Chapter One #2
“I have no intention of harming either of ye. But she’ll be frantic with worry, so I’m going to send my smartest and bravest kinsman to her right now to allay her worries.
As shocking as it may be, that is Mongo’s brother, Douglas Lanark.
Fortunately, he is the elder of my cousin’s sons and my likely heir.
So, there is still hope my clan might remain prosperous beyond my lifetime,” he said in light jest, hoping to inject a little humor amid the tension.
“Is that supposed to put me at ease? None of you seem very bright.”
Bram overlooked the insult, although it did gall him. “What is yer niece’s name? No doubt, she’s called in the local magistrate to find ye. My kinsman will explain what happened.”
“I demand to be taken back immediately, as well. And I shall be the one to tell the magistrate what happened. I do not need your kinsman, this Douglas fellow, reporting convenient lies and spreading doubt as to my respectable character.”
“He will report the truth, but I hope ye’ll find it in yer heart to go easy on Mongo and his companions. They meant ye no harm.”
“They abducted me!”
“By mistake, apparently,” Bram hurried to point out.
She shot to her feet, her eyes glowing like fiery emeralds in the firelight. “Because they mistook me for my niece, a dear, sweet girl who must be frightened out of her wits right now.”
He rose as well, towering over her because he was a big bear of a man.
To Lady Miranda’s credit, she did not flinch at all upon staring at his imposing size. Nor did she turn fluttery or delicate over the fact he wore no shirt.
He liked this about her.
Then he realized she only had on her nightgown beneath her cloak.
Dear heaven.
She had no shoes on, either.
Fortunately, she had worn woolen stockings to bed.
He hoped this had served as sufficient protection to keep her feet from freezing as his idiot kinsmen hauled her onto their horses for the ride from Edinburgh to Lanark Castle.
That was a two-hour ride toward the North Sea coast in daylight and must have taken at least three hours at this time of night.
“Sit back down, Lady Miranda. Ye need to warm yer extremities because frostbite is a dangerous thing. After ye’ve had a spot of tea and slice of pie for sustenance, I’ll summon my housekeeper to find ye some suitable clothes to wear.
Forgive me, but there is no Duchess of Solway, so I can only offer ye whatever decent attire can be scrounged. ”
“You have no wife?” she asked, sinking back into her chair. “But you are no youngster yourself. Or are you a widower?”
“Never married.” He once again knelt beside her and raked a hand through his hair. “Never found a woman to love. And, aye, love is important to me. I had no wish to burden myself with a wife in name only.”
The admission appeared to surprise her, for she studied him with a gentle frown. “Surely there must have been ladies who wanted you beyond your ducal title. Several must have fallen in love with you, since you are not all that unsightly. They would have been good to you.”
He laughed. “Ye truly think so? Look at me, m’lady. I am a big oaf of a fellow.”
“So what? Since when does big and muscled scare a woman? Or do you have a bad temper?”
“If I had a bad temper, I would have shown it when ye hurled that vase at me. If anything, I have learned extreme patience when having to deal with kinsmen like Mongo every day.”
That brought a smile, albeit a brief one, to her lips.
Pretty smile.
Lovely lips.
He shook his head and continued. “But that is neither here nor there. The fact remains, there hasn’t been anyone who loved me that reliably.”
She frowned at him. “Do you drink to excess?”
“No, never. What sort of example do ye think that would make for my men?” He sighed. “Most of them are good and decent, too. Hardworking and diligent. Of course, I exclude Mongo and his idjit companions from this description.”
“Do you beat your women or children?”
His eyes rounded in horror. “Never! Is it no’ my duty to protect the weak and innocent?”
She gave an approving nod. “Are you an inveterate gambler?”
He laughed. “Lady Miranda, I am a Scotsman. We are a tight-fisted lot and no’ easily parted from our money.”
She smiled again, and he thought life would be quite sweet for him if hers was the smiling face he awoke to every morning.
“Then I do not see what is so wrong with you that a good Scottish lass would not find you to her liking. But you may not have my niece. It is obvious this is what your kinsmen intended, to drop Gwenys at your feet and have you marry her.”
He shook his head and gave a light moan. “Dear heaven, they’d bring me a child bride?”
“She’s nearly one and twenty. Hardly a child, but she’s not very wise to the world. She falls too easily for flattery and believes too strongly in romantic love.”
“What is wrong with that? Are ye no’ at all romantic, Lady Miranda?”
“No longer. And you?”
“Och, I am a man of forty years now. I think if I were ever to make a love match, it would have happened already.” Although, oddly, he could see himself with someone like her.
“No, I am no longer a believer, either. However, I did hold out hope for the longest time,” he admitted, wondering why he felt compelled to speak so honestly with her.
