by Jane Charles
He pushed the nightshirt back over her legs and adjusted the top before he pulled the covers over her.
Maddie was looking at him. “So that is what it is like,” she sighed.
“Some of it.”
Her eyes popped open. “There is more?”
“Much, but ye willna be experiencin’ that tonight.”
“Why, Lachlan?”
“Ye will remain a virgin until ye marry.”
She sighed and snuggled deeper into the bed. Lachlan leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Rest. I will be back shortly.”
When he rose from the bed, he was careful to keep his back to her or she may question the tent in his kilt. Regardless of what she had just experienced, she was too innocent to know what it meant, and he wasn’t about to explain.
He walked toward the door, needing to get out of the room, intending on taking a brisk walk in the snow. Hell, he might even pick up his kilt and sit in the frozen powder to cool his loins.
“Lachlan.”
He looked over his shoulder at her.
“Thank you.”
He wasn’t sure exactly what she was thanking him for, and he wasn’t going to ask. He had to remove himself from her and the bed before he took her the way his body demanded.
Madeline stretched and sighed. She didn’t want to leave the bed. Lachlan had left her alone for the rest of the afternoon and evening, and Mrs. MacGinnis had kept her company while she had her evening meal. The woman was the best cook Madeline had ever encountered. Madeline had tried to read, but the book hadn’t held her interest. She finally shut the book and turned down the lamp when her eyes became too heavy only to wake when he crawled in beside her. His body was cold as if he had been outside without any clothing on, and she snuggled close to warm him. Several times she woke during the night only to feel his arms around her. It would be difficult to return to her empty bed after this.
It was amazing how so much could change in just a few days. She hadn’t even known Lachlan before, but now he was a part of her, as if she had known him all her life. He felt like home. But he wasn’t home and he wasn’t hers. Jordan would call for her later, and she would have to leave this house and Lachlan behind. It would pain her to do so, but it was for the best.
“Mornin’, lass.”
His voice rumbled in her ear and sent a thrill down her spine. What would it be like to wake like this every morning?
Stop that, she chastised herself. He was meant for someone else. A Scottish woman without a hint of scandal to her name or even the potential for one.
He rolled out of bed on the other side, and she felt the loss immediately, as if some part of her had been ripped away. How could that be when she had only known him a short time? He rummaged through the dresser and then disappeared into a dressing closet. The man had been wearing the kilt for at least a day. He probably wished for fresh clothing.
Madeline pushed the covers away and got out of bed. She nearly yelped when she stepped down. She had forgotten about her ankle. She couldn’t wait for Mrs. MacGinnis to come check on her and she certainly wasn’t going to ask Lachlan for assistance, so Madeline hiked up the nightshirt and hopped across to the room to the necessary. Thank goodness it was in a separate room and not in a corner somewhere. She may have allowed intimacies last night but there were some matters that she did not wish to share with him.
When she emerged, Lachlan was standing in the middle of the room, dressed as fine as any Englishman she had ever encountered. Her heart skipped a beat before she started breathing again. Goodness he was pleasing to look at, though she wasn’t sure if she preferred his plaid or his fine clothing. Both looked dashing on him.
“What are ye doin’ up?”
She nodded behind her. “I thought that was a bit obvious.”
“Ye should have asked for help.”
“I prefer to do some things on my own, thank you.”
She started to hop back to the bed, but he scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way.
There was a short knock on the door and Lachlan called for them to come in.
Mrs. MacGinnis entered carrying a bundle wrapped in paper and tied with string. “Yer brother is waitin’ for ye downstairs, Lady Madeline.”
It was too soon, Madeline wanted to scream, but had to accept that her time with Lachlan was at an end.
He nodded. “I will wait out in the hall while ye help Maddie dress.”
Not only was Jordan waiting for him in the foyer, but his younger brother, the former vicar was there as well. “Mr. Trent,” he greeted. Lachlan hadn’t known Jordan’s brother well until a few months ago when he had been called upon to make a determination into the competency of Matthew Trent’s now father-in-law and whether the man’s daughter needed a guardian. As Matthew Trent was now married to said daughter, those issues had been put to rest.
The one thing Lachlan hated more than his English title was being the highest ranking peer in the area and being forced to act as magistrate.
Mr. Trent studied his face and winced.
“I seem to have no bruises on the right side of my face if ye wish to take a swing as well,” Lachlan offered.
Jordan’s brother laughed. “No. After seeing Jordan’s knuckles and then hearing his explanation I thought it best if I came along to see that he remained civil.”
Lachlan chuckled at the thought of this former vicar wishing to protect him. “Shall we go into the library? I am sure yer sister will be down as soon as she finishes dressin’.”
“How is Madeline this morning?” Jordan asked, glaring at him.
“As well as she was when ye left last evening,” Lachlan answered and led the way to the library.
Dougal was sitting in a chair, reading when the gentlemen entered. He stood to leave.
“Stay seated,” Lachlan insisted.
The servant settled back into his chair but did not pick his book back up. He watched the two guests take seats.
“I’d offer tea, but the only servant remaining in the house is helping Maddie.”
