Page 45 of The Beastly Earl

The invitation made Ewan stiffen, but he forced himself to sink down onto the cold stone next to the boy then accept the needle and thread Ross offered him. As he reached for one of the currants, he glanced at Louisa. A smile of satisfaction curved her sweet mouth, and he instinctively knew she was pleased to see him taking an interest in the boy. Still looking at her, Ewan accidentally jabbed his thumb with the needle. His grunt of pain was quickly followed by an oath of disgust at his clumsiness. It earned him a glare of disapproval from Louisa, while the boys shouted with laughter. He grimaced and held up his injured thumb to her.

“The needle is sharp.”

“Then perhaps you should watch what you’re doing.” The laughter shining in Louisa's eyes reminded him of the bright sunlight spreading its way across the moor on a warm afternoon.

“Tis hard tae see a wee object when I’m blinded by the sun, lass.” Deliberately allowing his voice to soften to a thick brogue, he grinned as her cheeks darkened to a bright pink.

“What sun?” Puzzlement on his face, Louisa’s youngest shook his head as if Ewan were addlebrained then looking in his mother’s direction he tilted his head slightly. “Mama, your cheeks are red.”

“Wills is right, Mrs. Morehouse. Your cheeks are bright red.”

“Are they?” Louisa flushed even deeper as the paper she was holding slipped from her fingers, and her hands flew upward to cup her cheeks. “It must be the heat from the fire.”

“You used to look like that when Papa would compliment you,” Charles laughed.

As if the sun had suddenly been hidden by dark clouds, Louisa’s face took on a stricken expression. It aroused an acute protective instinct he’d not experienced since the day he’d thrown himself between Asadi and a Mahdist fighter at Omdurman. Without hesitating, he leaned over to block Charles’s view and picked up a large paper star the boy had made.

“This is a fine star, lad. Why don’t we begin adding all of these decorations to the tree.”

A chorus of enthusiastic cries of agreement met his suggestion. Needing no further prompting the boys scrambled to their feet and carefully carried their decorations to the tree. Ewan stood up and offered his good hand to Louisa. As he pulled her to her feet, the heat of her filled the small space between them. Her color had returned, but the pain of her grief had changed her hazel eyes to dark green.

She was still grieving for her husband. The realization was an invisible punch to his gut followed by the sharp sting of jealousy knowing she might never be willing to marry again. The instant the thought crashed through his head, Ewan dropped her hand as if it was a hot piece of metal. Surprise crossed her face as her gaze met his. Desperate to conceal any trace of his laughable wish, he cleared his throat.

“We should join the boys.” The warmth of her hand penetrated the sleeve of his jacket as she stopped him. It was a heat he ached to be engulfed by and hold forever. He crushed the thought with a vicious, mental blow.

“Thank you for shielding them. They were both so young when Devin died in a fire almost three years ago. Wills doesn’t like seeing me sad, but Charlie…” She peered around his shoulder to look at the children behind him before she met his gaze again. “It upsets Charlie deeply when he knows one of his innocent remarks has upset me. At least his guilt is short-lived unlike mine.”

“The lad’s guilt is understandable, but why should you feel guilty for your sorrow?”

“Because I said things to Devin—terrible things. But it’s—” A look of dismay darkened her features as she brought her explanation to an abrupt halt. Without thinking, he cupped her cheek.

“You’re quick to anger and stubborn as an ox, Louisa, but you wear your heart on your sleeve. It’s a kind and gentle heart. I find it difficult to believe anyone, even your husband, would be unwilling to forgive you for words spoken in anger.”

Louisa’s eyes closed as her hand covered his, and she turned her head slightly to press her face deeper into his palm. The gesture lodged a knot of emotion in his throat as he realized just how much he wanted to be the one she always turned to for comfort. The thought made him pull in a sharp breath as he struggled not to pull her into his arms. At the soft sound, she jerked away from him and flinched.

“I’m sorry, I should not have—”

“Don’t, mo leannan,” he rasped. “Whether it’s simply to comfort you or taste the heat of your mouth, my will power is being sorely tested where you’re concerned.”

“It would be…a lie…if I denied the way you…make me feel when you—”

“Mama, are you and Lord Argaty going to help?” Wills asked from across the room.

“Yes, my darling.”

Eyes wide in her face, Louisa took a slow step back from him. With her gaze locked with his, the air in his lungs disappeared. She'd just acknowledged for a second time today the attraction between them. Just as she had earlier when she’d admitted enjoying his kiss, she appeared embarrassed by her boldness.

A look of chagrin briefly flitted across her sweet features, before she tipped her chin upward in a mutinous display of confidence. Head held high, she skirted him to join the boys at the tree. As she walked away, his gaze followed her. Something told him, Louisa Morehouse had just declared war on his senses. It was a war he’d easily lose if he didn’t find a way to keep the woman out of his bed, and most definitely out of his heart.

Chapter 11

“It’s true, every word.”

Bryce Cowan said with a mischievous smile. Seated on Louisa’s right, he leaned forward to look at his cousin seated on Louisa’s left at the head of the table. The scowl on Ewan’s features only served as incentive for Bryce to finish his story with a polished flair. It was impossible not to laugh at his description of McCallum holding Ewan upside down threatening to drop him into the burn for a prank.

“Although I’ve only known McCallum a short time, I have no doubt as to the veracity of your story, Mr. Cowan,” Louisa laughed as she turned her head to smile at Ewan.

“Your skill at story-telling has improved since we saw each other last, cousin,” Ewan growled irritably.