“Walked?”
“Yes, all by myself.”
“Impudent little fool,” he said, humor and annoyance mingled in his tone. “I was just leaving to get you.”
“Well, there’s no need to now,” she said, looking around. “Where’s Jaco?”
“Locked away in the kitchens with a slab of beef. I won’t have him distracting us.”
“Oh, the poor dear.”
“‘Poor dear’ nothing. He was gnawing on a bone when I left him, happy as can be.”
“Still, I hate to think of him locked away.”
Logan gave her a sardonic look.
“For someone who doesn’t like big dogs, you’ve become awfully attached to that mutt.”
Faith smirked, amused by Logan’s jealousy. It wasn’t her fault that the pup was so attached to her.
“Shall we, then?” She moved toward the back entrance into the house, but he redirected her with his strong hand. Surely they weren’t going to walk through the front door? “What are you doing?”
“Taking you inside.”
“But what about the servants?”
“They’ve all been given the evening off. And after a grueling argument with my father, he and my sister have gone to Glasgow for several days. We are quite alone.”
“Are we?” Faith asked, surprised at how delighted she felt at that sentiment.
“Aye.”
She was sure that her cheeks were turning several shades of pink. Faith ducked her chin as Logan escorted her across the lawn to the front of the house.
It was sheer madness to consider doing something like this. She would be discarding her chastity for the sake of saving her reputation by ruining the painting. But Faith had concluded that ruining herself with Logan would be the lesser of the two evils. If that painting could see the light of day, she wouldn’t be able todeny her involvement, and no amount of talk could get her out of it.
Besides, Faith had also decided that once she and Belle left for London, she would make a point to explain to her aunt that she had no desire to marry, instead choosing to live her life like Belle. An independent, if sometimes eccentric, spinster. It only made sense. The idea of marriage had never held much promise to Faith, especially since leaving London. After her failed romance with Donovan and her half-hearted attempt at a relationship with Renee’s brother, which had really only been an attempt to overcome her heartbreak after Donovan, Faith didn’t think she would ever be inclined to marry. Not when it was so obvious that she lacked the confidence a woman needed to manage a relationship.
Once they finally crossed the threshold, Faith shifted from one foot to the other lost in her thoughts. She jumped when Logan reached out and touched her shoulder. Whipping around, Faith let out a frantic little huff of breath, and Logan’s charming smirk faltered slightly. He went to remove her cloak, but she clutched it tightly to her throat, causing him to pause.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m not scared,” she said almost instantly.
“No,” he replied, his hand coming to her cheek. “I doubt there’s anything in this world that could scare you.”
“I’m sure there is something, I’ve only not found out what yet.”
The gentle rumble of laughter that came from Logan sent a shiver down Faith’s spine. His hand touched her back, and she swallowed as he led her up the stairs.
This was it. They would retire to his room, undress, and lay together, and afterward, while he slept, Faith would find the painting, destroy it, and flee. All she had to do was keep her wits about her.
The walk down the hallways was perhaps the fastest and slowest she had ever experienced. Though this entire plot had been her idea, she wasn’t sure how she should feel. Frightened, of course, because she had never done anything like this and wouldn’t be able to take it back once executed. But she had also anticipated what it might be like, particularly with someone like Logan.
Donovan had always been so kind and soft-spoken. He’d always ensured that she was comfortable in his studio and had never once allowed her to pursue her desires for physical intimacy with him because her reputation was too important.
On the other hand, Logan believed that her reputation was already decimated. Would he think that she was experienced? All Faith had ever witnessed of coupling were a handful of farm animals during her time in Cornwall. It had seemed natural enough, and it was why Faith continued to rationalize that virginity wasn’t so important. Animals and people did this sort of thing every day, had been doing it every day for thousands of years. Which was what she kept repeating to herself. It wasn’t important.
