He took up her plate and escorted her from salver to salver while she filled it with choices to her liking.
She paused upon reaching the salver of haggis. “I’ll try some.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Ye shouldn’t. Do ye know what’s in it? The—”
“Don’t tell me!” She took a deep breath and heaped some onto her plate. “I’m going to try it. I can be brave and do this.”
Solway groaned and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “If ye want to be brave, then take the leap and kiss me. It’ll be a lot safer than eating those entrails.”
“Solway! Is it really entrails?”
He nodded.
She stared at the gray lump in dismay. “But I’ve already put it on my plate.”
“Och, what a dilemma,” he teased. “I suggest ye eat around it, then.”
She studied it a moment longer and then looked up at him. “I think eating the haggis would be much safer than kissing you.”
“Och, ye’ll always be safe with me. I would never do anything more unless ye were willing.”
“But that’s the danger, isn’t it?”
She knew she would adore his kisses and desire more from him…much more.
Scooping the plate from his hands, she hurried to their table. Gwenys must have ordered tea for her, because there was a cup and small pot with steam rising from it set at her place. Shepoured some tea into her cup, loaded it with honey, milk, lemon, and sugar, and then began drinking even though it was still too hot to put to her lips.
But she had to do something to avoid looking at Solway, who had now joined her and was staring at her, no doubt trying to figure out what she had meant by that comment.
If only she did not find him ridiculously attractive even when fully clothed.
How was she to remain indifferent to him for the week or longer it would take them to reach London? They would be together throughout their travels, save for separate guest chambers when sleeping.
His grin was smug but still endearing, and his eyebrows shot up as he figured out what she had meant.
He took a slow sip of his coffee and then calmly set down his cup. “There’s hope for us yet, Miranda.”
He gazed at her lips, his expression smoldering as he subtly marked his territory.
She shivered, suddenly feeling the full impact of his gaze, which was not at all leering but filled with hunger and need.
It was laughable to think she might ever satisfy his soul.
Anyway, could she ever trust such a look? Hadn’t her husband regarded her with the same pretended ardor until the moment he secured his inheritance? The entailed assets had passed to him along with the title, of course. But there was also the unentailed bank accounts his father had tied up and kept out of his reach until he married a girl who met with the approval of his trustees.
That was her. All of eighteen years old, pure and untouched, and the daughter of a respected lord.
Yes, those trust funds were his true desire. Once they were transferred into his greedy hands, he dropped all pretense of ever caring for her.
But why should she tar Solway with the same brush? This big Scot was not the bounder who had deceived her and then, by an ironic twist of fate, left her a wealthy widow at the age of twenty.
She dug into her eggs, refusing to look at him. His dark eyes had a determined glint that she found irresistibly appealing. But that look also warned he was going to kiss her before they reached London.
And she was going to let him kiss her.
Dear heaven.
She shoveled more eggs into her mouth and then poured more honey, milk, and sugar into her tea, but this only made Solway smile again.
