Page 6 of In Love With the Wrong Highland Sister
Laria took a deep breath then went downstairs with her sister, reminding herself that this whole exercise was not about her but about Eloisa.
3
“This is my wife, Lady Margaret MacLean,” the laird announced. “My dear, this is Sir James Elliott and Sir Gavin Elliott. James will be Laird of Kirkmuir when he marries.”
James and Gavin bent down to kiss Lady MacLean’s hand. She was a tall, delicate-looking woman with a profusion of brown curly hair in which a few strands of gray were beginning to appear and wide hazel eyes. She smiled at both of them, but her eyes lingered on James.
“My goodness, you are both such strapping young men!” she said in wonder, her gaze roaming all over him from head to toe. “How do you stay like this?”
James laughed. “Thank you, milady,” he answered as he bowed. “But there is no mystery about it. We both work very hard with our tenants and practice with our guards every day. You can never be prepared enough to defend what is yours, and we often have trouble with bandits, so we always need to be ready.”
“My sentiments exactly,” Laird MacLean said, nodding his head in agreement. “Now, where are those two girls? I warned them not to be late, but no one ever listens to me around here!” He cast his eyes heavenward and sighed.
Lady MacLean smiled at the two young men. “Come and sit down,” she invited. “They will be along in a moment. It’s more than likely that Eloisa has been trying to tidy Laria up.” She sighed. “I must warn you that Laria is still very sensitive over the death of her husband, and it is better not to speak of him at all.”
“When did her husband die, milady?” James asked, frowning.
“Around a year, sir,” Margaret replied. “But they were very much in love, and she has never recovered from the pain of losing him. I am afraid that when Robert died, a part of Laria died with him, so please do not speak his name unless she does.”
“Of course not, milady.” James nodded in acquiescence.
* * *
“I forgot to put my locket on!” Eloisa cried, putting a hand to her neck to find the golden heart-shaped locket she often wore on special occasions.
“Can you not just do without it?” Laria asked irritably, already descending the stairs.
“No.” Eloisa’s voice was firm as she turned around quickly on the top step then ran back toward her bedroom. “Tell them I will be along in a while!” she cried.
Laria ground her teeth but proceeded downstairs to the dining room, where she found the two Elliott brothers and her parents already seated at the table.
“I am so sorry to be late,” she apologized. “I needed to make myself look presentable.”
Her gaze scanned the table but stopped when they reached the cornflower-blue eyes she had seen earlier on the tall, attractive man she had seen walking with her father. He gave her a slight nod, and something sparked between them so that, for a moment, it seemed that there were only the two of them in the room. Laria’s heart began to beat wildly, and she looked away from him to smile at his brother.
James felt the same current of attraction too as his eyes met her silver-gray ones. Eloisa was truly a beautiful woman, he thought, and there was something mysterious and alluring about her that had captured his attention at once. If this was who he had come to meet, he was more or less sure that his search was over.
“Do not concern yourself,” he said, laughing softly. “There is plenty of time.” He stood up and bowed. “James Elliott.”
“Laria MacLean,” she answered tonelessly. “Eloisa will be here in a moment. Ah, here she is now.”
James’s heart plunged as he saw the young woman coming to meet him. She was undoubtedly beautiful, with small neat features and the same pale gray eyes as her sister. However, he felt no connection between the two of them at all. She was simply too young for him; he needed a woman, not a girl. His disappointment was acute, but he put a brave face on and smiled at her widely, then bowed.
“My younger daughter, Eloisa,” the laird said, pouring her a glass of wine. His glance flicked to Laria. “My goodness, how good it is to see you wearing something bright for a change, my dear. You look lovely.”
“What a pleasure it is to meet you, Eloisa,” James said politely. “This is my brother, Gavin. We have been traveling together these last six months.”
“I am glad to meet you both!” Eloisa put on her best smile then looked over to Gavin. Immediately, she blushed and looked away. It seemed as though the same crackle of attraction that had passed between the other two had also happened between them.
Eloisa felt a flutter of panic. Now what was she to do? She could not possibly marry the wrong brother.
“Tell me about yourself, Eloisa,” James said pleasantly. “What do you like to occupy your time with?”
Eloisa looked a little confused for a moment. “I do some charity work among the poor of the village. We both do.” She nodded at her sister. “We mend old clothes and give them to the poor, and we look after some of the orphans of the village as best we can. There are so many of them. Laria helps to dig their vegetable gardens, and we give spare food when we can. As well as that, all of us knit shawls and give them to the needy.”
“I am impressed,” James said admiringly. “Most of the ladies I meet do embroidery and hang their work on the walls of their houses or in the church. We who are more fortunate should follow your example, Eloisa.”
James followed his polite inquiries about Eloisa’s hobbies with a few more about her general welfare, her horse, the estate, and now he had run out of things to say.
