Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Welcome back, Lady Inverhall,” Abby greeted her at the door. “I hope you had a lovely afternoon. The weather is quite well, isn’t it?”
“Aye, Abby,” Elspeth said with a smile. “I went to visit Lady Wrotham, and it was most lovely. There is nothin’ like a visit with a good friend.”
“I could not agree more. Shall I fetch afternoon tea for you before dinner? Perhaps a scone?”
“Tea would be grand, but I fear I ate me weight in macarons earlier,” Elspeth said, her voice a little weary as she made her way to the drawing room.
She lowered herself onto the settee, the plush cushions a welcome embrace, and remembered a recent acquisition—Verity’s latest novel. A Highlander’s Happily Ever After would be a great diversion, indeed.
With a newfound purpose, she rose and glided up the grand staircase. The house was quiet, the day’s light fading from the windows, casting the hallways in a soft, dusky glow. She entered her bedroom and picked up the novel, feeling the familiar anticipation of a new story.
She made her way back down to the drawing room and sank back onto the settee, propping a pillow behind her for comfort. The soft lamplight cast a warm circle around her, illuminating the pages as she opened the book. Abby left the tea for her, and she enjoyed a warm sip of Earl Grey.
The first few paragraphs were a gentle current, pulling her into the world of windswept moors and ancient castles.
Oh, how she missed Scotland. The heroine, a feisty lass named Isla, was everything Elspeth was not. She was bold and adventurous, a warrior on a white horse.
As Isla navigated the treacherous politics of the Scottish clans, Elspeth felt her own worries begin to fade away, replaced by the twists and turns of the plot.
She was no longer on her settee. She was riding alongside Isla, the cold Highland air whipping at her face, her heart pounding with the thrill of the chase.
She lost all sense of time, her only companions the rustle of the pages.
“Lady Inverhall,” a voice suddenly called from the doorway. “I trust you are well after your successful event.”
She turned her head to see Lord Middleby striding in confidently, followed by a harried-looking Mr. Channing.
Elspeth suppressed a sigh. She was in no mood for polite conversation, but she set down her book nevertheless.
“Lord Middleby,” she greeted, her voice weary. “I confess that I wasnae aware of yer visit. I have just returned from an outing and am quite tired.”
“Pardon the intrusion, My Lady,” Mr. Channing said, edging out from behind Middleby. “Lord Middleby was most insistent that he be brought here immediately. A matter of some urgency, he said.”
“Aye, it is no problem, Channing. But Lord Middleby, I am rather fatigued. Perhaps we could arrange another time—”
“I am afraid it cannot wait, Lady Elspeth,” Lord Middleby declared, puffing out his chest slightly. “My business is of a most urgent nature and will require but a moment of your time. It may even change your life.”
“Please ring if you need me, Lady Inverhall,” Mr. Channing said with a raised eyebrow as he slowly backed out of the room, leaving the door wide open. “I will let His Grace know that you have company as soon as he has returned from his business.”
“Thank ye, Channing,” Elspeth said with a huff.
Upon the butler’s exit, Lord Middleby cleared his throat. “Lady Inverhall, the success of your event last night was most remarkable. It has become abundantly clear to the ton that you are a woman of considerable merit, which I have known for some time.”
Elspeth merely nodded, waiting for the inevitable point. Her stomach sank as realization dawned on her.
Lord Middleby took a deep breath, adjusting his cravat. “Therefore, it is with the utmost consideration—and, I might add, a significant degree of generosity—that I ask for your hand in marriage.”
“Marriage?”
“Yes, Elspeth. A dream come true, I am sure.”
Elspeth blinked, a wave of disbelief washing over her. Of all the outcomes she had imagined after the charity event, Lord Middleby’s proposal was nowhere on the list.
She managed a gentle smile.
Remember yer lessons. Daenae fly off the handle.
“Lord Middleby, I am most flattered by yer generous offer. Truly. But I cannae accept it.”
He furrowed his brow. “Cannot accept? But surely you understand the advantages of such a match? You do not need to play coy with me.”
“I am not playin’.”
“My standing in Society, my, my connections, my appearance. I am respectable, I am—”
“I understand yer point, Lord Middleby,” Elspeth interrupted softly. “And I appreciate yer thoughtfulness, the security such a union might offer. But I daenae love ye, and I cannae, in good conscience, marry for convenience alone. I have come too far to settle for anythin’ less.”
“Settle? Convenience?” he scoffed. “It is more than convenience, you shortsighted lass! It is essential for a woman such as yourself to secure an adequate match, especially in this world we live in. What will come of you without a husband?”
“That is for me to figure out. It is none of yer concern.”
“It is obvious that His Grace has no intention to marry you.”
“Me answer remains the same,” Elspeth said, her voice steady.
Lord Middleby’s voice dropped, his arrogant tone replaced by a palpable desperation.
“The truth is, I also have reasons for my haste. Lady Inverhall, my financial affairs are delicate. Substantial but delicate. My inheritance is tied to marriage, you see. A suitable marriage. We could come to an agreement, you and I. I can tell that you are a woman of tenacity.”
Elspeth’s heart clenched slightly at his vulnerability, but her resolve did not waver.
“Lord Middleby, I am truly sorry to hear of yer predicament, but me answer remains the same. I cannae be a means to yer financial security. Ye will have to find another way. I have nothin’ left to say.”
His face flushed red, and his eyes narrowed on her. “But you owe me this! Consider the favor I bestowed upon you over the past weeks! I have forsaken many a good prospect for you.”
“I beg yer pardon?”
“I have wasted my time, then? Wasted on a woman in your position, a lowly Highland widow. You should be grateful for such an offer! I assure you, you will not receive a better offer than mine. You would do well to listen to me!”
“I owe ye nothin’, Lord Middleby,” Elspeth declared, her voice firm, all trace of sympathy gone. “If we are bein’ plain, yer attention was neither requested nor particularly welcome.”
“Not welcome? Are you joking? I watched you look at me.”
“I was only tryin’ to be polite to ye. If I ever gave you any other indication, it was surely yer readin’ into things that werenae there!”
Lord Middleby’s composure shattered. He clenched his fists at his sides, the vein in his neck pulsing.
“You foolish slip of a girl! You Scottish sorceress! Do you have any idea what you are throwing away by refusing my proposal? You will end up alone and destitute! Is that truly a better outcome than being with me?!”
He took a step closer, his brown eyes blazing with fury as they fixed on hers. He reached out suddenly, his fingers clamping roughly around her arms. She felt his grip tighten, her heart racing as she tried to think.
He pulled her closer, his lips nearing hers as she turned her head away with a grimace.
“Let me show you what you will be missing then,” he whispered.
“Leave me, Lord Middleby!”
“You ungrateful little Highland sl—”
The drawing room doors burst open, slamming against the walls with a resounding bang.
“Unhand her, Middleby!” Hugo’s voice roared through the room. “Now!”