by Monica Burns
Ewan slammed his book down onto the shelf closest to him as he continued to avoid the firelight. The action rewarded him with the sight of her jumping slightly from the harsh sound. Suddenly she straightened to her full height, which wasn’t much less than his, and her chin tipped upward at a defiant angle.
It was a clear display of rebellion, and he couldn’t help admiring her for not allowing him to intimidate her. Despite the stubborn set of her mouth, it didn’t hide the fullness of her lips. Would her mouth taste as fiery and passionate as she looked? A bolt of desire lashed through him and made his muscles harden like the grand oak on the moor that stood not far from where Ewan had found her. He remained frozen in place afraid he might actually try to answer the question.
“You seem to have made a great many inquiries about my household.” Ewan grounded out between his teeth. He wasn’t sure if his anger was directed more at her than himself.
“My questions have only been to inquire about Ross’s well-being, and when I’d be granted permission to meet with the exalted Earl of Argaty.” She glared in his direction in obvious disdain for him and his title.
“Now that you’ve bullied your way into my exalted presence, you can explain what your interest in the boy has to do with you, other than a reason to disturb my peace.”
As if she’d suddenly realized he’d yet to refer to Ross as his son, her eyes narrowed slightly. In the firelight he saw a look of puzzlement flit across her face. It was replaced by an expression of confident determination.
“I wish you to take me on as your son’s governess.”
Stunned by her statement, Ewan stared at her in amazement. He wasn’t sure why he was so surprised, but he was. The next thought was how she was unlike the past few governesses who’d accepted the position and left soon afterward. Those women had been weak and easily intimidated the few times he’d been in their presence. Despite being a clear and present danger to his senses, Louisa Morehouse might actually be good for Ross. Floored at the direction of his thoughts, he released a loud, disparaging snort.
“What in the name of all the saints makes you qualified for such a position? Your manner is more that of a termagant than a governess. As McCallum tells it, you’re supposed to be old Lady Stewart’s companion.”
His words caused a look of deep anger to flash across her face before her expression became stoic. A part of him was disappointed to see her fiery spirit vanish from her face. It had made her features all the more lovely. Another wave of self-disgust lashed out at him for allowing himself to be moved by the woman.
“My brother has informed me that Lady Stewart has rescinded her offer to take me on as her companion.” Her reply made him frown in surprise and with renewed concern for her welfare.
“Why would the daft woman do such a thing?”
“Because when my brother informed her as to why I’d failed to arrive at the abbey, Lady Stewart learned I have two boys.” For the first time he heard a note of hesitation in her voice. “Her ladyship had no wish to take on a companion who had children.”
“Am I to understand you didn’t tell the woman you had sons?”
“I needed employment, and I thought…I thought it would be best to ask Lady Stewart’s forgiveness after the fact came to light rather than asking for her permission beforehand.”
“And if I were to agree to your proposition, why have you decided to ask permission as opposed to asking my forgiveness after the fact?”
“Because my boys are Ross’s age. Your son needs children his own age to play with, my sons need their mother, you need a governess, and I must have employment.” She drew in a deep breath. “We need each other.”
“I don’t have need of anyone,” he snapped.
“Yes, you do. McCallum said you’d not yet inquired as to a replacement for your last governess, and I’m more than capable of fulfilling that role. I’ve taught my own children and can do the same for your son.”
The logic of her proposal wasn’t lost on Ewan. It was true Ross would benefit from the presence of other children, and the boy did need a governess. The only real obstacle was the way Louisa Morehouse made him feel. Ewan immediately brushed the thought aside.
McCallum could easily act as a buffer between them. The East Wing would be off limits to her, just as it was to the rest of the household. He would never have to see the woman. He sucked in a quick breath. Christ Almighty. Was he actually making excuses as to why he should agree to her plan? Deep in the back of his head, a shout of laughter made him close his eyes for moment. It was enough to make Ewan reject the idea with a shake of his head.
