Chapter 36 #2
And perhaps she might even be able to trust him more than the man she had trusted most in her entire life. Wouldn’t that be an odd twist of fate?
“I suppose I thought to protect you, Blossom,” Glenrothes said softly. “You are our wee lass. Our only sister. I did what I thought was right to keep you safe. Both of us hiding the truth, keeping secrets from one another kept us from putting the puzzle pieces together earlier.”
Aylesbury held Fiona tightly to his side, soothing away the tremors that shivered at intervals through her body.
The other MacKintoshs were talking among themselves, trying to reason out what delusions Ramsay might have in thinking he could get away with such a crime and still believe she would wed him.
That they all wouldn’t line up to kill him for bringing any harm to their only sister.
Only Glenrothes was still looking at them, Aylesbury realized.
Or studying them, it seemed. The earl’s eyes were narrowed, one finger tapping thoughtfully against his lower lip as his gaze traveled over them, noting Aylesbury’s arm around Fiona, their hands still tightly clasped as she curled against him.
“Is there anything else you have been keeping from me?”
He stilled, instinctively knowing where the question was leading and wondering how to answer. He wasn’t a coward by any means, but quite frankly, he had no desire to be bludgeoned by the fists of nearly a dozen outraged highlanders if he spoke wrongly.
“Pardon?” he asked, if only to buy himself a moment to think.
“What time did this all happen today? Fiona was to tee off at noon, I believe.” Glenrothes’ gaze turned to the clock on the mantel and back to him.
Sensing the tension emanating from him, Fiona lifted her head, gazing up at him curiously.
Then, her eyes followed his to her eldest brother, the head of her family.
If possible, her grip on his hand tightened even more.
Still talking amongst themselves, no one else in the family besides Eve seemed to hear the exchange as softly as it was spoken.
Like Fiona, Eve looked to her husband with an inquiring, if somewhat surprised look before following his penetrating stare to Aylesbury and then to Fiona.
Her eyes widened as if she were seeing the situation under a whole new light, and with a jolt of what might have been amusement, Aylesbury felt Fiona surreptitiously rotating the diamond ring he had given her into her palm.
“Let me clarify,” the earl said softly enough, though to Aylesbury’s ears the threat in his voice was as loud as a cannon’s boom. “What hole was she playing on when the kidnapping took place?”
Not enough time for even the quickest calculation. “The seventh.”
“The ninth,” Fiona said at the same time.
The finger stopped tapping, and if possible, the earl’s eyes narrowed even more as his usually warm, muddy green eyes sharpened glacially.
“It was the ninth,” Fiona said more firmly. “I’m sure Aylesbury hadn’t played there often enough to be familiar with the course.”
It was a good try, he thought. But not good enough. There would be the devil to pay for the pleasure he had taken that afternoon. No doubt about it.
“Dinner is waiting, my lady,” Hobbes said from the door, addressing Lady Glenrothes. “Shall I have it put aside?”
Eve opened her mouth and closed it indecisively, looking at Glenrothes.
“You go along, my love, and take the others,” he said quietly, leaning over to kiss her cheek tenderly. “I will need a...moment alone with Lord Aylesbury before I come along.”
The countess shot Aylesbury a pitying look that he hardly had a chance to acknowledge before Glenrothes’ piercing stare was back on him. He held it unflinchingly while Eve herded everyone toward the door.
Fiona stood but hesitated at his side. “Whatever you have to say to Lord Aylesbury, you can say to me.”
“Are ye ready to spill all yer secrets to me, lass?”
“I don’t know,” she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Have you shared all of yours with me?”
“Faith, Blossom, we will have that conversation soon enough,” her brother said quietly but with firm command that brooked no argument. “Now out while I have a word with Aylesbury.”
Aylesbury could feel her uncertainty, her nerves. Her palpable worry as she went to the door where Hobbes was waiting patiently.
For him. He almost laughed.
Every girl thought her older brother immortal, unbeatable.
Piper had thought the same of him, but as men, they were all fallible.
All weak in some way. Nor was Glenrothes the Goliath Fiona believed him.
No, they were evenly matched in height, though the earl might have a stone or two on him.
It would be a fair fight...if, of course, Aylesbury were allowed the benefit of having that fight one-on-one rather than ten-on-one.
Hobbes closed the door, blocking her from sight and leaving silence behind. Such silence that he could almost hear the blood pounding in his temples.
“Aylesbury,” the earl said at last.
The marquis nodded slightly in return. “Glenrothes.”
“We do need to talk, don’t we?”
Harry didn’t like the way he emphasized that word.