Part 16 (2/2)

Heat flooded through her and she instinctively leaned toward him, but he was already straightening.

He winked. ”I will return for dinner, and we will resume our conversation then. Who knows?” He flashed a wicked grin. ”We might even have some *this morning' this very evening.”

”You can do that?”

His laugh wrapped around her, and for a moment she forgot she was in a strange new house, filled with people from whom she was to maintain a distance, and servants she barely knew. Instead, for one warm, wonderful moment, it was the two of them, both smiling. It brought back instant memories of this morning, of the intimacy of lying in his arms, their bare legs entwined as their hearts slowed to a normal rhythm.

Oh, how she would like to savor that moment again! Her body tingled as a low thrum of excitement washed over her. She smiled back at him. ”I shall look forward to it.”

His eyes glinted, and for an instant, she thought he might pull her to him for a pa.s.sionate kiss, but he turned toward the door. ”I need to see to the horses. If you need anything, ask the housekeeper; I've left instructions you are to be granted whatever you wish.”

”Thank you, but...when will you be back?”

He tossed her a warm glance. ”As soon as I can.”

”It's very difficult to plan dinner when you give out times like that.”

He laughed and opened the door. ”Very well, wife. I'll be home by six.”

He left, closing the door behind him. She heard him collect his coat from the footman, followed by the swing of the front door as it opened. His riding boots marked his stride down the marble steps.

She raced to the window, pus.h.i.+ng back the curtains carefully so she wouldn't attract his attention. She watched him walk down the path toward the stables until she could see him no more. Then she collapsed in the nearest chair, tingling all over at her own audacity.

Smiling to herself, she said aloud, ”Just you wait, Hugh MacLean!” He might say he wanted her to stay out of his life, but he was wrong. She would win her position as wife both in his bed and out. She was a Hurst, by G.o.d, and Hursts never quit.

Yet Triona knew she needed help. And she knew exactly where to find it. She hopped up and swept out into the hallway to ask for pen and paper.

Chapter 12.

”Och, 'tis kind o' yer father to send ye here each Michaelmas. It does me old heart good to bask in the light of such bonny la.s.sies!”

OLD WOMAN NORA TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ON A COLD WINTER'S NIGHT I thought Papa said she'd only be here a few days,” Devon said disgustedly. Dressed in her chemise, she threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Christina pulled off her riding boots. ”He said a couple of months, and it's only been one week.”

Devon rolled over onto her stomach, her brow lowered. ”He was very quiet this afternoon during our ride.”

”He barely smiled,” Aggie agreed. ”Until she came into the barn.”

She was what they'd taken to calling Caitriona. ”My lady” stuck in Christina's throat and wouldn't be uttered.

”He has a lot on his mind,” Devon said darkly. After a long moment, she added in a pugnacious voice, ”I don't like her.”

Christina shot Devon an annoyed glance. ”Papa is the one who has to like her, not us.”

Aggie sat on a stool, dressed in a round gown of blue that set off her eyes, her sapphire blue riding habit on a chair waiting for the maid to take it to be cleaned. She held a handful of hairpins and a brush as she waited for Christina to fix her hair. ”She's been nice to us.”

She had indeed been nice to them, but distant. Christina had expected that, of course. She was only interested in Papa, and couldn't care less about them.

Just like Mother.

Christina's stomach tightened.

Aggie, blissfully unaware, added, ”Papa likes her more than he says. She is rather pretty.”

Devon rolled to her side to stare at Aggie. ”You can't mean that!”

”She has a nice smile,” Aggie insisted.

”She wears spectacles,” Devon said with disgust.

”Yes, but her hair is very long and smooth.” Aggie touched her own curls and said in a wistful tone, ”I wish my hair was smooth like that.”

”Well, I think she's dreadfully plain,” Christina said. ”I didn't get a good feeling from her at all.”

”Me neither,” Devon said, planting her elbow on the bed and resting her chin in her palm. ”I think she tricked Papa into marrying her.”

”I thought that was rather fishy myself.” Christina combed out Aggie's hair. ”I think Papa was taken advantage of.”

”So do I,” Aggie added, though it was obvious she was just trying to be included.

Christina looked across Aggie's head to meet Devon's gaze. ”I wish there was something we could do to help Papa. She seems to be making herself at home.”

Devon's expression darkened. ”She's won over Mrs. Wallis, Liam, and Angus, as well as Annie and Moira.”

”Both maids?” Christina asked.

Devon nodded. ”This morning, Cook said she thought the *new missus' was a right one.”

This was much worse than Christina had thought.

”She has made the house nicer,” Aggie said. ”We've had better meals and the house is cleaner, and-”

”It was running fine when Devon and I were helping Mrs. Wallis,” Christina said hotly. Although, Mrs. Wallis hadn't really allowed Christina and Devon to do more than select the menus. Still, it hurt a little that Mrs. Wallis and the servants seemed happy Caitriona was here. Christina was the oldest; shouldn't she have been running the house the way Caitriona was doing it now?

But even worse than the servants' defections, Papa was beginning to look at his new wife differently. The first few days, he'd been kind and pleasant. But lately there was a light in his eyes when he came home, which scared Christina very, very much. Mother used to get like that, too. She'd find a man and get that same look, and then she'd disappear. It would be days, sometimes weeks before she'd return. Christina had to breathe through her nose very slowly to keep the others from seeing how frightened she was.

Devon sat up, propped her elbow on her knee, and rested her chin in her hand. ”That old witch tricked him.”

Aggie's eyes widened. ”She's a witch?”

”The worst kind,” Devon said. ”The kind who lures men away from their families-”

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