“No. I don’t think you’d be suitable as a governess.”
“Give me one good reason why?” she demanded imperiously. Unaccustomed to anyone taking exception to his decisions, Ewan’s muscles tightened even further at the way she continued to challenge him.
“Do not question my decisions in my own house,” he snarled as he strode out of the shadows to stand over her.
She immediately retreated from him, her hazel eyes wide with alarm. Her reaction was everything he’d expected, but it was his disappointment at her retreat that bothered him the most. In the far reaches of his mind, her defiance earlier had made him think she might not view him as the beast so many others did. To his surprise, she relaxed slightly as her gaze narrowed at him.
A split-second later, Louisa reversed her retreat and defiantly closed the distance between them. It was as if a caber had landed on his chest. Christ Jesus, he’d never seen anyone so fearless in the face of his anger. And he was finding his anger difficult to maintain as he breathed in the sweet scent of her. His gaze slowly slid downward as he remembered the lush curves hidden beneath her dress. The memory increased his longing to explore her mouth and a body made for a man to indulge himself in.
When he returned his gaze to her face, pink color had risen high in her cheeks, but her expression revealed nothing of her thoughts. The devil in him made him lean forward until he could feel the warm heat of her breath on his face. The smell of mint filled his nostrils, and it made him ache to taste the cool fire of her mouth.
His gaze met hers, and the instant she wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, Ewan’s jaw tightened until the muscles in his face ached. God help him, he was a fool to even think about allowing her to remain at Argaty Keep. Straightening upright, he glared at her, determined to squelch the increasingly strong urge to tug her into his arms and kiss her.
“For a chattering magpie who entered my study uninvited, your tongue seems to have failed you, Louisa Morehouse,” he bit out in an icy voice before he turned away from her to stalk toward the bookcase.
Without thinking, Ewan reached for the book he’d left on the shelf with his artificial hand. The weight and size of the book proved too cumbersome for the device. As the tome slipped out of his gloved hand and the device pinched the stump of his arm, he uttered an oath of disgust. Angered by his clumsiness, and that Louisa had been a witness to it, he lunged downward to retrieve the book.
His fingers missed the book as his only eye miscalculated the distance. A second later, a feminine hand grasped the leather-bound volume and handed it to him. With a growl, he snatched the book from her with his good hand.
“It’s time you left, madam,” he said in a harsh tone as he opened the book to stare down at the page.
“You’ve still not answered the question I put to you before you charged at me like a mad bull.” Her fierce words startled him, but he quickly suppressed his surprise.
“A mad bull?” he bit out between clenched teeth as he jerked his head and sent a cold glare in her direction.
“Yes. An angry mad bull. If this is how you always act it certainly explains why everyone walks around on eggshells in this house.” Clearly exasperated, she didn’t flinch as she met his gaze. “If you won’t give me a reason for saying no to my proposition so quickly, would you at least think about it overnight rather than rejecting it in haste?”
The revulsion he’d expected to see in her eyes wasn’t there. Just as startling was the complete lack of horror and fear in her gaze. Perplexed by her manner, the anger that had consumed him only a short moment ago ebbed back into the darkness of his soul. He closed his eye for a moment. Louisa Morehouse was a force to be reckoned with, and he wasn’t sure he had the wherewithal to withstand her persistent drive to get her way.
“Did you drive your man to drink, Mrs. Morehouse?” he said with an annoyed shake of his head.
At his question, her face took on the same ghostly pallor she'd worn when he’d found her on the moors. Eyes dark with pain, she had the look of a woman haunted not with grief, but with guilt. Regret slammed into Ewan. His words had inflicted far more damage than he’d expected, and he didn’t like how the knowledge of that made him feel.
She swayed slightly on her feet, and Ewan instinctively reached out to steady her. Electricity jolted its way through his body as she braced herself against his chest. The subtle scent of roses filled his nostrils, and he savored the smell as he breathed in her fragrance. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed the smell of a woman.
