“Nae,” she hissed, angrier at Finlay than Rory, but it was Rory who bore the brunt of her emotion. He did not react to it, though.
“Perhaps ye should try and speak tae someone else? We are only here for a short time and we should make the most of it. Ye were hoping tae trick a few men after all,” he reminded her.
Anne pressed her lips together. What had happened to Finlay? Was he perhaps not as genuine as she thought? Was his rejection of her something more than she had presumed? Perhaps his interest was not as ardent as she believed. Shame washed over her. It was quite plausible that he had been taken aback by her forward nature. She had lost sight of the lie and acted as herself, not as the noble girl she was pretending to be. He would have expected her to be demure rather than brash, but she had shown herself to be little more than a harlot. It should have been no surprise that he found her unrefined and refused to be in her company again. It had been easy to delude herself, but she was not a part of his world and perhaps she never would be.
Rory was right. She couldn’t count on Finlay. She needed to make the most of her opportunity.
“Very well, I’ll see what I can dae,” she said. She scanned the room and her gaze fell on a man who was leaning against the bar. His cheeks were blotchy and he required the bar for support. His eyes were glazed over and his thick lips were pursed. He leered at the women who passed, but soon enough his gaze was focused on Anne. She sidled up to him and gently brushed against him, giggling as she apologized, claiming that she had had too much to drink.
“Ye can never hae tae much,” he declared, introducing himself as Colm and ordering her another drink. Anne took it in her handbut only pretended to sip it. She asked him questions and he prattled on. Usually, she would pay attention when men like him spoke, nodding and laughing at the right moments. However, she kept glancing towards the door. As well as this, his boorish words were far from the engaging matters that she had spoken about with Finlay. He paled in comparison in every way as well, and she felt uneasy at spending time with him. She would rather have been alone than be with a man other than Finlay. Colm was quick to boast about his accomplishments and did not seem to be concerned with her views on the world, but as she got more and more distracted he noticed that her attention was drifting elsewhere.
“I always thought lasses were taught tae pay attention. It’s rude tae act bored when a gentleman is speaking,” Colm said, his eyes narrowing and his words terse. Anne realized that she was close to losing him, and if he walked away so did the gold that nestled in his coin purse. She composed herself and fluttered her eyelashes, angling her body towards him again. She reached up and caressed his upper arm while offering him a sweet smile that would have melted the heart of any man.
“I dae apologize, it’s just that it’s hard for me tae concentrate when in the presence of such a handsome man. I find myself thinking about the strong body that lies underneath these clothes,” she drew her fingers across his chest and flashed him a wicked smile. He cleared his throat and was clearly flustered, but the hollow flattery was enough to calm his irritation.
“Well, quite,” he murmured, while she regarded him coolly. She leaned in closer and decided to pay more attention, nodding as he spoke, making him feel as though he was the only man in the world. Just a few more drinks and she could suggest going somewhere more private, and then it wouldn’t be long before thedrink took over and he fell into slumber. It wasn’t what she had hoped from the night, but at least she would not leave empty-handed.
12
It was long after sundown. Finlay skulked near the outskirts of the village, pulling his hood over his face to hide his appearance. Murdoch’s men had been everywhere. He had found it impossible to traverse the village even with the crowd, fearing that he would find a dagger in his back as soon as they caught sight of him. He knew he was late, and so he knew he was going to have to make it up to Anne. When darkness became his ally, he made his way to the tavern and pushed the door open, entering to find a rowdy crowd. The music filled the tavern and the smell of ale thickened the air. Finlay cast his gaze around, hoping to find Anne waiting for him.
She was there, but she wasn’t waiting for him at all. Instead, she was standing beside some old fool, tilting her head back and laughing as though he was the most interesting man in the world. Finlay’s lip curled and a snarl rippled out. His body bristled with jealousy, a jealousy that he had no right at all to feel. He had told her plainly that he did not and could not offer her marriage. Was it such a surprise that a beautiful and eligible woman like her sought the things he denied her with another man? It may not have been a surprise, but it still stung like ascorpion’s tail. His nostrils flared and he grit his teeth together, hating the sight of her with another man.
