So what if she dreamed about the way he kissed her and touched her, and wanted him to do it again? It didn’t change anything. And there was nothing to say she wouldn’t feel the same way about Randolph... in time.
But how long will it take? Shouldn’t there be at least a tiny spark by now?
“I wonder what they are talking about?” Izzie said thoughtfully. “What exactly is it that MacGowan does in Bruce’s army?”
Elizabeth was wondering the same thing herself as she watched the two men converse intently. “Jamie said the king had some special missions for him in mind.”
“And those missions involve Randolph?” Izzie made a face. “Makes things rather awkward, doesn’t it?”
Elizabeth stared blankly at her cousin. “Why would it be awkward?”
The implicit warning didn’t deter her cousin one bit. Izzie laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know, like maybe having the man you claim you don’t want show up to see you right under the nose of the man you say you do?”
“I’m sure Thom isn’t here to see me,” she said primly, but her cheeks were blazing.
What if he was? Would he be so bold (and foolish!) as to pursue her right—as her cousin had said—under Randolph’s nose? Not to mention her brother’s. Surely he would be more circumspect?
“Don’t look now,” Izzie whispered out of the side of her mouth. “Your Thom and Sir-Too-Good-to-Be-True are headed this way. But don’t worry, I’m sure this won’t be awkward at all.”
Right now, Elizabeth was finding it difficult to remember why she usually found her cousin’s dry sense of humor so amusing.
Seeing the men walking toward them made her heart start to race. Despite the cool air, she could feel a distinct sheen of perspiration on her brow. She had nothing to feel guilty about—which didn’t explain the frantic drumming of her pulse.
If only Thom wasn’t so handsome. She couldn’t seem to look away.
He met her gaze and nodded. “Lady Elizabeth, Lady Isabel.”
Before she could catch her breath to respond he moved off. Apparently hewasn’there to see her. She was relieved. Of course she was. It only felt like disappointment.
“Is everything all right, my lord?” Izzie asked Randolph, covering the admittedlyawkwardmoment, as Elizabeth stood there with her mouth agape.
“Fine. I thought MacGowan might have been here for me, but it seems he is on a personal mission.”
“He is?” Elizabeth asked in what was intended to sound disinterested but came out as something of a squeak.
Personal as in a woman? There were many staying at the guesthouse—most of them were the wives of the men in Bruce’s retinue, but there were a handful of unmarried ones—like Lady Mary—as well.
“Aye,” Randolph said. “To see Douglas’s wife.”Joanna?“But I have some good news. It seems there is no reason for me to rush back, so I will be happy to join you for the meal after all. Assuming the invitation is still open?”
The roguish smile and charming twinkle in his eye were undeniably calculated to make her knees weak. But hers didn’t shake—not even a little.
Joanna?
“My lady?” he asked.
Elizabeth snapped back to attention. “Of course the invitation is open, my lord. We are delighted. Aren’t we, Izzie?”
“Thrilled,” her cousin said, her tone making Randolph’s mouth tighten.
He ignored Isabel for most of the meal, which was rather inconvenient, as it forced Elizabeth to do more of the talking than she would have liked.
It was strange. She could talk for hours about Paris with Thom, who’d never been there, but with Randolph, who’d spent time there over the years, she struggled to keep the conversation going. Only when they returned to the subject of music did she finally have a reprieve. Izzie couldn’t resist interjecting her opinion, and an enthusiastic discourse—which sounded better than argument—between her and Randolph followed, for which Elizabeth was blissfully excluded.
Her gaze, however, kept sliding to the door.
When the short meal finally ended and Joanna still had not appeared, Elizabeth gave up any pretense of not wondering why and went to find her sister-in-law.
Thom’s plan worked better than anticipated. He knew Elizabeth wouldn’t be able to resist seeking him out, but he underestimated her irritation.