Head bowed she didn’t move for a moment then dragged in a deep breath and raised her head. The fire he’d witnessed in her only seconds before had been extinguished and replaced by an icy façade. He grimaced at her expression, and regret slammed into him again.
“It wasn’t my intent to cause you pain, lass,” he said quietly as he met her gaze.
“You didn’t.” Her voice was devoid of emotion as she stepped back from him. “Forgive me for coming here uninvited.”
Still pale, she turned away from him and walked toward the door. In the back of his head, he heard a voice shouting at him. Desperately, he tried to ignore the clarion calls to stop her. The demands were as persistent as Louisa Morehouse had been up until the moment he'd caused her to remember something painful.
“Louisa.”
Ewan watched her stop and look over her shoulder at him. He frowned at how pale she still was. McCallum had been right. She’d not fully recovered from her ordeal. The fact he’d been so harsh with her made his jaw tighten in remorse.
“I shall consider your proposal and give you my answer in the morning,” he said quietly.
An odd expression flashed across her face as she nodded then left the study. Alone once more, Ewan violently slammed his book down on the bookshelf. The room echoed with the loud, abrasive crack of leather against wood.
Why was he even thinking about granting Louisa Morehouse the position of governess? It was a bad idea. The woman would be a distraction. Would be? A snort escaped him. She already was. In fact, she was the most distracting creature he’d ever met. The woman had stormed his study like a general leading a charge. And she’d stood up to him in a way few people ever did.
Not even McCallum had ever confronted him so directly. The Scotsman persuaded or suggested actions to take, but nothing more. Louisa Morehouse on the other hand had been fearless. He went rigid as he remembered how he’d called her by her given name to stop her from leaving the room. It was a warning sign he needed to say no to her proposition.
Wearily, Ewan rubbed his forehead at the sudden pounding assaulting his head. The only way to make his headache go away was to sleep. With a quiet exhaled breath of frustration, he strode out of the study and headed toward his room. He’d make his decision in the morning. In the back of his head, a voice taunted him for being a dolt as it laughed and informed him that he’d already made his decision. Irritated by the mocking laughter filling his head, he ignored the sound and what his decision might cost him.
Chapter 6
Louisa reviewed a math problem Ross had completed as the child stood in front of the desk McCallum had found for her. Finn and Brown had brought it to the schoolroom the day Ewan had sent a note agreeing to employ her as Ross's governess. She lifted her head and smiled at the boy.
“Well done, Ross. This is excellent work.” At her comment, the child smiled as if she’d given him the keys to a candy shop.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
The sound of a carriage coming up the drive made her rise to her feet and cross the floor to look out the window. Gray clouds filled the sky casting their shadow across the moor that stretched out to the horizon. It was well past three, and she’d been waiting with growing anticipation for the carriage now rolling up in front of the house. A wave of happiness swept through her. The boys had arrived. She turned around to see Ross studying her with uncertainty. With another smile, she moved to where he was standing and stretched out her hand to him.
“Come, I want you to meet Wills and Charlie. I think you’ll like them very much.” When he hesitated, she bent over so they were eye level. “Tell me what’s troubling you, Ross.”
“It’s nothing, ma’am.” A shuttered expression settled on his features as he bowed his head, and she frowned in puzzlement.
“Although we’ve not known each other very long, Ross, I don’t think you’re being honest with me.”
Her fingers gently forced his chin up until she could see the worry darkening his blue eyes. Louisa’s maternal instincts made her want to tug the boy into her arms in a gesture of reassurance. Resisting the impulse, she caught the child’s hands in hers.
“Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
“What if they don’t like me, ma’am,” the child blurted out. For a moment, she stared at him in confusion before she realized he was referring to Wills and Charlie. She gently squeezed his hands and met his gaze steadily.
“Do you believe I like you, Ross?
“Yes, Mrs. Morehouse.”
