Who was the man in the garden and why hadn't he mentioned him to me yet?
With my hands folded tightly in my lap, I smiled at him, while my heart hammered and my pulse raced.
"Captain—" I began.
"Please, Elisabet, call me Leighton. If we are to wed in a week, it's best we forgo all these formalities."
I swallowed down my apprehension. I was going to risk everything with what I asked next, but something deep within meneededto know.
"Leighton," I started again. "Who?—"
The door to the dining room opened again, same as it had every time a servant had come in, so I had no idea what about this time made me look away to the door to find...
My stranger.
Wait. Did I saymystranger?
Chapter Four
My breath caught.
The room seemed to tilt around me, my body remembering the press of his lips even as my mind reeled at the improbability of him standing there now.
"Ah," Leighton said easily, rising from his chair with a smile that seemed equal parts welcome and warning. "You're late."
The newcomer inclined his head. "Forgive me, I thought it best to give you some time with her before I joined you."
My hands curled in my lap, my pulse thundering. What on earth was happening right then? Did Leighton know about our kiss? If he did, why wasn't he angrier?
Or even worse... what if he didn't know, and found out about it, then sent me away again?
No one else in the room seemed to notice my shock and angst.
"Elisabet," Captain Smythe said, gesturing toward the man. "Allow me to introduce you to my dear friend and business partner, Lieutenant Magnus Trent."
The name dropped into the silence like a stone in water. Magnus's gaze lingered on me, cool and knowing before he gavethe barest hint of a bow. "It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Miss Kruger."
I forced a polite nod, though my cheeks burned. How was I to greet the man whose lips had just hours before grazed my own? Whose nearness had unraveled me?
Magnus moved closer, but not too close, settling into the chair opposite me with infuriating calm. Leighton resumed his seat beside me, seemingly oblivious to the silent war raging across the table.
Magnus reached for the decanter at his elbow, pouring himself a measure of wine with the same unhurried confidence he'd worn at the pond. His fingers lingered on the glass stem as he looked at me. "I trust your journey wasn't too terrible, Miss Kruger?"
His tone was polite, but the weight of his gaze made it feel far more intimate. Heat rushed to my cheeks. "It was... long," I admitted, my voice thinner than I intended.
"Three days on a train and another by carriage," Leighton added with a sympathetic grimace. "It's one of the biggest reasons I've opted not to travel unless necessary. I much prefer the comforts of home, wouldn't you say, Magnus?"
The man in question nodded in response before returning his attention to me. "Do you find the comforts of Eagle's Rest to your tastes, Miss Kruger?"
"It's..." I faltered, glancing between them, tryingnotto think of the kiss and how much itwasto my taste. "It's much more than I'd ever be able to imagine," I eventually answered, unable to come up with a more detailed response.
"Good," Leighton said warmly, reaching for my hand where it rested on the table. His thumb brushed the back of it in a light caress before he released me and butterflies took flight inside me at the soft touch. "I want you to feel welcome here, Elisabet."
Magnus's mouth curved, just faintly, and I was once again shot back to the fervent hope I'd had that I could continue to make him smile. "Our Leighton is very good at that," Magnus said, his tone calm and even. "Making people feel welcome."
They shared a look that I found impossible to decipher, which had me curious beyond reason.
I turned back to Leighton, eager to distract myself. "You said... you and Lieutenant Trent are business partners?"
