Mr. McTaggart knelt before her and grabbed her ankle to strap the skate to her boot. “You willna need a chair. I’ll hold you up if you need it.”
Until that moment, she’d been worried about twisting an ankle or cracking her head on the ice. Skating became more enticing all of a sudden. She’d enjoyed his arm around her shoulders yesterday when they stood on the hill watching Gracie roll to the bottom. He was as solid as a bronze statue and yet when he’d held her, he was tender. She’d felt protected and cherished at the same time. Edith could get used to his touch, which would make returning to England more difficult than it needed to be.
She considered bowing out after all, but he already had the skates strapped to her boots. Capturing both of her hands, he eased her to her feet. “Take some time to get yer balance, lass.”
Her ankles wobbled. “Heavens!” She dug her fingers into his forearms and clung to his sleeves when she tipped backward.
His arms circled her waist and he cradled her against his chest. She felt steadier already, although her blood was sputtering through her veins. “It will come natural to you after a time,” he said.
“Natural?” she croaked. “I feel as if I’m trying to balance on the edge of a cliff.”
His mouth grazed her temple as he leaned down to speak in a voice as smooth and comforting as warm chocolate. “I willna let you fall. Ye have my word.”
Edith glanced up at him and nearly sighed before she caught herself. He grew more handsome each time she saw him, which must be a trick of her eyes. She wasn’t wearing her spectacles lately since she only truly needed them for reading. Perhaps that accounted for his increasing appeal.
His grin widened as he met her gaze. “Are ye ready to take the plunge, lass?”
“I do not plunge, Mr. McTaggart. I give careful consideration to everything I undertake, and then I proceed with cau—”
“You think too much.” He lifted beneath her knees and carried her onto the ice.
“Mr. McTaggart! What are you doing?”
“Teaching you to have a little fun. Once ye’ve learnt that lesson weel, I’ll show you how to skate.” In a flash, they were flying along the ice.
With a squeal, she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut. Cool air rushed over her face.
“Open yer eyes, lass.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to see disaster coming.”
Laughter rumbled in his chest. “There willna be any disaster. I’ve been on skates as long as I’ve been walking. Will you trust me not to hurt you?”
Earnestness rang in his words, and because she wanted to trust him, she cracked one eye open. The ice teemed with McTaggarts, and she was certain they would collide with one any moment, but Mr. McTaggart cut through the crowd with ease.
A young man with unruly black hair drew even with them. He bestowed a heart-stopping smile on her before addressing Mr. McTaggart. “Abducted a woman, aye Fergus? Wise. How else are ye going to get a pretty one in yer bed?”
Mr. McTaggart growled at his clansman. “Show some respect, whelp, before I show yer nose my fist.”
The young man winked at her before lurching out of Mr. McTaggart’s reach. The bigger man cursed him.
Edith giggled nervously at the memory of Mr. McTaggart’s large bed in his chamber.
“Forgive my cousin’s lack of manners,” he said. “Hamish’s mother dropped him on his head one too many times. Knocked the sense right out of him, not to mention his manners.”
“Oh?” Her smiled faded. She didn’t mind being disrespected nearly as much when someone called her pretty. It was a petty, vain thought, but all her life she’d been the plain sister or Lavinia’s invisible friend. Believing she was attractive, even for a fleeting moment, felt nice.
Mr. McTaggart’s arms flexed beneath her knees, and she wondered if he was growing tired of holding her. He cleared his throat. “I dinna abduct lasses, and I havena had one in my bed for a long time, but it’s by choice.”
She flicked a hand in the air. “I really don’t need to know about your—yourpersonalaffairs.”
His brow wrinkled. “There isna much considered personal with the McTaggarts. Everyone knows what each other is up to all the time, so you might hear a tale or two about my younger days. I was a bit of a rogue, but I can promise you. I dinna intend to bed you, no matter how pretty you are. I know yer a respectable lass and I’d never mistreat you.”
Her heart expanded, filling her chest. That was one of the nicest compliments she’d ever received. “Thank you, Mr. McTaggart.”
He shrugged. “No need for thanks. I was only stating the facts.”
She squeezed his shoulder in appreciation anyway. “You can put me down now if you like. I am ready to try on my own.”
