly had.
But the night was over, today was a new day, and she wondered what she was supposed to do without her mother or her sister here to guide her. Dinner was easy enough, discussions, courses of the meal, she’d learned it all, but…what was she to do during the day on her own?
“Oh, Milly, I wish I you were,” Rowena murmured. “You’d know exactly what to do.”
Also by Lauren Smith
THE SINS AND SCANDALS SERIES
An Earl by Any Other Name
THE BRITISH STEPBROTHER SERIES
Forbidden
Seduction
Climax
THE SURRENDER SERIES
The Gilded Cuff
The Gilded Cage
The Gilded Chain
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