"Because ye thought I would be a ragin' monster? Fair enough. Look, the Ceilidh is tonight, and..."
"Tonight? That doesn't give me much time to get ready!"
"It's hours away." Dominic replied, baffled. "How long dae ye need?"
Paisley rose to her feet, darting over to the mirror which hung above his shaving bowl. She leaned forward, running her hands through her hair to tidy it.
"It takes alongtime to prepare for a ball," she said absentmindedly. "A Ceilidh, excuse me."
"Do ye having something to wear?" Dominic asked, getting to his feet. "Because I really don't mind..."
"Yes, I told you I have something. I havejustthe thing."
"And..." Dominic broke off, uncharacteristically self-conscious. "I was intending to introduce ye at the Ceilidh as me betrothed."
Paisley went still, staring at him through the mirror.
"Betrothed?"
"Aye. Nobody would dare touch ye if ye were me betrothed. Ye would be safe, I can promise ye that."
"I couldn't possibly ask..."
"We're not really betrothed." he added quickly. "It's just to get me Ma off me back, and to please some of the more old-fashioned council members."
"Oh, of course, of course." Paisley said, just as quickly. "Naturally, we aren'treallybetrothed. Well, I don't have any objections to that. I'm quite looking forward to it, actually. Rabbie taught me the basics of Ceilidh dancing last night, you see."
Dominic snorted. "Rabbie was too drunk to teach ye much of anything."
Paisley turned back from the mirror and extended her hand to him.
"So, we're agreed. We shall play at being betrothed for the night, shall we? I must say, it'll be an exciting thing for me. A lot of firsts. I've never been to a Ceilidh, least of all with a real Scottish laird, and certainly never with mybetrothed. I'm quite looking forward to it."
Dominic smiled wryly at her and took her hand. Her hand was soft and smooth, and he remembered what Emma and Thomas had said about her hands being so soft and ladylike.
It should have been obvious right from the start that she was a real lady, not some common girl who'd run away from home.
Downstairs, the door opened and closed, and Paisley flinched.
"Who's that?" she whispered, eyes wide.
"It'll be Brodie, comin' in early."
"Oh, no. How shall I get away without him seeing me?"
Dominic chuckled. "This isnae London Society, lass. There'll be nay judgement here. Besides, he'll probably never put two and two together. Brodie is nice, but a wee bit absent-minded."
She winced, smoothing out her impossibly crumpled skirts. "Oh, well. I suppose there's nothing for it, then."
Before either of them could make a move for the door, there was anotherslamfrom downstairs, and then Ava's voice rang out.
"Where is she?"
Brodie mumbled something that sounded shocked and incoherent.
"I don't care how long ye have been here, Brodie. Paisley dinnae come home last night, and I know she must still be here. Where is she? Tell me at once."
More incoherent mumbling.
