Page 107 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“You will remember what I said earlier,” the earl said.

The marquess didn’t reply, but Eve’s heart pounded harder. What had he said earlier?

Despite Camilla’s pleas to be allowed to adjourn to the drawing room with the adults, the girls were sent to their bedchambers. Grace had asked the two men to play cards. Lord Rushton declined, settling instead on the couch in front of the large hearth centered in the east wall, a book in hand. Lord Somerset agreed to a game of piquet and the two sat in the far corner of the mammoth room where burned a fire in a small hearth near one of three card tables.

Eve prowled the room, taking in the magnificent tapestries that hung on the walls. She was no expert, but it was clear the battle scenes depicted on the faded fabric were at least a hundred years old. Whether the tapestry had been woven when the battles took place, or later in an attempt to capture days long past, there was no doubt they were quite old.

She turned from the last tapestry to see Lord Rushton stretched out on the couch, ankle over ankle. His eyes were closed in slumber and the open book on his chest lifted with each breath he took. He had exchanged the buckskin breeches for dark trousers, which hid the muscled thighs little better than had the breeches. His softened features were just as compelling as the hard lines that were present even when he smiled.

His eyes opened and Eve was startled into immobility. His eyes focused, then darkened and heat spread through her stomach. She tore free of the trance and whirled. She feared she would stumble and make a fool of herself, for she knew his gaze followed her. But she managed a casual stroll until she left his line of sight, then continued to the settee near the French doors leading to the balcony.

Eve sat down before realizing she should have taken one of the books from the shelves. But they were near Lord Rushton and she wasn’t going anywhere near him tonight—or ever again—if she could avoid it. A few minutes later, the marchioness rose from her chair near the shelves and came to sit down on the settee near Eve.

“How are you feeling, my dear?”

“I am fine, ma’am.”

“You look tired,” she said with genuine concern in her voice.

“It has been a tiring week,” Eve admitted.

“Is this your first trip to Scotland?”

Eve thought of her elopement with Blane, but said, “Yes, it is.”

“Then you have not yet seen Edinburgh.”

“I hear it is beautiful.”

“It is,” the marchioness replied. “But no more beautiful than Mull. However, the shopping is far better in Edinburgh. It might surprise you to learn that fashion flies as high in Edinburgh as it does in London.”

“I am sure it does.” There was a faint noise beyond the front door and Eve jerked her head in that direction.

When no one entered, Lady Rushton said, “There is no use fretting. They’ll return when they have concluded their business.”

“It has been nearly an hour. What could possibly be taking so long?

“A marriage settlement is a serious negotiation,” the marchioness said.

“Surely they must consult the parties involved?” Eve blurted.

The marchioness laughed. “Unlike our Scottish counterparts, we Englishwomen have no sway in such matters.”

“It is easy to be blasé about being married off to a stranger when it is not happening to you.”

“True,” she said with another laugh. “But it did happen to me. I didn’t meet Justin until a week before the wedding and by then the terms of the contract had been negotiated down to the pound and had been signed by all parties.”

Eve knew that, amongst the wealthier set, marriages were often conducted with the bride and groom near strangers, but she didn’t run in such circles, so had never imagined such a fate for herself. Eve longed to ask if any affection had grown between them. It was clear she and the marquess were on civil terms, but Eve couldn’t discern if they cared for one another.

“You signed a marriage contract before meeting your prospective husband?” she asked as casually as she could.

“Justin was more than a prospective husband,” the marchioness said. “We were betrothed for nearly a year and the banns had been read.” They were alone on their side of the room, but Lady Rushton leaned toward Eve and murmured, “You must know that many couples do not wait for the ceremony to consummate the marriage, for the vows are a mere technicality at that point.”

Yes, Eve knew all too well about consummating the marriage before taking the vows.

The marchioness straightened. “That was not the case with us, however. Justin was kind in that regard. Between my trepidation concerning the wedding night and my anger toward my father for selling me off, I was not the most congenial bride.”

“I fear I will be like you if…” Eve let her words trail off.