“So did I,” she said in a hushed tone, intending the comment mostly for herself.
He thought it quite surprising that someone as passionate as she was had not found someone to love or who had loved her deeply in return.
In truth, she was lovely if one overlooked her harridan’s temper, although how could he blame her for her outburst when she must have been frightened out of her wits?
Did it not speak well of her that she fought back instead of cowering in fear?
He had no chance to pursue their conversation because they were interrupted by the arrival of his kinsman, Douglas Lanark. “Ye sent for me, Bram?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and emitting a yawn, obviously not fully alert yet.
“Aye, Douglas. Ye need to get to the Lampton Inn in Edinburgh as fast as possible and seek out Lady…?”
“Gwenys Lawson,” Lady Miranda finished.
Bram quickly filled him in on the problem.
“Lady Gwenys may have spoken to the magistrate by now. If so, ye’ll need to advise him that I’ll see him immediately upon my arrival in Edinburgh on the day after tomorrow.
Let him know that Lady Miranda is safe and under my protection.
No harm will come to her, and she will be reunited with her niece at that time. ”
Douglas nodded. “I’ll pack right now.”
“And ye’ll need to stay close to the lass and watch over her until Lady Miranda and I arrive.”
“Why not send me back with Douglas?” she asked the moment the young man had left them alone once more.
“Because he needs to get to Edinburgh as fast as possible and reassure yer niece. Is she alone at the inn?”
Lady Miranda nodded. “We were on our way back to London from a family wedding in Aberdeen.”
“Och, Aberdeen? Then ye’ve already traveled quite a way.
I’m due in London before the end of the month to serve in the House of Lords.
Ye ladies shall have my escort and protection on yer trip home.
I was to leave by the end of the week, but there’s no reason for me to wait.
I’ll only need a day to pack and gather my papers. ”
“I do not wish for your protection or your company,” she intoned. “I think I’ve had quite enough of you and your oafish Lanark kinsmen.”
He frowned. Had he expected better from Lady Miranda? Obviously, she was like every other Sassenach he’d ever met—proud, arrogant, and always looking down her nose at anyone who was not cultured and English.
“Ye are in Scotland now, my fine lady. This is my territory and ye are a guest here. I dinna care whether ye want my company or not. Ye’re going to have it until ye are safely back in London. After that, ye can go to blazes for all I care.”
Her eyes widened.
Instead of shouting back at him, she suddenly appeared contrite. “Forgive me, Your Grace. That was rude of me. But Gwenys and I made it up here on our own just fine, and we can do the same on the return trip home.”
“Obviously, ye were no’ fine, since Mongo grabbed ye and brought ye here.
But I see ye deem me an embarrassment. An uncouth oaf of a Scot.
Ye would consider it a humiliation to be seen in my company.
Well, too bad.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared down at her.
“Ye shall have my escort to yer doorstep, and then I shall leave ye to fend for yerself.”
“I see what you are doing,” she said with a harrumph.
He arched an eyebrow. “What am I doing?”
“Keeping me close to ensure I do not press charges against your kinsmen. Why else would you care about my safe return to London?”
“I care for yer safety because it is the right and honorable thing to do. As for my kinsmen, I hope ye’ll find it in yer heart to forgive their foolishness.
They only meant to find me a bride because they think I am too incompetent to manage it myself.
They meant for ye to be my wife, my duchess, and nothing disrespectful. ”
“They meant this for my niece,” she pointed out.
He studied her features, finding her lovelier the longer he stared at her. “Aye, that is true. But I am the duke and the one to decide what I want in a marriage. More precisely, whom I want. If the choice were mine, then why would I look any further than ye?”
She cleared her throat. “What do you mean?”
“Is it no’ obvious? If I were of a mind to marry, I would choose ye for my bride.”
“Me?” Her pretty mouth gaped open in obvious surprise. “Surely you jest.”
“No, I am quite serious.” She had shown spirit, intelligence, and she was achingly beautiful. Aye, she was older than most blushing brides. He guessed her to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Perhaps a little older because she had a niece who was full grown.
He was not a total dullard and had no intention of asking her age. Indeed, he had no death wish. Besides, she had the sort of timeless beauty that would not fade, not even into her dotage.
“Solway,” she said, eyeing him warily, “what are you saying?”
He laughed softly and shook his head. “I’m no’ certain, and that’s the truth of it. I had only meant to express a hypothetical statement, but the more I look at ye…the more I am thinking, why not?”
“What?”
“I’ve been studying ye since I first set eyes on ye, looking for something I dinna like about ye. To my surprise, I am no’ coming up with anything.” He sighed. “So, I think I just asked ye to be my wife. Do ye think ye can find it in yer heart to marry me, Miranda?”