“True,” her friend whispered in her ear, “but I don’t have a handsome man offering to teach me.”
Edith’s face flooded with heat. “What does his appearance have to do with anything?” she grumbled under her breath.
“It makes the task more pleasant.” Lavinia playfully nudged her toward Mr. McTaggart. “Be brave, my friend.”
Edith glowered at Lavinia, realizing it was obvious she wasn’t coming to her rescue. Some friend she was.
Mr. McTaggart held out his arm to Edith. “Shall we?” His deep green eyes twinkled with merriment as she accepted his escort, allowing him to draw her toward a stump. “If Mr. Mason can enjoy himself, so can you.”
On the ice, Lavinia’s younger sister Pearl pushed her husband around on a ladder-back chair, their laughter carrying across the pond.
“Do you have a chair for me?” Despite her surly tone, she sat on the stump, kicking her leg out in front of her.
Mr. McTaggart knelt 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.”
“What?” she asked in a breathy voice.
“I’ll hold you close so you don’t fall.” When he looked up, holding her gaze, her heart skipped. Until that moment, she’d worried about twisting an ankle or cracking her head on the ice.
His rugged face glowed from the cold, his lips a darker shade of red. Rich brown hair lay against his nape, tempting her to brush it aside. Suddenly, the prospect of learning to skate became more enticing.
She had enjoyed his arm around her shoulders yesterday while watching Gracie roll to the bottom of the hill. He was as solid as a bronze statue, yet when he’d held her, he had been tender. She’d felt both protected and cherished. 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 had already strapped the skates to her boots. Capturing both of her hands, he eased her to her feet. “Take some time to get your balance, lass.”
Her ankles wobbled. “Heavens!”
She dug her fingers into his forearms, clinging to his sleeves when she tipped backward. His arms circled her waist, cradling her against his chest. She felt steadier already, even as her blood raced through her veins.
“It will come naturally to you after a time,” he said.
“Natural? I feel like I’m balancing 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. You 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 you ready to take the plunge, lass?”
“I never plunge, Mr. McTaggart. I give careful consideration to everything I undertake, and then I proceed with cau—”
“You think too much.” He swept her off the ground, his arm beneath her knees, and carried her onto the ice.
“Mr. McTaggart! What are you doing?”
“Teaching you to have a little fun. Once you’ve learned that lesson, 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 your 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 at any moment, but Mr. McTaggart cut through the crowd with ease.
A young man with unruly black hair drew even with them, bestowing a heart-stopping smile before addressing Mr. McTaggart. “Abducted a woman, have you, Fergus? Wise. How else are you going to get a pretty one in your bed?”
