That might have been well and fine and the end of it, except that Lachlan fancied himself smitten by the lovely Megan and elected to steal her away as well as Devlin’s purse that day. Even that had ended well enough, since Devlin gave hot pursuit to retrieve his duchess-to-be and thrashed Lachlan soundly for his audacity.
Oddly, that still wasn’t the end of it, however, because unbeknownst to them both, the two men were related by marriage, sharing the same aunt, and when Lachlan decided to put reaving behind him—it had never really worked to support his clan—and marry a wealthy heiress instead to solve the problem of his lack of funds, he turned to that aunt to help him find a likely bride. And his Aunt Margaret just happened to be visiting her grandnephew Devlin in England at the time.
Kimberly had met Lachlan there at Wrothston—was there for the same reason as he, actually, to find a spouse. He was distracted from that purpose briefly, not having known that the lady he’d tried to abduct with matrimony in mind the previous year was now happily wed to his host. That Megan was now the Duchess of Wrothston didn’t deter him from trying to lure her away from her duke.
Kimberly had been aware of his fancy for the lovely Megan, so she had immediately scratched him off her possible-husband-for-herself list, despite her strong attraction to him. But they ended up crossing paths much too often, having been put in the same wing of the huge mansion, and although on the surface they rubbed each other wrong—causing many a harsh word—as fate would have it, the attraction was actually mutual, and Lachlan ended up seducing Kimberly instead.
Devlin, of course, hadn’t been too happy about letting the Scottish reaver who’d tried to steal his bride abide under his roof, even if they were somewhat related by marriage through their mutual aunt. Not surprisingly, he’d jumped on the first excuse to give Lachlan a more thorough beating than the previous one he’d administered. To grant Lachlan his due, that was accomplished only because he’d made himself sick unto death with drink—because of Kimberly. Hewasa bit over six and a half feet tall, after all, and had a strapping, muscular body to go with that height, so he was easily able to come out the winner in most fights.
Devlin might have had to apologize for accusing Lachlan of stealing some of his prime horseflesh, which he was innocent of, and the beating he gave him because of it, but they’d become friends in the end—well, a few years down the road anyway—and were still good friends. Which didn’t account for Lachlan’s remark about favors, which Kimberly addressed now.
“This was Megan’s idea, so there’s no favor involved,” she reminded him. “As soon as she heard that all of Melissa’s beaus were being frightened off by my overprotective brothers, she suggested Meli come to England, where the MacFearsons are unknown. You agreed it was a good idea. I agreed it was an excellent idea. And Meli is looking forward to it. So don’t be having second thoughts now.”
“I assumed she’d be staying at Wrothston as we do when we visit them in England, no’ in London town,” he grumbled. “The lass has been tae Wrothston enough tae be comfortable and feel right at home. London’s no’ the same, and she’ll be nervous enough—”
“Nervous?” Kimberly interrupted. “Our daughter isexcitedabout this trip. She’s not the least bit nervous. If anyone’s nervous, it’s you, and you and I aren’t even going until later in the summer. Is that it, then? You’re letting your worry for her override your better judgment?”
“Nae, I just dinna want her feeling she has tae find a husband afore she comes home. That’s too much pressure tae be putting on her at her young age. You have assured her…?”
“Yes, yes, I’ve assured her she can be an old maid if she’d like.”
“Och, this isna funny, Kimber.”
She tsked at him. “You’re the one making too much out of it. Most young girls her age go through this—I did myself. Now,Imight have been nervous about it, but Meli really isn’t. She plans to have fun, to make some new friends, to be awed by such a big town as London is,andshe even figures she’ll probably find a husband while she’s at it. But that’s not at the top of her list by any means. She thoughtwewanted her to make a concerted effort to get affianced, but I’ve assured her if she does, that’s fine, and if she doesn’t, that’s fine, too. Maybe you should tell her the same before she leaves, so she can just relax and let happen what happens. Now, have we covered all your last-minute doubts?”
“Nae, ’tis still a huge undertaking tae be putting on the duchess on our behalf.”
“Would you like us to go as well for the whole summer, instead of just a few weeks as we planned?”
He looked appalled as she expected. “You said that wouldna be necessary.”
“Nor is it, so don’t backtrack. We covered Megan’s willingness already. And furthermore, she isn’t planning any events herself, she merely has invitations lined up that she was no doubt going to accept anyway. Besides, she adores Meli and is an old hand at this sort of thing. She sponsored me, didn’t she? And had a hand in matching you and me to wedded bliss.”
That distracted a grin out of him. “Is that what we’ve been having, darlin’? Wedded bliss?”
She quirked a golden brow at him, asked, “You don’t think so?”
He pulled her to her feet, then meshed her hips to his. “I’d be calling it heaven m’self.”
“Would you, now?” She grinned back at him, then made a face. “Bah, you’re not going to get out of this subject that easily. Why are youreallyhaving doubts now? And no more of these lame reasons that don’t wash.”
He sighed. “I had the hope remaining that our lass would end up wi’ a fine Scot brave enough tae ignore the legend and trounce any o’ your brothers that think tae bully him.”
“What an unkind thought,” she said, and smacked his shoulder before she moved away from him. “I love my brothers—”
“I know you do, Kimber, and I even tolerate them m’self, but you canna deny they deserve a trouncing or two for scaring offallo’ Meli’s suitors. If we didna have friends in England willing tae sponser her for a season there, the poor lass could end up permanently unwed, and I want m’daughter tae be as happy in wedlock as I’ve made you.”
She chuckled. “Listen to that bragging.”
“True nonetheless,” he said with complete confidence.
“Perhaps,” she allowed with a teasing grin, but then she got serious again. “As for Meli and her future happiness, is the nationality of the man she loses her heart to really of importance to you? And before you answer, keep in mind that if you say yes, your English wife will be insulted.”
He laughed at the warning. “Half-English wife, though one could wish your Scottish half didna come from the MacFearson himself.”
She ignored the reference to her father this time. “Answer me.”
“Nay, darlin’, the hope was no’ that her husband be Scottish exactly. It was more that he just hail from closer tae home than England is. I’m no’ looking forward tae our lass moving far away, is all,” he ended with another sigh.
