“Well, I’m thanking you, darlin’.” He took her hand and squeezed it very gently. “No matter the how or why behind it, you’ve kept me from the magistrate’s clutches—so I can remain in yours.”
She blushed. There was no accountable reason for it, other than healwaysseemed to make her blush. And there was a warmth in his light green eyes now that…
“Kimberly, might I have that private word with you now?” Lord Travers asked from the bottom of the stairs.
James, she mouthed, and remembered…Good God, he was going to propose marriage to her—at least, she had assumed that was his intention. And if it was, she’d have to tell him about Lachlan. But it was going to be so unexpected for him, such a blow, especially if he really had intended to ask her to marry him.
She groaned inwardly. Who would have thought she’d end up facing a situation like this, when she had come here doubtful of getting even one proposal?
She turned to face James. She offered him a smile, though it came out very weak.
“Certain—” she began.
“Nay,” Lachlan said behind her, cutting her off and placing his hands possessively on her shoulders. “Kimber and I have wedding plans tae discuss just now.”
“Whose wedding?” James frowned.
“Ours,” Lachlan replied, and Kimberly could almost feel his wide grin. “You’re now among the first tae be told, the lady has agreed tae marry me. So I’m thinking anything you have tae say tae her can be said in my presence—if it willna take tae long. We’ve much tae discuss.”
“No—it wasn’t important and…my felicitations, of course. This is rather…unexpected news.”
“Och, well, I’d been after asking her for some time now. Wearing her down was no’ easy, you ken, but my luck finally changed.”
If Lachlan hadn’t sounded sohappyabout it, she would have murdered him on the spot. She was still furious. And poor James was utterly shocked. He tried to conceal it, but he simply couldn’t. There’d been no call to tell him so abruptly.
She would have eased into the subject, prepared him, but no, she hadn’t been given a chance to say a word. And Lachlan had no right to be that high-handed with her—yet. Even when he did have that right, she wasn’t going to meekly accept him speaking for her. He even knew her well enough toknowthat by now.
She tried to lighten the blow, saying, “I’m sorry, James,” but he had already turned away and was now hurrying off.
“Sorry, are you?”
She swung around, her eyes as stormy a dark green as they could get. “Sorry you shocked him! You didn’t have to do that. He could have been told more gently.”
“Nay,” he disagreed. “These things are best dealt with quickly.”
“How would you know?” she demanded, then, “Damn it, the man wanted to marry me himself. He had no idea that you and I—that we—”
“I am aware of that, Kimber.” Lachlan’s hand suddenly gripped her face. “But you’re mine now.” He kissed her hard while he held her thusly. “And I’ll be making sure anyone else who had designs on you knows it.”
She was dazed for a moment, but only a moment. “Do you realize that smacks of jealousy?”
“Do you realize that you’re going tae be mine forever?” he countered, his hand now caressing her cheek before he let go of her. “That you’ll love me forever? That I’ll—”
“Don’t say something that we both know isn’t sincere, Lachlan,” she cut in, sounding disgusted. “We’re both being forced into this marriage—”
“Speak for yourself, darlin’,” he interrupted right back. “I’m rather pleased that I’ll be marrying you myself. Now go feed that noisy belly of yours. Faith, but you’re a veritable termagant when you’re hungry,” he complained, though there was laughter in his tone.
He then turned her about and gave her a soft whack on her behind, to send her on her way. Kimberly didn’t move a step, mortified that someone might have witnessed his audacity. No one had, but by the time she finished blushing and looked back, he was gone.
35
“Bloody hell!”
“Somehow I knew you’d say that,” Megan remarked from the doorway where she stood watching her husband pace back and forth in his study.
It was several hours after he’d been told about Will Ables’s breakdown and confession. Both men had already been turned over to the magistrate, with Howard protesting his innocence, of course.
In fact, he’d had the gall to ask, “You aren’t going to believe a servant’s word over mine, are you?”
