Page 27 of A Two-Faced Laird
He stared at Edina as if his face had turned to stone, and suddenly, she was certain that she was right. Then he dropped his gaze to the floor and his shoulders slumped.
Edina felt infinitely sorry for him; once more she stepped forward, and this time it was she who put her arms around the man she now knew was Aidan. She raised her face to his, and once more they were lost in the magic that enveloped them whenever they were together.
“It is not the boy with whom I’m falling in love. It is this very man in front of me. Whatever his name is.”
Edina heard him groan, but it was not a sign of pain. Once again she plunged her hands into his hair and pressed herself against him, and this time he did the same to her, then movedone of his hands around her waist. Edina gave a little squeal that was part surprise and part pleasure, and tried to move even closer to him.
The Laird’s son was not even sure what was happening any more. He was suddenly a different person to the one he had been only a few moments before, and Edina knew. He had not even realised how he was caressing her—everything seemed to be suddenly out of his control. He had not intended to kiss her, yet here he was doing just that, and it was almost unbearably wonderful.
Edina’s flesh underneath his hand was soft and yielding. She was as aroused as he was, and he knew that if he had allowed himself to let his inhibitions get the better of him, he could have taken her right there and then. He was sure Edina would not have protested.
How long they would have stood like that neither of them knew, but they suddenly heard footsteps coming upstairs towards them and jumped apart. Edina ran a few yards along the walkway in front of the parapet, then leaned on it, as if admiring the view.
She heard him going downstairs, exchanging a few words with the guard on the stairs, then making his way down to the ground floor. She followed him a few moments later, making sure the other man did not see her, then went to the dining room.
He was there, but he was seated at the very end of the table next to his father, about as far away from her as he could be, and he avoided Edina’s gaze completely.
“At last!” her mother cried as soon as she saw her daughter. “Where have you been? And what on earth have you done to yourself? Your hair looks like a bird’s nest!”
Edina remembered that her hair had been blown into a fearful tangle by the wind, and she giggled as she raised her hand to feel it.
“I went out for a breath of fresh air,” she replied. “But I forgot about the breeze.”
“Breeze?” Laird Findlay laughed, pointing at the windows, outside which a gale was beginning to howl. “I think there may be something wrong with your ears, young lady.”
“And that kind of wind will not do your dresses any good either!” Her mother’s voice was peevish, and she shook her head, frowning fiercely.
“I am not wearing a ball gown, Mother,” Edina pointed out. “I am sure it will survive. Anyway, if any of my clothes are damaged, I have half a dozen seamstresses at my service who can make new ones.”
“Oh!” Lady Eleanor looked up, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. “How are all your new ventures going, Edina?”
“Splendidly!” Edina answered, feeling the leap of triumph she always experienced when her endeavours were mentioned. “The children are all properly clothed now, and they are learning very fast. My two new teachers are very clever young ladies and seem to really enjoy what they are doing, and the children love them. I could not be more pleased with the way things are progressing, Milady.”
“I have another idea for you,” Lady Eleanor declared. “Quite a few of the ladies in the village can knit, and I thought we could start producing some warm clothes for winter. We have more than enough wool, after all.”
Edina was just about to agree when the man she was trying to think of as Aidan spoke up. She was extremely surprised, since he never usually concerned himself with such matters.
“That sounds like an excellent idea, Mother,” he remarked. “I think it would be appreciated by all the villagers.”
“And we could all help,” Edina added, smiling from ear to ear.
However, she noticed that Lewis or really Aidan was looking very pale, and felt a little alarmed.
“This is just what I hoped would happen. One good thing is leading to another, and we are all benefitting.”
Her father leaned across the table and took his daughter’s hand, his eyes shining. “I am so proud of you, my daughter,” he said warmly.
Edina smiled at him, then the Laird raised his wine glass.
“To Edina,” he said, smiling. “Beautiful and brilliant. Sláinte Mhath.”
“Sláinte Mhath!” came the chorus.
Even the object of the mystery joined in, but he left shortly afterwards, pleading tiredness and leaving half of his food uneaten. The Laird’s eyes followed him anxiously, and he exchanged a glance with his wife.
Edina noticed it and immediately felt apprehensive; perhaps it had not been such a good idea to challenge Aidan. She knew it was going to take a while for her to switch his identity in her mind, but what if she spoke the wrong name and his secret was revealed to everyone?
However, there were so many questions in her mind regarding this scheme. Why did one brother replace the other? Was the real Lewis actually at the sea? Did the Laird want to hide the secret of Lewis’s addiction to avoid the disgrace and the loss of prestige it would bring to the family?
