Page 58 of Tales of Highland Loyalty

Before he even did, Lissie leaped out. She didn't care that she landed in the mud, dirtying her long frock and scuffing her shoes. None of it mattered. From inside the coach, Will was preparing to follow her. But she shot him a look of pure hurt.

Dinnae ye dare, ye roaster. Go bile yer heid, her eyes said, but somehow, her lips did not. Instead, she fixed him with a formal smile.

"It's no fash," she said breezily. "An' ye are right. We cannae be together. Ye are destined for a society lady. An', well, I am nae one. I sincerely hope ye'll be happy wi' Lettice."

"Lissie?" he called.

Lissie skipped away before he could see the tears welling up in her eyes. As she did, a shoe came loose in the mud. In despair, she kicked it away. Unexpectedly, it flew through the air, nearly hitting him on the forehead. Never mind. At least it was enough to give her a head start.

As Lissie ran barefoot through the London streets, she cursed the day she had ever met Will Rothingham.

CHAPTER 14

The air was thick with roses. From the open windows, wind blew in, bringing with it the scent from below.

Will put down his quill and sighed. He had been shut up a lot since the night with Lissie. But in his absence, life flowed on. Summer was blooming. And London was as loud as ever—her fighting, light, and noise pursuing him wherever he went. Following it swiftly on were her less than favorable smells—and there was no escaping them, either.

All the same, summer was in the air. London was febrile, and when the heat rose, so did the atmosphere. Suddenly, Will's position was untenable. They were isolated, with traitors at every turn.

His loyalties were being pulled two separate ways—to his king and to his family—and at some point, he was going to have to choose. But Will's political woes were the tip of the iceberg. No matter how many times he tried to stop it, Lissie's kiss replayed in his mind.

It was there all the time, like a smell he could not shift.

I should never have kissed her.

The voice in Will's head berated him sharply. In a moment of reflection, he realized something else, too.

She kissed me back!

Will's memories swirled in the morning air. Lissie had surprised him with her strength and passion. Even the thought produced a tingle up Will's spine, which interfered with his rather dry duties. On the desk was spread a mounting stack of demands and a dwindling pile of coins to pay for them all.

It was no good. He couldn't cover them. And more than that, he didn't really care right then. The only thing he could think of was the texture of her hair, the spiraling curl that fell from Lissie's forehead as he kissed her. More than anything, the sleek, silken texture of her hair had entranced him.

How he wished he could have yanked her headdress off and kissed her. The thought of it boiled up in his mind. Will became heated. A sole bead of sweat trickled from the tip of his head down the back of his neck.

It was no use. He was never getting Lissie Duncan out of his mind.

Wearily, Will put down his quill and looked at the desultory pile of coins beside him. No matter how often he counted it, he still did not have enough to pay his dues. Something needed to be done before things came to a head.

Then there were the warrants stacked a mile high, recalling Jack Clott to the summer assizes. Again.

"Will? Will? Are you there?"

Too late.

His mother's nasal tones protruded from the small study, tucked into the side of the chamber.

Sighing once more, Will abandoned all hope of ever finishing his work. He usually enjoyed it in here, the quietest spot in the house, for thinking. But not today.

"Bowden, the steward, claims there are bills unpaid. What on Earth are you doing?" she demanded. The duchess stood before him, her gown flowing to the ground and fire sparking from her eyes.

"We will get a reputation! Pray attend to it forthwith."

"I am, Mother," muttered Will, more to himself than anything else. "If that were our only woe!"

Instantly, he wished he had not said this. His mother, who had been on her way out of the drafty study, froze solidly, then turned around.

"What other woes?" she snapped.