Page 23 of A Scottish Lord for Christmas
“Oh, but—”
He halted on his way to the stairs after stammering a response. “Y-yes?”
“Might we see Blair first? I’ve missed her and it would do me good to hold her.”
“It would?” Quinn’s eyes widened.
Rowena nodded as she struggled out of her fur stole and coat, which the footman took from her. She didn’t want to mention her feeling nervous about Blair suffering a cold; it would seem silly. Besides, the truth was that she missed Blair terribly. The little child had crawled into her heart alongside Quinn. Right now, she needed to cuddle the sick child and feel that she had at least one person who liked her.
“Yes, may we please see her?” She caught up with him on the stairs and captured his arm.
His gaze softened. “Of course. This way.” He allowed her to loop her arm in his and the little victory filled her with quiet joy. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder how many steps forward she could take before she would be dragged back.
I will win him. I must.If she couldn’t, she’d face a life with a loveless marriage. A life without love was not a life worth living.
***
Quinn led Rowena down a dark paneled hallway. There were tall windows framed with evergreen curtains that when caught in the sunlight seemed to glow like the leaves of trees in the middle of summer. Maura had loved green, and summer had been her favorite time of year. She’d explore the hills and glens around Forres for hours on horseback. It was something they’d done together many times.
He couldn’t help but wonder, what did Rowena prefer? The heat of summer or the promise of spring? Perhaps the beauty of winter or the breathtaking golds and reds of autumn? He dropped his gaze to the top of Rowena’s head, momentarily bewitched by the way the afternoon light made the coiled coiffure of her blond locks glow like a delicate pile of spun gold.
Lord, he wanted to touch it, to tease the pins out of her hair and let the strands tumble down her shoulders in endless waves of brilliant sunny color. Quinn forced himself to remember his promise to keep his distance. He couldn’t let Rowena’s irresistible nature draw him in and tempt him to surrender to passion.
“Is the nursery very far from our room?” Rowena lifted her head and met his gaze, calling him out of the lulling thoughts of her hair and how he wanted to kiss her.
“Aye, ’tis at the opposite side of the house.”
“What?” She stopped short and stared at him. “Why would you put your daughter so far away from us?”
He didn’t miss the wordus. From the moment she’d met his child, she’d taken an interest in Blair. Yet her near-instant affection for his daughter always startled him. Rowena was young, barely old enough to start having bairns of her own, yet she wanted to care for a child who wasn’t hers.
“The nursery has always been in the east wing.”
Rowena’s brow furrowed. “Well, I would like her moved closer to us. May we do that?”
Her delicate fingers curled around his arm and tightened their hold.
“Well.” He paused, considering. It was normal to keep children out of the way…but he’d always wanted Blair close. Why hadn’t it occurred tohimto move her to a room closer to his?
“Please,” she whispered. Rowena’s eyes, those lovely cornflower blue eyes, were soft and pleading.
“If you wish it, then we can have the staff begin moving her to a room in our hallway.”
“Thank you.” Rowena was up on tiptoe, kissing his cheek, but he turned his face, catching her mouth with his. Her lips were soft and warm. The light brush of them sent bolts of arousal through him. He shut his eyes tight, grasping at his control.You’ve had her already, and you promised to restrain yourself.
“Rowena—” he murmured, beginning to lose himself in her touch, her kiss.
“Quinn! You’re back!” His sister’s voice startled him and he stepped back from Rowena. Kenna stood at the end of the hallway, holding Blair’s hand.
“Kenna.” He ushered Rowena forward. His wife glanced at him, her cheeks pink and then she looked away.
“Rowena, this is my sister, Kenna. Kenna, this is Rowena.”
Kenna’s eyes leapt from his face to his wife’s, a curious gleam there. Then she held out a hand to Rowena, who grasped it.
“Welcome to Forres.” Kenna smiled and glanced down at Blair. “Blair, love, say hello to Rowena.”
The little girl buried her face in Kenna’s skirts as though shy too. She swayed, her little black dress with a white pinafore waving like a bell in a church steeple. When she glanced at him, Quinn smiled and winked indulgently. Every time he looked at his child, his heart filled with a quiet joy. He noticed her cheeks were a tad too pink and her nose a little red. So she had been feeling a little unwell. It was good the doctor would return on the morrow.
