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Orla awoke the following morning with a heavy head. She rubbed her temples and looked at the dress that was hanging on the cupboard door. It brought to mind the events of the previous night, events that now seemed like a horrible nightmare. The kiss from Hamish had been surprising, and the desire even more so, but afterwards had come the disappointment of seeing him dancing with another woman, and the confusion as to why that mattered so much to her. She had hoped that the morning dawn would shed some new light on the mystery, but she was still just as puzzled as she had been the previous night.

She slowly got dressed for breakfast, taking as much time as possible, because she wasn’t sure what was going to happen when she saw Hamish again. Was he going to kiss her again? The thought flickered in her mind like a candle’s flame.

The dress she wore was plain. Her tresses were still curled from the night before, but her hair no longer had the silver accessory. She wore her mother’s bracelet as usual, and as she looked at this piece of jewelry, she wished that her mother had been there to offer some advice. For now she would have to trust either Halle or Nova, and she wasn’t sure if they would be able to keep what happened to themselves.

Eventually, she took a deep breath as she knew that she could not remain in the room all day. She ventured downstairs, her movement halted for a moment when she saw Hamish sitting at the table. Their eyes met immediately, but the contact only lasted for a couple of moments before they both looked away. There was no way to tell what was going on in his mind precisely, and she had no intention of asking. She walked up to the table and took her seat, forcing a breezy smile upon her face. She helped herself to some toast and jam, and tried to act like everything was fine, although she made a point of not talking to Hamish. She decided that if he wanted to talk with her, then she would give him an audience. After all, he had made the first move in kissing her and interfering in her conversation with Collin, so he could show the same initiative if he wished to talk to her about what had happened.

Nova smiled pleasantly. “Good morning, Orla, how did ye sleep? Ye seemed sae tired last night.”

Orla offered a sweet smile. “Aye. I’m sorry for haeing tae leave the ball early. I think it was more overwhelming than I hae imagined. But it was wonderful. I met sae many friendly people, and of course, it was lovely tae see Halle and Charles again.” She glanced towards Hamish out of the corner of her eye to see if he had reacted at all to what she said, but he did not show any sign of it. Orla took a bite of toast and felt the sweetness of the jam swim over her tongue.

“It was a grand night indeed,” Edward commented. “I’m actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it.”

“I suppose absence does make the heart grow fonder,” Nova said.

“And you, Hamish, how did you find it? You carried yourself well. I’m sure your father will be proud,” Edward asked.

Hamish inclined his head. “Thank ye, Edward. I hope that I represented ye well. I tried tae take ye advice and throw myself intae proceedings. I am nae sure that I would like tae attend them regularly, but I think it was interesting tae witness one. It is an experience that I shall take back tae the Highlands with me. There were certainly moments that I shall never forget.”

A few crumbs caught in Orla’s throat, and she had to cough to clear it. Was he referring to the kiss they had shared? She looked towards him, but he still was not meeting her gaze, so there was no way to discern the true meaning of his words. She doubted he would be brazen about it, as he would not have wanted to offend Edward, and she was certainly not going to bring the matter to light as she did not want everyone to know that she had kissed this man she had previously found so disagreeable. A wisp of a thought swirled in her mind as she was tempted to ask him about the woman he had been dancing with, but they were interrupted as George walked into the room holding a pile of letters.

“For you sir,” he said in his dry tone, bending down so rigidly that Orla thought his bones were going to crack like rocks. Edward looked through the mail, and his eyes arched with surprise. He shuffled through the cards and then looked towards Orla.

“It seems as though you made quite an impression last night. In my hand I hold calling cards. These are all the men who would like to see you again,” he said, showing the wad of cards to Orla. There must have been a dozen or so there. It was overwhelmingly flattering to think that so many wanted to see her. Her cheeks flushed and she drew in a sharp breath.

“I dinnae realize that sae many would want tae see me. I only danced with a handful of men,” she said.

“But ye met far more, and clearly many of them were impressed by the way ye conducted yeself. I think ye stay here is gaeing tae be busy,” Nova said.

“I dinnae suppose there’s one from a man called Collin?” Orla asked, her voice rising with hope. Edward looked through the cards and then produced one in the air. “Ah yes, here he is, Collin Johnson, son of Duke Johnson, I believe. Is he your preferred choice?”

“We did speak extensively last night. I would like tae meet them all, of course, for it would be rude tae decline their requests. But if ye could arrange a meeting with Collin first, I would be most appreciative,” she replied.

