Page 22 of The Lady in Pearls
“Yes, Mr. McLeod—Cameron, that is--loves to tease his Lordship. Ever since they were lads, or so I’ve heard. Mr. McLeod will no doubt tease him about you, as well.” Mary put the brushes and extra pins into the drawers of the vanity table.
“What could he tease Lord Huntley about in regards to me?” Daphne asked.
The maid shrugged, reluctant to speak.
“Please, tell me.”
Mary glanced around, as if afraid someone would hear, then said in a low voice, “It’s quite well known that his Lordship has certain beliefs on marriage,” she began. “He’d always proclaimed he would marry only for love. Now that he’s marrying you… well, Mr. McLeod will be sure to prod him about his reasons.”
“Oh dear,” Daphne sighed, and a headache began to form behind her eyes.
Lachlan didn’t love her and would likely be upset if his friend teased him about it.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, my lady,” Mary replied with a little giggle before a distant gong sounded somewhere. “Ach, dinner’s ready.”
Lachlan had a gong? That was unexpected. Only the finest houses boasted such a thing. Not that Huntley Castle wasn’t fine, but despite the exquisite furnishings, the estate had a rustic feel to it that made her forget she was in one of the finer houses in Scotland.
Daphne left Mary to tidy up the bedchamber. Lachlan waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, one arm resting on the newel post. The sight brought back wild, forbidden memories of last night’s kiss. A kiss that had led to one of the most exquisite pleasures in her life. Her face heated and she tried to focus on anything but Lachlan and the memory of his thigh rubbing against her in that unexpected way.
“Dinner and new acquaintances,” she repeated over and over until her nerves replaced the flush of arousal. She bit her lip as she reached Lachlan. He smiled, and for the first time it was warm and genuine. He held out his arm to her and she accepted his escort.
“Don’t let Cameron fool you,” Lachlan said as they neared the dining room. “He’s quite a trickster.”
“And Eliza?”
“By far, she is Cameron’s better half. You will take to her, lass, do not fret.”
She held her breath as they entered the dining room. Candelabras had been lit, lending a seductive glow to the long, polished dining table and the gray walls around them, which bore stately portraits of Lachlan’s ancestors.
Moira stood waiting for them at the far end of the table, beaming. Firelight from the white marble hearth illuminated a couple close to Moira. The man, Cameron McLeod, was almost as tall as Lachlan, with blond hair. They dressed in similar style, but where Daphne felt they stood apart most was in their expressions. Already, she could see the trickster she had been warned about in his face. Lachlan, on the other hand, had a certain wildness about him, something that seemed untamable, and she longed to let go and be wild with him.
The woman at Cameron’s side, Eliza, was a pretty woman with reddish-brown hair. She wore a fashionable gown but, like Daphne’s, it was simple in cut. That came as something of a relief. The gowns from the modiste were quite good, but she feared they would not appear worthy of a countess. Of course, she was content to wear simple clothes, but at the same time, didn’t want to make a poor impression and embarrass Lachlan.
“Ahh, Lachlan, you finally prove the mystery woman exists!” Cameron laughed heartily. It was an open, kind laugh, and despite the mischief that lurked there, Daphne knew she would like and trust Cameron.
Eliza poked her husband in the ribs with an elbow. “Oh, hush.” She beamed at Daphne, approached, and grasped Daphne’s hands.
“So lovely to meet you,” Eliza said. “I’m Eliza McLeod, and this is my very silly husband, Cameron.”
“It is so nice to meet you as well.” Daphne couldn’t stop smiling as she looked at the couple. She chanced a glance at Lachlan. He seemed more relaxed than he had ever been since they’d met.
“You look well.” Moira gave Daphne a motherly hug that threatened to return burning tears to her eyes. She was suddenly ridiculously happy. She was making new friends, ones who probably didn’t know about her father or her shame. She was being treated like a daughter, a fiancée and a friend.
“Shall we begin?” Lachlan asked.
Eliza and Daphne took adjacent seats at the table. Lachlan moved to its head while Cameron and Moira sat opposite Daphne and Eliza. As the courses flowed in and out of the room, Cameron regaled the diners with tales of his and Lachlan’s childhood.
“…And there was the time we snuck into the bakery in the village, you remember that?” Cameron asked between sips of wine.
“I do. I also recall forbidding you from sharing that particular story,” Lachlan said, his tone teasing. He leaned back in his chair, smiling. Daphne was fascinated by this change in him. He seems so at home, so alive and warm around Cameron. The ghosts of the past seemed, for now, to have been banished by their guests.
I wish I could always see him like this, smiling and happy.
Eliza snickered. “Go on, tell us what happened, Cameron.”
Cameron toyed with his fork, grinning devilishly. “Well… Lachlan climbed into the back window of the bakery and started stuffing cherry tarts into his trouser pockets. But he forgot about the fat green toad we’d recently captured at the loch.” He paused to let Lachlan shake his head with a rueful smile.
Daphne couldn’t resist asking, “And?”