“Lady Madeline,” Jordan ground out.
His brother sighed and shook his head. “I sent word to my brother. As her guardian he will need to be the one who approves the arrangement and will negotiate any marriage contract.”
Lachlan nodded. He really was going to marry the lass. What should have made him angry didn’t. But why not? He barely knew her. Just because she was perfectly rounded in all the right places and beautiful, he knew nothing about her, other than she was a bastard who was hit with a willow switch as a child. Would they grow to hate each other within the year and suffer a marriage like so many others in Society? That was why he had wanted a Scottish lass. Someone who understood him. Someone who had been raised the same as he, with the same values, the same loyalties.
“It might be easier to simply marry in Scotland. As soon as the roads are clear I will be travelin’ there to be with my family.”
Jordan stood. “My sister will not be married over an anvil. She will have the wedding of her dreams in London come spring.”
“Perhaps we should ask Madeline what she wishes,” Matthew Trent offered.
“She has no choice. If she hadn’t run out of the house instead of asking us, or at least let us know she had been eavesdropping, this could have all been avoided.” Jordan began to pace behind the settee.
“What if your step-mother, this Adele, decides to show up in London before then?” Lachlan questioned. “What if she decides to announce to the world her relationship to the former Earl of Bentley?”
Jordan stopped his pacing and looked at him.
His brother stiffened. “It is best if this is done quietly and quickly. Madeline needs to have the protection of your name before her status is remarked upon.”
“If that happens, doors may be closed to you, Brachton. Are you prepared for that?” Jordan asked. Apparently he was thinking clearer now. Or at least beyond the mere fact that Brachton had wanted to se
duce his sister.
“I’ve not much choice, do I?” he bit out. That is all he bloody needed this spring, to be fodder for the gossips. Would they decide that Bentley and his family duped him, made a fool of him, to unload their sister before the truth was known? It didn’t set well with him, and if anyone asked, he would be clear to inform them he already knew the circumstances of her birth before he took his vows. Not that half of them would believe him since this marriage appeared to be happening quicker than any he had known before.
“You do have a choice,” the former vicar reminded him. “We cannot force a marriage and if no one learns of this mild indiscretion, neither you, nor especially Madeline will suffer.”
At least one of the brothers was being reasonable. But if he and Maddie didn’t marry, would that also cost him his friendship with Jordan? The two had known each other since they were boys. But, did he want to marry a woman he barely knew because he didn’t want to lose a friend?
Bloody hell, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. He wasn’t ready to give Maddie up just yet, but did he want her for a lifetime?
“And there is no need for anyone to ever know,” Maddie announced as she entered the room. She leaned heavily on a cane and now wore a pale pink grown that brought out the rose petal tone of her skin. Her hair had been brushed and braided since he left her. She was a sight to behold and his heart stopped for a second.
“I ken!” Lachlan found himself arguing.
“You and I both know the truth.” Her eyes bore into his.
“We must marry, lass.” She wasn’t going to try and get out of this marriage was she? It was foolish to try and do so. She must think of her future.
“There is no reason to marry, and I stopped doing what my brothers told me long ago if I found it was not in my best interest.”
“Madeline, you don’t have a choice,” Jordan insisted.
She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “It is my future, thus it is my choice.”
He was not going to change her mind with her brothers in the room. “Might I have a word alone with Lady Madeline?”
Dougal stood and was half way across the room before the former vicar came out of his seat.
Jordan stood with his feet braced and arms folded across his chest. “I am not leaving them alone.”
“Yes, you are,” Mr. Trent insisted and grabbed his brother’s arm. He closed the door behind them after everyone had been ushered from the room.
Madeline knew this would be difficult, she just didn’t realize how much so. She wanted him, more than anything she had ever wanted before, but not under these circumstances.
“Why do you insist we marry?”
His brow creased as if he found it an odd question. “I’ve resigned myself to the fact, lass.”
It was what she had feared. There was no affection involved. How could there be? They barely knew the other, despite what her heart told her. “I do not want a husband who is resigned to taking me as a wife.”
He took a step forward and reached out to her. Madeline held up her hand to hold him off. If he touched her, she would never get through this.
Lachlan stopped his pursuit. “I dinna mean it the way it sounded.”
“Yet, it is how you feel,” she pointed out.
He thrust his fingers through his hair. “I doona ken how I feel.”
At least he was being honest. She would not be as honest if he asked her.
“I thank you for your hospitality and saving my life.”
“Ye’re leavin’?”
“Yes and you will go onto Scotland.”
“Aye, Scotland.” He took a step forward. “I thought to take you with me. We could be married quickly there.”
Madeline smiled at him even though her heart was breaking. “No.”
She fished her gloves out of the pocket of her cloak. She needed to get out of here before she turned into a watering pot.
“Nay! Yer brother insists.”
“My brother can go hang.”
“Maddie lass, think want ye are doin’.”
She had been thinking about what she was doing. Ever since her brother arrived, she knew what must be done. She took a step forward and placed a hand upon his cheek. “Go to Scotland and find your Christmas bride. That is what you wanted from the start, and I will not be the one to ruin your dream.”
