If she wished to continue her suit with Colonel Archer, she needed to learn to navigate his relationship with Captain Balfour. She had to face this challenge, not shrink from it.
Fortunately, Captain Balfour had said he was leaving for America. Soon, he would be an ocean away. Which meant Tavish Balfour wouldn’t be a regular fixture in her life with Edward Archer, thank goodness.
But that didn’t solve the problem of this week-long house party.
Isla crossed to the window.
Naturally, the Duke of Grayburn had been put in one of the finest rooms in the house—a large tester bed, a sitting area before the fire, as well as two enormous windows overlooking the Italian parterre garden and the rising mountains to the west.
Isla cleared her throat. “Lady Milmouth is excessively distressed over thisfaux pas. I would hate to ruin her house party due to our intransigence over—”
“Her ladyship should have had the intelligence to ascertain who Archer was inviting. Asking a few pertinent questions as to the origins of one’s guests is the duty of any worthy hostess!” Gray snapped from behind.
“That is potentially my future mother-in-law you speak of, Gray. If you find her ladyship so lacking, shall I decline to continue my attachment to Colonel Archer? Will you toss away any hope of a political alliance with Lord Milmouth?”
Silence.
Isla stared out the window where an evening breeze shook the Scots pine. She could feel Gray seething at her back.
“I believe . . .” On a deep breath, she continued through lips gone numb. “I believe I can tolerate a week of seeing Captain Balfour here and there.”
Or, more accurately, she needed tolearnhow to tolerate a week of seeing the captain here and there.
If she couldn’t manage basic social interactions with Captain Balfour—if his mere presence overset her and rendered her what? maudlin? lovesick?—then it would be better to know now. Though to what end, she couldn’t say.
She had no desire to return to what they had been. And she certainly wouldn’t be forfeiting Malton Hill and her community there. She liked Colonel Archer. If she wanted a life with him, she needed to fight her way through this bramble.
Gray snorted. “I do not wish to witness youtoleratehis presence, as you say. If Balfour were any sort of gentleman, he could recuse himself immediately to spare your feelings.”
“My feelings are utterly indifferent, Gray.”
“Are they, though?” His tone held a knowing condescension that raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck.
They never spoke of this, she and Gray. In fact, after his harsh words that night seven years ago, they hadn’t spoken of Tavish Balfour until his reappearance last week.
Isla wrapped an arm around her middle. “You don’t trust me.”
Gray said nothing, though the weight of his anger pressed against her shoulder blades.
“You don’t trust that I have changed.” She whirled, meeting his hazel eyes. “You don’t trust that I am sincere when I say I will not be returning to my youthful self. I was barely two weeks past my seventeenth birthday when those events occurred, Gray. I am now seven years older and no longer a child. Please give me credit for understanding my own mind.”
He stared at her before turning away, pacing to the fireplace and back again, his limp making an agitated appearance.
Isla could feel it warring within him. His black hatred for all Balfours—Captain Balfour, in particular—competing with his desire for her to marry Colonel Archer and ally their family with the Earls of Milmouth.
Gray ran a finger under his neckcloth, as if fighting the urge to wrench the restricting garment off his neck.
“There are also three other young ladies currently under this roof,” Isla continued.
“Pardon?” Gray paused, a frown denting his brow. “Why are they part of this equation?”
Isla nearly rolled her eyes at his cluelessness.
“You are hardly so obtuse, Gray. If you throw around the weight of your ducal authority and insist Captain Balfour depart, possibly taking Captain Ross with him—which, of course, you are within your rights to do—the ladies’ undivided attention will devolve upon you and you alone.”
Gray clenched his jaw and pivoted back toward the fireplace, resuming his pacing.
“Despite our feelings on the matter,” Isla said, “Captain Balfour isalso the son of an earl. He is not inconsequential, at least not to these ladies and their mammas.”
