To Tame a Highland Earl (20 page)

“
That is what most men do,”
Grace replied.

“
Not quite. Most men don’t
abandon their wives in the Scottish Highlands, and a decent man is
discreet.” Though she’d wondered what was decent about marrying one
woman and regularly bedding another. “Lord Rushton will not curb
the behavior that places his name in the gossip sheets on par with
George IV.”

Grace giggled. “Thank the powers above that
Lord Rushton is not so…homely.”

Eve paused in taking another sip of tea. “I
have never known you to care about such things.”

“
You never
asked.”

She had a point. Eve drank the tea, then put
the cup back on the saucer and picked up the small plate of sweet
goods. She took a piece of shortbread and extended the plate toward
Grace. She took a piece and Eve set the plate back down.

“
His is very rich and very
handsome,” Eve said. “And he will one day be the Marquess of
Rushton. But he does come with one very big drawback.”

“
Only one?” Grace
asked.

“
You think he has more?”
she asked, surprised.

Grace laughed. “He is a man. Of course he has
more. He has many drawbacks.”

“
Such as?”

“
He thinks he is always
right.”

At least Grace had listed his faults with the
most important first.

“
He drinks a
lot.”

Eve startled. She hadn’t heard that and
wouldn’t have thought that to be one of his defects. “How
much?”

Grace gave an impatient shake of her head.
“Not so much he would beat his wife.”

“
A man who drinks too much
has a habit of developing that fault.”

Grace smiled. “I am sure you would shoot him
if he tried it.”

Eve was doubly surprised that Grace thought
she would protect her. “I cannot do that if you are hundreds of
miles away in Scotland.”

“
Did you consider that he
might want to show me off?” Grace asked.

“
If he was wise that is
exactly what he would do,” Eve said.

Grace’s brows dove downward. “Are you making
fun of me?”

“
Not at all. You are a
beautiful woman. Any man would be proud to have you.”

Grace studied her for a moment. “Are you
angry that I’m more beautiful than you?”

Eve smiled. “You always were direct,
Grace.”

“
It is a bad habit, I know.
Mamma says I must curb that fault until I am married.”

“
Mamma is not always
right.”

“
She is not always wrong,
either. So, are you?”

“
Am I what?” Eve finished
her shortbread.

“
Angry I am more
beautiful.”

“
Of course not.”

“
I would be.”

“
You say that because you
are very beautiful and cannot imagine being anything
less.”

Grace seemed to consider. “I suppose that is
true. Is that wrong?”

Eve shook her head. “No.”

“
Are you in love with him?”
Grace asked.

“
Am I—good Lord—” She broke
off and glanced at the clerk who hadn’t reacted to her outburst,
but was counting the packages piled high on the counter. Eve looked
at Grace and lowered her voice. “No. Why would you ask such a
thing?”

“
You should be rushing us
to the altar. That would save you from marrying him. Instead, you
seem to be against our marriage.”

“
I am against you getting
trapped in a marriage that will leave you miserable.”

“
You are confusing me with
you,” Grace said. “I am not looking for a love match.”

“
You deserve love,
Grace.”

“
Deserve love?” She
shuddered. “That is far too much trouble.”

“
Love is not
trouble
.” Well, maybe it was a bit, she privately
admitted.

“
You are funny,” Grace
said. “You’re much more practical than I, yet you believe in love.
I, on the other hand, have no use for love. I plan to enjoy
myself.”

“
How much time can you
actually spend parting your husband from his money?” Eve asked.
“Will spending money and going to parties be your life?”

“
Partly.” A small smile
curled a corner of her mouth.

Dawning realization crept over Eve. “Do you
mean you intend…” She couldn’t finish.

“
Intend what?”

“
Despite his own debauched
ways, I seriously Lord Rushton will countenance a wife who takes
lovers,” Eve said in a very low whisper.

Grace shrugged. “I’ll give him the required
heir first, and perhaps a spare, if he proves a worthy enough
distraction.”

“
Distraction?” Eve couldn’t
imagine Lord Rushton as a distraction. The man demanded attention
and got it.

“
He will make the perfect
diversion for bored nights at home and there is no danger of me
falling in love with him.” Grace screwed up her face. “That would
be a terrible snag in my plan—and heaven forbid he should decide he
loves me.”

“
I don’t believe you,” Eve
said. “A woman whose husband loves her is very
fortunate.”

“
Men who are in love feel
the need to order their wives about,” Grace said. “And they hover.
Oh, but that is tiresome. Have you seen the way Katherine’s husband
constantly hovers? Lord, he won’t let her out of his
sight.”

“
Katherine is heavy with
child,” Eve said. “Lord Branson is an anxious
father-to-be.”

Grace shook her head “I have no intention of
allowing a man to shackle me. Lord Rushton is not likely to wax
sentimental. But he is quite handsome and experienced. I expect we
shall enjoy one another quite a lot before we grow bored enough to
resort to civilities.”

“
My God,” Eve breathed,
suddenly understanding. “You…you are just like him.”

Grace gave her a ‘you poor dear’ look, and
said, “Of course I am.”

Chapter Eleven

Three hours later, when Erroll returned with
Somerset, he wasn’t surprised at the mountain of packages loaded
atop their coach. He was, however, curious about the pensive
direction Miss Eve Crenshaw’s mood seemed to have taken.

“
I see you are wearing new
dresses,” he commented. The younger sister wore a pretty yellow
muslin and the elder a white muslin that contrasted the soft, honey
brown curls of her hair.

“
Why buy new clothes if we
don’t wear them?” Grace Crenshaw said.

“
I quite agree.” He
particularly liked the way the long, Indian muslin pelisse molded
to the elder sister’s breasts. “Shall we walk?” he asked. “There is
a millinery shop not far from here I thought you might like. We
aren’t in the heart of town, so it should be a quiet
walk.”