“But what if I no longer want the same thing.”
Oh, if only that were true, but she knew it was not. “These few days should not alter your plans. You will realize that once you are gone from here and be glad you are free.”
“What if I am not?”
Why was he making this so difficult? Couldn’t he see that a few days of being together did not make a lifetime? Her heart may ache for him, but his did not yearn for her. He was only making the offer because it was expected of him, and he was resigned to do so. She would rather have no marriage, which was probably her future than be married to someone resigned to his fate with her.
Besides, there were larger issues that affected them. She let her hand drop. “You are an English marquess, whether you like it or not.”
“I ken very well what I am.”
“You are practically required to marry a lady, whether she is English, or Scottish, as you choose.”
“Ye are a lady,” he insisted.
Tears sprang to her eyes but she blinked them away. She refused to cry in front of Lachlan. “No, I am not. I am a bastard, remember.”
“People may never learn.”
“They will,” she sighed. “When that happens, the scandal will be larger than Society has seen in quite some time. I will not have you endure that.”
“I doona care—“
She placed her fingers against his lips. “I do. Goodbye, Lachlan.”
She pulled away and turned to leave, limping toward the door. Thank goodness Mr. Cooper had sent along one of his canes for her use or she would not be doing half so well. Still, her ankle pained her and she wanted to be off her feet as soon as possible.
He said nothing, and she could feel his eyes bore into her back. If he begged her to stay, she just might, but his silence was all she needed to know that he was glad to be free of her. Madeline pulled the door open to find her brothers and Dougal standing just outside. She wondered how much they had heard.
“Well?” Jordan demanded.
“I am ready to go home.”
Matt put an arm about her waist and then picked her up to carry her outside to the waiting carriage.
“There are still details to work out,” Jordan insisted.
“There is not going to be a wedding.”
Matt carried her through the snow before he settled her on the cushioned seat and placed a blanket over her lap. Jordan climbed in after them and slammed the door. Still, Lachlan didn’t come after her. He was probably already pouring a glass of the illegal whisky he loved so well and planning how he would go about finding his Christmas Bride, relieved to be free of her.
Mother was pacing in the parlor when they arrived. As he did at Brachton Manor, Matt carried her inside and placed her on the settee before the fire.
Her mother, sister-in-law Grace, Matt and Jordan watched her anxiously. What did they expect her to do?
“If you wish to punish me, yell at me, or be disappointed in me for going out in a snowstorm and getting lost, I wish you would have it out so we can move on.”
“Oh, Madeline.” Her mother sank to the floor beside her. “Yes, I was very vexed with you, young lady, for doing something so foolish.”
Madeline nodded and waited to be chastised.
“But I had no idea you heard our discussion.”
“I would have preferred someone to have told me.”
Her mother colored and she looked toward her brothers.
“None of you were going to tell me. You were going to let me go on about my merry way, possibly marry some gentleman, hopefully before Adele and Julia came to Town, and then, and only if necessary w
ould you inform me that my parents were never married.” Tears streamed down her face and her throat hurt. Madeline hadn’t realized she was yelling at her family until she finished.
Grace had taken a step back, her eyes wide.
“I am sorry, Grace. You are innocent in all of this. I should not have yelled.”
Her sister-in-law smiled sweetly at Madeline and came forward. “There is no need. You have had a trying time.”
Yes, that did about sum up the past few days of her life. Everything was turned on its side and there was no way to put everything back in order again.
She could not think about what was wrong now. She would do that later and come up with a new plan for her life. Madeline focused back on her mother. “I wish to stay here for Christmas, if Matt and Grace do not mind.”
“Of course I don’t,” Grace assured her. “Father will enjoy the extra company.”
Madeline had not even met Grace’s father yet, though she had heard his health wasn’t the best and hadn’t been able to speak since being injured a few years ago.
“I don’t want to impose,” her mother insisted.
Grace’s grin grew wider. “You are family. We would love to have you.” She looked at Madeline’s mother and then Jordan. “All of you.”
Mother bit her bottom lip and looked around the room.
“If you wish to go to Danby Castle and be with John and Elizabeth, I don’t mind. I can’t be in a house full of people right now, especially since most of them are strangers.”
Her mother grasped her hand. “Of course not, dear. I will write to John.”
“Don’t let me keep you here,” Madeline insisted.
“I need to be here more than there.”
Dougal had been right. They left after Maddie had quit his house and made it home ten days before Christmas. It was good to see his mother, brothers and sisters again but there was an emptiness inside that Lachlan couldn’t understand. He’d never felt this way when he left England behind and walked into the manor home he had grown up in. So why did he feel that way now?
At first he thought it was restless energy from the carriage ride and anxiousness to be home. Since his arrival, he had rotated the wood barrels used to age the whisky, helped bottle them from the casks that were ready and packed crates to take back to England. None of it helped reduce the agitation and hollowness he was experiencing. He had even traveled to Edinburgh a day early and now he was at his third ball in as many nights, and all he wanted to do was leave.