Page 86 of Tempting the Highland Spy
The click of the latch caught her attention. Why had Mrs. Carmichael closed the door?
“I wasn’t referring to that.”
Grace met her eyes. “Then what… what are you talking about?”
“You didn’t sleep in here last night.”
“I’m well aware of that. I was restless… I didn’t want to disturb you.” She pulled in a low breath to calm herself.
“Grace, I’ve grown fond of you. I want you to be careful…you’re in a vulnerable state, and I’d hate to see you hurt.”
“Oh, you’re referring to MacMasters.”
The older woman sighed. “I do understand your feelings. I wasn’t always a widow. But you must guard yourself…and your heart.”
“You believe he will wound me?”
“Yes.” Mrs. Carmichael lowered her gaze for little more than a heartbeat. When she met Grace’s eyes, she slowly shook her head. “And no. I don’t mean to sound contradictory.”
Grace’s pulse pounded against her ears. “Then what do you mean?”
“Harrison MacMasters would never hurt a woman. Not intentionally. He’s a good man, solid as they come.”
A bitter lump seared the back of Grace’s throat, but she would not betray the emotion. Not to Mrs. Carmichael. Not to anyone.
Grace set her drawing pad on the table and squared her shoulders. “But you do not believe I am good enough for him?”
Again, Mrs. Carmichael shook her head. “No. It’s nothing like that. It’s simply that I don’t know if Harry has it in him to…to dedicate himself to anything other than his duty to the Guild.”
“I don’t understand. Just days ago, you referred to him as reckless. Yet now you describe him as so fiercely dedicated to duty he might never allow for a woman in his life.”
“Both statements are true. If you recall, we were discussing Harry as a lad. In his youth, he was a charming boy accustomed to getting his way. He’d broken his fair share of young hearts by the time he’d graduated university. It was only after his brother’s death that he cast aside his pursuit of pleasure and, in fact, happiness.” She motioned Grace to take a seat in the side chair while she paced over the rug. “You see, he blamed himself for what happened.”
“How could he possibly have been responsible?”
“His brother’s death was indeed a tragedy. Lady Kathleen, their mother, still bears the grief for the loss of her eldest son. The murder was a terrible thing.”
Grace’s breath caught. “Murder?”
Mrs. Carmichael nodded grimly. “Andrew MacMasters was an operative of the Guild, following the tradition of the MacMasters men. Harry was young then and inexperienced. He’d accompanied Andrew on a mission. Both men made mistakes that night.”
“But why would Harrison carry the guilt?”
“They were on the trail of a killer. Their quarry was clever, and treacherous as a viper. Andrew made the mistake of trusting her. When he was killed, Harrison had left him alone. He was pursuing the company of a woman. If he’d been there, he might have intervened…he might have saved him. Or so he thinks.”
The thought of Harrison’s grief hit her like a blow. “Oh, my. But surely he knows it wasn’t his fault.”
Mrs. Carmichael seemed to ponder her words. “For years, he’s tortured himself, questioning what he’d done.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “There’s no way to turn back time.”
“His mother…did she blame him?”
She shook her head. “Lady Kathleen understood her sons faced deadly risks in their service to the Guild. As we all do. It’s a MacMasters’ tradition.”
“Are you a MacMasters, Mrs. Carmichael?”
“Not quite—not by blood, at least. Though over the years, the bond between Lady Kathleen and myself has been as close as sisters.”
“Someday, you will have to tell me more,” Grace said, sensing a story behind their friendship.
