Page 64 of Tempting the Highland Spy
“Especially when you look like you do tonight.” His husky words were infused with a quality she couldn’t quite define.
“The gown is exquisite.” Her hands lowered to the fabric, and she smoothed the emerald silk with the palms of her hands. “Mrs. Carmichael was wonderful about procuring it.”
He drew back a step, then another. He met her eyes. “I wasn’t talking about the dress.”
“Oh,” she said, nearly under her breath. “My.”
“Unfortunately, that gown and the woman who is wearing it need to be seen by someone other than me.” He extended a crooked arm. “May I escort you to the ballroom?”
“Of course,” she said, accompanying him as they descended the stairs. Belle spotted her from across the ballroom.
The heiress maneuvered through the crush to join Grace and Harrison, her silk brocade gown swishing with each step. The aquamarine gown with its perfectly fitted bodice and flowing skirt was adorned with embroidered lilies sewn in a striking silvery thread. Her honey-blond hair was swept into an elegant coiffure, topped with a tasteful jeweled headpiece. A joyful smile brightened her sapphire-blue eyes as she reached out to clasp Grace’s hand, as she tended to do.
“I was starting to wonder if you’d come,” Belle said, then nodded toward Harrison. “Dr. MacMasters, it’s good to see you.”
As they exchanged pleasantries with the heiress, Raibert approached. A powerful figure of a man, he stood by her side, a clear possessiveness in his eyes. The hard gleam in his stare as he shifted his attention to Harrison set off an internal alarm. She had no reason to distrust the man, other than the suspicions Harrison and Mr. Jones had communicated. But even without that knowledge, she would’ve been uneasy around Raibert. He was handsome, charming, and yet, something in his expression propelled a wave of apprehension through her.
Raibert donned a smile that seemed a mask. “It’s good that Belle has another American here with her. I do believe she’s homesick.”
“Perhaps a touch,” Belle said.
“Will you return to America at some point after your marriage?” Harrison inquired.
Belle’s smile dimmed. “I’ve no plans to do so.”
“I may be able to change your mind,” Grace said. “Dr. MacMasters and I intend to visit my family home often. I’m quite attached to that rambling old house.”
“The one in North Carolina?” Belle questioned.
“Not that one—my father’s cottage on the sound is a wonderful place, but I’ve never considered it home. That would be in Pennsylvania, not far from the New York border.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Belle said. “I recall that now. Perhaps I will persuade my future husband to travel there with me in the not-too-distant future.”
“I do believe I could be convinced. Perhaps I will bring my portrayal of Hamlet back to the New York stage.”
“What a delight that would be,” Grace said as Harrison’s expression settled into what looked like a mild case of dyspepsia. She softly nudged him with an elbow.
“There is a part of me that longs to tread the boards again,” Raibert went on. “But for now, restoring my family estate is my passion. For too many years, this historic place was allowed to go to rot.”
“This castle is magnificent,” Grace said.
“The restoration has only just begun. Fortunately, my dear Belle shares my drive to bring the entire property back to its former grandeur.”
“It’s rugged and beautiful,” Belle gushed, even as the sour expression returned to Harrison’s face. My, he wasn’t much of an actor, was he?
Raibert’s attention settled on Grace. A shiver traced its way along her spine, but she dismissed it. She’d nothing to fear from this man—not here, at least, with Harrison so near.
The actor’s eyes narrowed, and he seemed to drop the pleasant mask. “Have we had occasion to meet…in the past?”
Cotton filled her throat, but she managed a reply. “I don’t believe so. I certainly would have recalled making the acquaintance of a thespian of your stature.”
“You’re quite sure of that?” he pressed.
“Positive,” she said, swallowing against the sudden dryness in her mouth.
“You seem very familiar. I’ve seen you…somewhere…”
Oh, dear. This wasn’t good. She’d no idea where he might have spotted her, but any connection he made to her activities in America might well arouse his suspicion.