“
How wonderful,” Grace
Crenshaw cried. “Do not forget, my lord, you promised we would stop
at the bakery on the way back to the ship.”

“
Thank you for reminding
me. We cannot forget that. Oscar,” Erroll called, “we plan to walk
to our next destination.”

Oscar nodded and climbed up beside the driver
of the carriage.

Erroll surveyed his group. “Shall we
proceed?”

Miss Eve Crenshaw stepped forward with the
obvious intent to partner with Somerset, but Somerset winged an arm
at the younger sister who stood between them.

“
May I?” he
asked.

She demurred with calculated perfection, but
Erroll caught the drop of her lashes before he turned to the elder
sister. “Seems you’re stuck with me.”

“
How fortunate for me,” she
said.

He offered his arm. She accepted and they
followed the other two along the narrow walkway.

“
I see you did a bit of
shopping yourself.”

Erroll’s mind snapped to attention. Had her
glance indicated more than the notice of his change of attire?
“Buckskin breeches are more suited to our current adventure,” he
said. “Do you not agree?”

“
I couldn’t say, my
lord.”

Her voice had been casual, but Erroll noted
with delight a hint of color rising in her cheeks. So the form
fitting breeches were to her liking. Would it be to her liking if
he pulled her into the warmth of his greatcoat and wrapped his arms
around her?

They walked a moment with the carriage
following behind when Eve Crenshaw slowed, her gaze fixed on a
patch of snowdrops that had sprung up wild in the grass beside the
sidewalk.

When Grace and her escort were several paces
ahead of them, she said, “What will you do if Lord Halifax
dies?”

“
No need to worry yourself
over that.”

“
You will leave the
Continent,” she persisted.

“
Perhaps.”

“
I don’t think our father
will allow either of us to marry a man who is wanted for
murder.”

“
I should say not,” Erroll
said.

“
That is why you didn’t
insist that one of us marry you in Gretna.”

It wasn’t a question. “That was one reason,”
he replied.

“
Your wish not to marry is
another.”

This was not a question either. “Perhaps I
simply never found someone I wanted to marry.”

She gave her head a frustrated shake. “That
is a very convenient answer.”

“
That does not make it
untrue.” Or true for that matter, he reflected with
amusement.

She studied him for a moment, then said, “Our
father won’t allow you to abandon his daughter in Scotland while
you return to London and carry on as you please.”

His daughter?
So the lady was
softening her tactic in steering him toward her sister—and letting
him know her father would continue to take an interest in his
daughter’s welfare.

“
In all fairness, I was
angry when I said that.”

Erroll thought he heard a low growl from the
coach, which had slowed and was trailing suspiciously close to
them. He should have known that ridiculous threat would come back
to haunt him. The last thing he needed was the brute leaping from
the coach to teach him a lesson in how a gentleman paid his
addresses to a lady.

“
I was, after all, innocent
of your sister’s accusations,” Erroll said. “Not to mention, I had
just endured a very long lecture from my father and a five hour
race to catch my accuser. I was not about to passively walk the
plank.”

Her gaze dropped and her shoulders shook
slightly. He started to ask what was wrong, but his attention fixed
on the curved flesh above her bodice. Lust made a stab at his groin
with a dark intent that would certainly have Oscar upon him
instantly. Then Erroll realized she was laughing.

“
I don’t blame you for
being testy,” she said through barely muffled laughter.

Erroll wondered whether she was laughing at
the idea of him racing to catch his accuser or him walking the
plank. “Then I am not quite the cad you thought I was?”

“
You aren’t guilty of
compromising Grace. But you are still a rakehell, and I think you
meant it when you said you would go on with your pleasures as you
always have.”

“
Perhaps not
exactly
as I always have.” By God, if the brute overheard that, Erroll
might have to remain awake, armed and vigilant the duration of the
trip.

Miss Crenshaw lifted her head and studied his
face. “I don’t want Grace to be hurt. She is without question the
better choice as your wife. She has been groomed for marriage her
entire life.”

Erroll grimaced. “You make her sound like a
prize sow.” And him the prize hog.

Miss Crenshaw’s brows shot up. “If you care
for your sanity, do not allow Grace to hear you mention prize sows
and her name in the same sentence.”

That was the best advice anyone had given him
in some time.

“
I’m sorry you had to fight
the duel with Lord Halifax,” she said. “If you have to leave
because of that it would be terrible.”

Erroll clasped the hand she had around his
arm and gave a squeeze. “The duel wasn’t your fault. Halifax was
angry because I interfered with his dalliance.”

Her gaze cut to the hand he’d placed atop
hers, then she looked straight ahead. “Had we not surprised them,
it’s likely things would have gone badly for Lady Gallagher,” she
said.

Erroll allowed his hand to drop from hers.
“Then neither of us is to blame. Neville is a bastard. It is a
wonder someone didn’t shoot him long ago.”

“
In any case, thank
you.”

Erroll liked the way the words sounded coming
from her. “You are welcome.”

“
We cannot stay long in
Scotland,” she said. “My father must be frantic with
worry.”

“
Some of his fears are most
certainly allayed by now,” Erroll said. “I sent word before we left
Maryport.”

She looked sharply at him. “Oh dear. That was
right, of course, but you should have told us. I have been
worrying.”

“
Forgive me. You are
correct. It has been a hectic few days.”

They reached the corner and turned. The coach
halted for another carriage crossing the intersection before
following. Somerset and Grace Crenshaw weren’t in sight and Erroll
supposed they had reached the shop and gone inside.

“
How long until we reach
your home?” Miss Crenshaw asked.