“Then if I like you, it stands to reason my boys will like you too.” At her reassurance, Ross frowned as he contemplated her words. With a slow nod of his head, he eyed her somberly.
“If they don’t like me, does that mean you’ll leave?” The question tugged at Louisa’s heart, and this time she did pull the child close.
“I have no intention of leaving Argaty Keep any time soon.”
When she released him, the look of relief on his face angered her. She wanted to storm the dark shadows of the earl’s study to rage at him for the lack of attention he gave his son. For the past several days, as they’d waited for the arrival of Wills and Charlie, she’d spent most of her waking hours with Ross. The child was desperate for affection, and it was reprehensible of the earl not to show at least some interest in the boy, if not love.
Not even his grandmother, the dowager countess, wanted anything to do with the child. When the earl had agreed to let her be Ross’s governess, the woman had summoned her to her rooms to express her displeasure that Louisa was staying. The only member of his family who ever had a kind word or display of affection for Ross was the countess’s sister, Wallis. Louisa straightened and tousled Ross’s hair.
“Come along now. Let me introduce you to my sons.”
Hope lightening his features, Ross smiled up at her as they left the schoolroom hand in hand and went downstairs. McCallum had just opened the front door as Louisa and Ross reached the main foyer. The sound of her sons’ excited chatter made her smile as she pulled Ross toward the doorway. A split-second later, Wills and Charlie walked into the hall. At the sight of her, both boys raced toward her with cries of excitement. Arms wrapped around each child, she welcomed them with kisses.
“Did you behave for Uncle Sebastian?”
“Of course we did, Mama,” Charlie said as he rolled his eyes.
“Who’s that?” Wills poked his head past her skirts and pointed to Ross. With a smile, Louisa gestured for Ross to come forward.
“This is Ross Colquhoun. His father is the Earl of Argaty, and you’ll have your lessons with him.”
“Hello, I’m Charlie.”
Louisa wanted to hug her eldest son as he stepped forward and offered his hand to Ross. The moment the boys shook hands, she saw a hesitant look of happiness sweep across Ross’s face. A movement out of the corner of he
r eye made Louisa turn to greet her brother with a hug. His hands on her arms, Sebastian studied her for a brief moment then smiled.
“You look well, much better than the last time I saw you.”
“I’m fully recovered,” she said with a smile.
“News the rest of the family will be relieved to hear.”
“Thank you for bringing the boys. Ross has no children of his own age here, and I know he’ll benefit from their company greatly.” Louisa looked over her shoulder at her new charge. The only person in the house remotely close to Ross’s age was Asadi, and Mrs. Selkirk had said the young man was at least five years older than the child. Keeping her voice low, she lifted her gaze to meet Sebastian’s quizzical look. “You remembered to speak with Charlie and Wills?”
“I did. Although I’m not sure about the reliability of your youngest when it comes to secrets as he is not unlike his mother in that regard,” Sebastian murmured with amused irony. “Charlie on the other hand seemed completely nonplused about the entire matter. Either Jamie spoke with him or he’s inherited more than one of the Rockwood family traits.”
Louisa glanced over her shoulder once more to look at her sons chattering away with Ross. She wasn’t sure how to take her brother’s observation about her oldest. There were moments when Charlie would say something that made her wonder if he possessed the an dara sealladh and simply didn’t want to discuss it. She looked back at Sebastian and shook her head.
“He’s not said anything to me, but I’ll speak with both of them when we’re unpacking their things.” The sight of McCallum and Finn bringing three trunks into the house made her frown.
“I don’t remember the boys having so many clothes.”
“Two of them are for you. I thought you would need them.”
“Oh no, you must take at least one of them back,” she exclaimed softly. “The earl’s aunt commented the other day on the large array of quality gowns you brought me on your first visit.” Louisa bit down on her lower lip as she remembered stumbling through a reply to Wallis MacCullaich’s curiosity. “I’m supposed to be in need of employment.”