“Then it shall be done,” Edward agreed, mentioning something to George. Orla took the opportunity to look towards Hamish, but his head was bowed and turned away from her. Perhaps he was ashamed of his conduct the previous night, as well he should have been. A distinguished man should not have grabbed her out of nowhere and kissed her without a request first… although she had to admit that she did enjoy the suddenness of it, for it proved that something unpredictable could happen. She had also enjoyed the tenderness of his lips and the way heat had swelled within her and ricocheted between their bodies, as well as the tingles that were starting to tremble again and… she placed her hands firmly against the tablecloth and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself.

This could not happen. She could not allow herself to get so worked up over Hamish, when she had all these handsome and charming Englishmen waiting to meet her.

She excused herself from breakfast shortly after this, saying that she was going to pick out some outfits that would be appropriate for meeting her suitors.

* * *

Hours passed. Hamish couldn’t believe what was happening. All through breakfast, Orla had barely even looked at him, and then she mocked him by so openly talking about the English suitors that she wanted to entertain. Had the kiss meant so little to her? It was almost as though it had not happened at all. He had half a mind to slam his palms on the table and demand that she be honest with her feelings, but such a display would have been rude to Edward, so he held his tongue. It did not quell the raging storm within him, though, a storm that threatened to rumble and crackle and burst out of him like lava from a volcano.

And why… why was he letting her get under his skin so much? She had made it clear from the very first moment they met that she wanted nothing to do with him or the Highlands. Kissing her had clearly been a mistake.

Staying longer in London like this was going to be humiliating, having to stand there and watch her entertain all of her suitors day after day. When he noticed a carriage pull up outside and Collin arrive, he knew he could not take it any longer. He marched down the stairs and slammed the door behind him just as Collin was being shown into the receiving room. The sooner he returned home, the better.

* * *

The slamming of the door cracked through the house like thunder. Nova laughed and blamed it on the wind, but Orla knew that it must have been Hamish. Well, he could be angry if he wanted. What was she supposed to do if he wasn’t even going to speak to her?

She would prefer to think of the present and of her future, which focused on Collin. She chose to wear a flowery dress that was demure and elegant. Her hair was braided, and she received Collin with a curtsey. Nova was sitting beside her, while Edward was joined at a table in the corner by Collin’s father, Duke Johnson.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Collin said, bending down to kiss her hand. He kept his gaze tilted up so his eyes never left her, and Orla felt her heart skip a beat.

“Please, will ye join me,” she said, and they both sat down. George had laid out some tea and biscuits. Collin picked up a cup and sipped his drink. He sat with a straight back and looked fresh, as though he had just come from a bath house.

“I’m glad to see that you are doing well today. I was afraid the ball had tired you out,” Collin started.

Orla blushed. “It was perhaps a wee bit more than I hae anticipated, but I am well. It was everything that I hae hoped for, and was a wonderful way tae begin my stay in London.”

“I’m very glad to hear it, and I’m also glad that you answered my request so swiftly. I had no doubt that you would be inundated with men who would like to spend some time with you.”

“I thought it was only fair that ye should be here first, as ye made the finest impression on me,” Orla said.

It was then that Nova jumped in. “Although there are many other men who hae expressed an interest in meeting my sister. Collin, perhaps ye could tell us a wee bit about ye prospects and what ye hope tae achieve in life?” she asked. Orla was a little irritated that Nova should interrupt, but then conceded that she knew more about the process of these things. In London society things were not as simple as having a mere conversation. There were always nuances and subtle traditions that had to be obeyed.

“Of course. I will inherit the title of Duke once my father passes on, although, God willing, he still has plenty of years left. In the meantime I have achieved a wonderful education in one of London’s most prestigious schools, and I hope to use this knowledge to guide me in my endeavors. Father has been kind enough to allow me to manage some of our holdings, a task that I have come to enjoy. I make frequent visits to our countryside estate in Hampshire, and I plan to increase the amount of properties we own. I am already developing some exciting plans for investment, although I’m sure such things are more exciting for me than they are for ladies such as yourselves,” he said, punctuating his words with a charming smile.

Although his words were directed towards Nova, his gaze barely left Orla. There was a knowing twinkle in his eye, almost as though he was certain of what was going to happen next. Orla wondered if she was actually looking at her future husband. However, the slamming door echoed in her mind, and the memory of the kiss Hamish had given her still resounded within her soul. Why could she not get that silly man out of her mind?