Page 41 of Taming the Heiress
"Walk with me, dear Lady Strathlin," he said. "Margaret. I hope you do not mind my familiarity. I think of us as such good friends, after all these years."
"Of course," she said, although lately she had become somewhat unsettled by his eager interest in her. Knowing that she must broach the subject of their supposed engagement, she wondered how to go about it without hurting his feelings.
He offered his arm, and she took it as they strolled. In her bare feet, she soon fell out of rhythm with his long stride.
Glancing down the beach, she saw the boat land, and several men disembarked, Dougal Stewart among them. She knew him well from a distance now, recognized every nuance of the easy, sure way that he moved. She would have recognized him even if she had not seen his face. His shoulders were broad in a white shirt and dark vest, and his gold-streaked brown hair gleamed in the sunlight. He shaded his eyes and turned to look down the beach.
For a moment, he stared at her, then lifted a hand in a brief, subtle salute before turning away to speak to Alan and Fergus, who were with him. Her heart leaped a little, unaccountably, at that small, private gesture.
"Did that man just wave at you?" Frederick asked.
"I do not think so," she answered.
"How long do you plan to stay on the isle, my dear?"
"I am not sure," she said. "Another week, perhaps longer. The weather has been mild, with very few storms. It's so peaceful here that I often find myself not eager to return to Edinburgh."
"You've had some excitement lately, from what Mr. MacNeill said. That was a quite a daring rescue," he went on. "The topic was on everyone's lips in Tobermory after Mr. MacNeill brought the news. Mr. Stewart is something of a daredevil, from what I hear. He performed another such rescue last year, apparently. Some men simply must act the hero." He sighed.
"He saved some men who were working on a bridge or a dock that collapsed, I think. That time, too, he happened to be there, and he had the courage and the skill to act. He was not the only hero the other day when he saved the boy. Others were ready to help, as well. We are all grateful to Mr. Stewart. If not for him, Iain might be gone."
"That little fellow over there?"
"Yes," she answered. "He is... my cousin's foster son. My family would have felt his loss very deeply." She felt Frederick's hand tense on hers. He stopped, turned to face her.
He was very tall, the black top hat making him seem even taller, so that he towered over her. His whiskers were fashionably trimmed in the long side-whiskers called Dundrearies. She did not find such hairy feathering attractive, preferring Dougal Stewart's simple habit of shaving every few days, so that his dark whiskers evenly shaded the planes of his face in a most becoming way.
"Sir Frederick," she said, "you did not truly come all this way simply to stroll with me on a beach."
"Ah, the lady is clever and perceptive," he said fondly. "Lady Strathlin—Margaret. I came to speak with you about a matter of tremendous importance. It simply could not wait for your return to Edinburgh."
"I, too, have something I wish to speak to you about."
He covered her hand with his own and brought it to his lips. "Shall I hope?" he whispered. "Shall I allow my heart to beat as it now wants to do, with the rhythm of adoration and deepest affection?"
"You can hardly control the beat of your heart, sir," she said curtly. When she tried to pull her hand away, his grip tightened and his lips touched her knuckles. Her skin seemed to crawl.
"Margaret, you know I lost my darling wife a year ago," he said. "My heart broke from abject loneliness. I felt certain I would never find a worthy helpmeet again. But my dear, you were there, like a lantern shining in my time of darkness, to offer me your generous friendship. My dear lady, you have come to mean a great deal to me in this past year, though we were excellent acquaintances before."
"I have always been grateful for your guidance, Sir Frederick. When my grandfather left his estate to me, I felt very... lost, confused, and overwhelmed. I needed good friends at that time myself. You gave me your advice as a member of the bank's board, and you and your wife were helpful in bringing me into new social circles. That made all the difference to me in the first years of my inheritance. I was only happy to return the favor when you were in need."
"So much in need," he said. "And fair Lady Strathlin came to my rescue. I am so very glad... Margaret, I cannot express to you how ecstatic I am... that you have consented to be my wife."
She stared up at him. "That I... Sir, I never—"
"Oh, Margaret, do not be coy," he said, smiling. "It does not suit. I am several years older than you, my dear, so allow me to guide you. Coyness simply does not become a woman of your stature and significance."
"Sir Frederick," she said, pulling back, "I have not consented to be your wife."
"Now the temper we see.Tsk.My dear, you do enjoy a game. Well, so do I." He continued to smile, so much that it gave her chills. "I asked you—twice, I believe—to marry me, and you agreed in a letter."
"Sir, if you read the letter, I refused you."
"'My dear Sir Frederick,' you wrote, 'I am honored by your affection and would be equally honored to be your wife.'"
"I said that I would be honored to be your wife—"
"There, you see!"
