Page 16 of The Highlander’s Unexpected Wife

“Fetch my yellow day dress, Lily.”

Lily hurried to the armoire while Alison dragged her nightgown over her head and dropped it to the floor. Lily pulled the dress from the wardrobe, then hurried back to her.

“What did happen last night?” Lily lifted the linen dress over Alison’s head and fitted her outstretched arms into each sleeve.

Alison turned and allowed Lily to close the row of buttons along her back. “As you can surmise, my plan was flawed.” She had no intention of telling Lily just how flawed.

“Mister Lennox told your cousin that it was all a mistake and that he should refuse to let you marry Lord Weston.” Lily guided Alison over to the chair in front of her vanity and eased her onto the seat. She tamed Alison’s hair with a brush, then began to quickly pin her hair into place. “I left Matthew to listen in my absence.”

Alison smiled at her in the mirror. “What would I do without you?”

Lily smoothed the hairs at the back of her neck. “Hopefully, you won’t have to find out. I never should have helped in your foolish plan. So what is this about marriage? What happened last night? What did you do?”

Alison rose and faced her. “Not what you think.” She tugged on a wisp of hair that had escaped Lily’s cap. “Not even my worst fears had me prepared. It seems Lord Weston and Erin did not have a meeting last night. The note must have been from a previous encounter,” she murmured more to herself than Lily. She remembered the conversation she’d overheard. Could the viscount have planned to woo Erin into prostitution? Perhaps Alison hadn’t just saved Erin from a night of pleasure, but a life of sexual slavery.

“Why not simply return home?” Lily asked.

“I was discovered before I could escape. Come, we must hurry.” Alison rushed from her room and headed down the stairs.

Lily followed close behind.

Alison didn’t have to guess at Henry’s location. His voice carried down the hall from his study. Alison slowed. How was she to diffuse her cousin’s anger—and send her uncle packing? An idea struck. Dare she? They paused at the door and she reached for the knob.

Lily grasped her arm. “You should wait. He sounds terrifying. Actually, you should leave. Run away. I will tell him you had an appointment in town.”

Alison shook her head. “I must face him, eventually.”

“I am not so sure, Miss.”

Alison pushed open the door and entered the study. Her cousin and uncle turned from the hearth where they faced off.

“Good morning, Uncle.” She shifted her gaze to her cousin. “Henry, I do not know what you have heard, but I can explain.”

“You can explain why a woman who is engaged to the son of our father’s best friend and business partner, was caught in the bed of a known rake?”

She looked at her uncle. “I assume you explained that you and I were at Lord Weston’s home to protect Erin?”

Her uncle blinked, clearly surprised she’d mentioned Erin. She would wager he had counted on her not mentioning his daughter for fear of tarnishing her reputation.

“It was clear by his note that the viscount intended to seduce her.” Alison sighed heavily. “She is such a trusting soul, she has no idea how clever a man like Cameron Hunter is.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed. “And you do?”

She gave him a sad smile. “I am a bit older than her, Cousin, and Erin, well, as I said, she is too trusting by nature.”

“None of this excuses you going there,” Henry snapped.

“I admit, it was a lapse in judgement. But Uncle Harrison can vouch that I was, in fact, not caught in Lord Weston’s bed.”

“That is true, Henry,” he said.

“Are you saying the viscount didn’t declare his intention to marry you?” Henry demanded.

The edge in his voice snagged her attention and her heart beat a little faster. In truth, as far as Society was concerned, marriage to Viscount Weston would be a good match. Henry was a man who valued his place in society. Most guardians would insist the viscount marry her. Why did he so oppose the match?

“I plan to explain everything to the earl today at lunch,” Alison said.

His eyes sharpened. So, he had, indeed, read the Earl’s note.