Page 26 of Highland Renegade
Emily had not been particularly attached to it, probably because it held no good memories. “You know why we had to sell it.”
“We know. The bloody earl gambled his fortune away.” Juliana began to pace. “And filled his damn head with opium smoke most days.”
Emily didn’t chide her for cursing, although she probably should have. But there was no defense she could offer. Not that she wanted to. “It is in the past.”
Lorelei sniffed. “That nasty cousin could have at least offered you a dower cottage.”
“I had no right to demand that since I got the Mayfair house.”
“Which you had to sell.”
“You might remember that neither Albert’s cousin nor his wife wanted us there.”
Juliana stopped pacing and turned. “And the MacGregors do not want us here, either!”
Lorelei nodded. “Not even Glenda, who will not speak to us. She just stares like she hates Emily.”
“Hate is a strong word.” Emily paused, thinking how to continue. “I did not expect to be welcomed, given the circumstances, but most of them have been…cordial.”
“Cordial?” Juliana resumed pacing, then stopped again. “Devon continually glares at us and Rory is just plain rude. The man has the audacity to call me names—”
“You do seem to bring out the worst in him,” Lorelei said.
“Me? Bring out the worst inhim? How—”
“Why is that?” Emily asked before Juliana could work herself into full-fledged indignation. “The two of you do seem to be at each other’s throats.”
“You will have to ask him that.”
“Maybe he likes you?” Lorelei offered.
Juliana scoffed. “If that is the Scottish way of showing it—”
“I wonder…” Lorelei went on without letting her sister finish. “Remember when we were girls and that horrible Floyd Bentley used to pull my braids and threaten to throw frogs at me? A year later, when he went to Eton, he sent me flowers and candy for my birthday.”
Juliana leveled a look at her. “I doubt very much that Rory MacGregor hasflowers and candyon his mind.”
“Still. It would not hurt you to be polite to him.” Emily turned to Lorelei. “As for you, it would be wise not to practice your flirtation skills with Alasdair.”
Her eyes widened innocently. “All I did was tell him he was clever.”
“Your tone and expression caused him to respond.”
“It meant nothing.”
“Perhaps not to you,” Emily replied, “but these are Scottish Highlanders, not accustomed to the art of London parlor flirting.”
Lorelei thrust out her lower lip. “How am I going to be successful next Season if I do not practice?”
“For heaven’s sake!” Juliana shook her head. “Why do you need to practice flirting? Those silly young lords will wax poetic, even if you do not say a word. Just wave your fan or something.”
“My fan. Goodness gracious, you are right! I need to practice that, too. How one holds a fan signifies—”
“You will not be doing any fan waving around here.” Emily frowned at her. “I do not want you to encourage Alasdair when you have no intentions of allowing him suit.”
Juliana nodded. “I agree. It is not honorable to let him think you like him when you do not.”
“I did not say I didnotlike him,” Lorelei protested.
