"Now," he said when it became clear there weren't any other words coming. "I promised me betrothed that we would have a nice promenade, and I intend to make good on me promise."
Then, with the confidence Anna wished she'd one day have, Hugh led them onward along the path. They sidestepped the gaggle of girls, still standing there open-mouthed. Neither of them spoke, nor did they greet other people they saw. Finally, when Hugh had put a good distance between them and Charlotte's group, he slowed their walk down to a leisurely pace.
"I must apologize for insultin' yer friend," he said, quietly so that only she may hear.
"You don't need to apologize," Anna replied, letting herself smile now that the tension of the moment was gone. "She wasn't really my friend. Even after I showed her the forged letter, she only wanted to speak to me for gossip."
"Ach, then I suppose I did the right thing." Hugh squeezed her hand with his before dropping it back to his side.
"You did," Anna confirmed. Then, a giggle escaped her, and she said, "And her face… It was so funny. Did you see?"
At that, Anna contorted her face into her best impression of Charlotte's when Hugh had said no one was better than her. She turned toward him, and when he saw, he began laughing. It was so infectious that Anna couldn't help but laugh along with him. The weight of the earlier interaction melted off of her.
"Ach, ye're right," he said when he got ahold of himself. "That was exactly how she looked."
Anna hummed. Then, quietly, she said, "Thank you… No one's ever defended me like that before."
"Ye daenae need to thank me," he said as they rounded the corner, now on the stretch back toward the manor. "I was tellin' the truth. There is nae a woman better than ye in all of England. I am glad to have ye, and any person that tries to convince meotherwise, I will do everythin' in me power to silence them. Nay matter what it takes."
The gravity of the words hit Anna, sending an unfamiliar warmth through her. It coiled in her belly, and it was difficult to ignore. Still, she pushed it aside, deciding that was something to examine later. For now, she let herself be led through the last stretch of their promenade, glad to have someone choosing her for the first time in her life.
CHAPTER NINE
"What can I do for ye, Lord Windham?" Hugh asked, frowning at the sight of the man.
Though he knew that Anna was a proper lady, part of him had hoped that she'd be the one knocking on his door. The woman was tempting as sin. He craved time alone with her in a way that made him feel as though he were crazed.
Anna's father cleared his throat, as though sensing Hugh's focus was somewhere else entirely. He was standing stiffly, and Hugh had a vague suspicion that he was trying to ignore the way he'd reacted when Hugh first arrived.
"Please, you can call me Timothy," he said, still standing on the other side of the threshold. "We'll be family in a few days, after all."
"I suppose ye're right," Hugh replied, then he glanced around the hallway behind him. "Did ye need somethin'?"
The English and their propensity for pleasantries grated on Hugh. Still, he was a guest in this home. If he had to ask several times to get a straight answer, he would do so. And he'd do his best to hide his annoyance in the process.
The politeness with Timothy is purely for Anna's sake, though. She's me future wife. This man will be me faither-in-law. If he were anyone else, I wouldnae hold me tongue so.
"I do," Timothy confirmed. "May I come in?"
"Aye," Hugh said, stepping aside and letting the door close behind. "Now, what is the reason for yer visit? It cannae be a social call."
"You're correct," Timothy said, glancing around the chambers. "I've come to inform you that there will be an engagement party the day before you leave. Anna has insisted and is preparing invitations as we speak. Your attendance is mandatory."
"Well, ye cannae have an engagement party without both of the engaged, aye?" Hugh joked.
Timothy looked at him blankly. It seemed as though he was still unhappy about the way things had turned out. And, Hugh realized, the politeness Timothy had been extending to him was also purely for Anna's sake.
"I will be there," Hugh said, shifting back to his polite demeanor. "Is there anythin' I need to ken? Anythin' that will be expected of me at this gatherin'?"
"Aside from your attendance, you will need to be polite," Timothy said. "We expect you to keep to appropriate conversation topics and to refrain from being too loud. We also expect you to dress appropriately."
Hugh pretended that the implication didn't grate on him. He'd heard that the English had preconceived notions of the Scottish, though he hadn't been prepared to be chastised for something he'd yet to have done. Aside from his initial arrival, he'd been a fairly good houseguest.
Though Hugh wouldn't be surprised if Timothy had heard about his midnight trip to the kitchens. It wasn't as if he were being loud or inappropriate. Perhaps he should have asked for the bread and milk, but it hadn't felt that important at the time. It wasn't as if he'd been caught with Anna.
"Aye, I'll be on me best behavior," Hugh promised gruffly. "It's important to Anna, nay?"
"It is," Timothy confirmed. Then, before he turned to leave, he said, "I will get together the documents for Anna's dowry. We'll meet about them tomorrow morning. Once the ceremony is completed, you'll be entitled to the money. I will send you off with a bulk of it. The rest will be paid in installments."
