Her breath caught.
Did she dare stay at the same inn?Wasn’t that inviting Satan to work his wiles?
What if there was only a common room for sleeping?
Or what if there was a chamber, but the two of them were forced to share it?
And what if that chamber had only one bed?
She was grateful for the dark of night.Her face reddened with such shame at the direction of her thoughts, it felt like flame upon her cheeks.
Adam supposed it was too much to hope there was just one room left at Anne Campbell’s.That they’d be obliged to share it.And there would be but one bed.Still, he couldn’t help wishing it.
He’d never felt so drawn to a woman before.So enchanted.So fascinated, not just by her beguiling beauty, but by her nimble mind and her saucy tongue.
He’d had sweethearts before.Fleeting and frivolous affairs with giggling maids and sighing lasses.They had been entertaining.Delightful.Thrilling.
But in Aillenn, he felt as if he’d met his match.A woman with whom he could exchange jests.Have adventures.Share experiences.A woman who understood him.Who appreciated the challenges of a vagabond life and enjoyed, as he did, the freedom of anonymity.
The fact that she was also lovely enough to rouse the beast in his trews only made her more irresistible.
When they arrived at Anne Campbell’s, however, their circumstances were made all too clear.
As soon as the humble proprietor beheld the lady in scarlet step into her inn, dripping with valuable gold and pearls, she fussed over Aillenn as if she were a queen.And when Aillenn pressed a silver coin into her palm, Anne became her loyal servant.
He couldn’t blame Anne.Lady Aillenn did look regal.She held her head high, and her mouth bore a vague suggestion of a well-bred smile.
Indeed, he began to wonder if she was telling the truth about being the daughter of Irish nobility, perhaps even royalty.Maybe she’d run away to Scotland out of boredom.Or fleeing the law.Was her father looking for her?It was hard to tell when the lass flitted so seamlessly from lies to truth and from identity to identity.
“Ye’re in luck, m’lady,” Anne confided to Aillenn.“I have one room left, and ’tis my finest.”
For a moment, Adam thought luck was on his side.They’d have to share a chamber after all.
His devious heart gave a silent cheer.After all, many a happy marriage had been made of such inconveniences.
But his hopes were dashed when Anne went on to assure her, “O’ course your servant can have a place by the hearth with the others.”
Was that a flash of disappointment he detected in Lady Aillenn’s eyes?Or just his wishful imagination?
Ofcoursethe proprietor would assume he was the lady’s servant.She was so blinded by Aillenn’s brilliance, she hadn’t given Adam a second glance.
But even when shedidmeet his gaze, she didn’t recognize him.
It wasn’t surprising.It was typical.
Still, he’d stayed at Anne Campbell’s inn before.Twice.Once as Lugo the spice merchant from Castile and once as himself, Adam la Nuit.But as he’d explained to Aillenn, his face was forgettable.
“Adam,” Lady Aillenn said, jarring him from his thoughts, “will ye bring my things upstairs?”
It was foolish to hope that was a conspiratorial glimmer in her gaze.
“Aye, m’lady.”
Anne showed them to a chamber even more splendid than the one she’d given to Adam la Nuit of Rivenloch on his last visit.He frowned as he followed Aillenn into the room and dropped the satchels beside the curtained bed.
“I hope ’twill do, m’lady,” Anne said.
“’Tis lovely.”Aillenn’s voice was considerate.But he had the sense she was not overly impressed.She must be accustomed to such opulence.