She deserved a husband of course. She deserved all the riches of marriage and love, but this old fool wasn’t good for her. Surely she must have seen that! He was lecherous and gnarled, like some old tree that should have been uprooted a long time ago. Yes, he was rich. His fine clothes displayed that truth, but what were riches compared to other things? Things like the kiss they had shared…
He shook the thought from his mind. No, he needed her to make things right. That was all. This other man was interfering with his plans and Finlay couldn’t have that at all. He wiped the snarl from his face and replaced it with a placid smile, while he approached her calmly. He clasped his hands behind his back, however, in an effort to hide his fists, for the tension curled his hands into tight balls.
“Excuse me,” he nodded, interrupting their conversation and turning straight to Anne. “I’m sorry for being late,” he bowed his head. The other man’s eye twitched and he took great affront at being interrupted.
“My dear, dae ye know this man?” he asked.
“Oh, Colm, dinnae worry, he’s just a friend who said he would meet me for dinner,” Anne said. She barely turned to look at Finlay and spoke with such a carefree attitude that he wondered if he mattered to her at all. His lips parted at the mention of the word ‘friend’. It stabbed at his heart, and he wondered if he should be petty and ask her if she kissed all her friends like she kissed him, but he thought disparaging her reputation would not do him any good.
“Well, ye should know better than tae keep people waiting, especially ones who are sae lovely. I can assure ye, my dear, that I would never keep ye waiting. Ye would be my highest priority,” Colm said, preening like a peacock.
“That is very good tae know,” Anne said. She was actually encouraging him. Of all the cheek! Finlay frowned. It was one thing to pursue other men, but right in front of his face like this? Finlay was not going to let her get away with this.
“I was unfortunately taken away on errands, but I am here now and I’m sure, Colm, that ye would nae want tae intrude on another man’s appointment, but if Anne daes wish tae spend a wee bit more time with ye, then I would be happy tae withdraw. I just need tae speak with her alone for a moment,” Finlay turned his attention from Colm to Anne as he spoke, practically hissing the words through his teeth. He widened his eyes, trying to make it clear to Anne that he was not going to leave this matter here, and he certainly was not going to allow her to stay with Colm.
Colm was about to speak, but Anne beat him to it. “I’m sure this will only be quick. I think Finlay has told me all the important things already,” she said, and whirled her body around, heading towards the staircase where they could have a little privacy. She walked up the steps to the upper level. The music receded into the background. Finlay left Colm in a daze as he marched after her, a deep, determined furrow resting on his brow. He wanted to make sure Anne knew exactly where he stood. Just because he couldn’t offer her marriage didn’t mean that he wanted nothing with her! He had the words ready on his tongue and was eager to fire them like arrows, but as he ascended the stairs, she rounded on him and jabbed a finger in the air as she spoke.
“Dae ye think ye hae the right tae forget about the promise ye made me and then chastise me for spending time with a manwho was kind enough tae keep me company?” she asked in harsh, high-pitched words. Fury was etched upon her face and she had a wild look about her. The unbridled nature of it gave him pause and startled him. “Ye hae some nerve,Mister Ross,acting jealous after ye tell me that ye cannae offer me marriage, after ye leave me waiting in that tavern for hours,” her tongue lashed through the air.
Finlay bristled at the mocking way she used his title, his fake title. He did not like her tone, for it cut too close to the truth.
“I am nae jealous of him. He is naething but a preening fool who hae tae high an opinion of himself. I thought ye would hae better taste than that,” he said spitefully.
Anne lifted her head and turned it away slightly, closing her eyes to feign indifference. She crossed her arms as well and tilted her hips. “He is actually a fascinating man who hae accomplished many things, and more importantly, he was there while ye were nae.”
“Is that what this is about? I already told ye that I’m sorry for being late. I hae matters tae attend tae,” he said again, well aware that it was a weak excuse, but he could hardly tell her the truth.
“Oh aye,matters, well, it seems clear what matters tae ye. I would hope that I would rank higher on that list after this afternoon,” she said, and then he realized that she wasn’t pushing him away because she wasn’t interested. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was punishing him because she wanted him and she was dismayed that the evening had been lost. Well, perhaps not all of it had been lost.
He arched an eyebrow and mirrored her posture. “Sae ye dinnae think about sneaking off tae the forest with him then?”
Anne continued to appear snooty. “We would nae need the forest. He hae a room in the tavern.”
“As dae ye,” Finlay said, leveling his gaze towards her.
