My Heart's in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader screen TXT) 📕

herwith a bubble of elation that welled up inside of her until itspilled over in a burst of laughter.

“You think this is amusing?” Ian asked,though his lips were twitching now as well.

Hero laughed again, covering it with her handto hide it as she leaned weakly against one of the nearby columns,losing her breath to her tightened corset. “Yes!”

Ian leaned in and took her lips in a briefbut fierce kiss. Hero’s heart soared and pounded with excitement ashe pulled away with a promise. “Be warned, fair Hero, one of thesedays, I’m going to seize the opportunity to kiss you properly.”

“Hero!”

“In here, Papa!” Hero called, dashing to thedoor before turning back and dipping a saucy curtsey to Ian. “Iwill look forward to it, my lord.”

Ian grinned back at her and Hero turned away,unable to stop the smile that stretched her cheeks.

“What is it, Papa?”

Her father bore the expression of a child whohad lost his favorite toy. His cravat was skewed to the side andthe rest of his clothing was equally rumpled. “I cannot find myrooms.”

“Oh, Papa,” Hero sighed, reaching up tostraighten his cravat.

The duke’s day nurse, Simms, appearedbreathlessly in the hall. “I’m sorry, m’lady. He got away fromme.”

“No matter, Simms,” Hero said, looking backto find Ian lingering in the door of the study. A part of herwanted to remind Simms of the importance of his duties so that shemight return to Ian. To see if he would hold on to his promise tokiss her properly right away.

“Who is that?” Beaumont asked, pointing atIan.

“That’s the marquis, Papa, remember?”Sympathy wiped away the last of the humor in Ian’s expression andHero knew the moment for flirtation and romance was past.

“Your husband?”

With a disappointed sigh she turned away.“Come, Papa, I’ll show you the way.”

“Do you think I could get a pudding beforedinner?”

“Perhaps.”

“And with dinner as well?”

“Papa, really!”

Chapter Thirteen

Hero sucked in a gasp as Mandy tugged at hercorset strings, retightening them after the “naptime” her doctorhad suggested she indulge in to speed her recovery. Normally Heromight have welcomed a nap after the active morning and afternoonshe had had but today she had merely laid on top of her bed linensclad in only a thin chemise that was little compensation to theheat of the day or to the heat mere thoughts of Ian Conagham firedin her.

Just a flash of that lopsided smile wasenough to send her heart racing, but when it was accompanied by thebrush of his knuckles across her cheek or the touch of his lipsagainst the sensitive skin of her wrist, Hero felt as if she mighttruly swoon for the first time in her life. In such moments herhead swam deliciously, her breath grew shallow, and herextremities—even her lips—would tingle.

It was desire. Want.

And so very euphoric. Never had sheexperienced such fascination before.

“My lady?”

Hero started with a blush. “Yes, Mandy?”

Her maid raised a curious brow. “I waswondering which gown you would like for dinner tonight?”

“The pink organdy, I think.”

“Oh,” Mandy said with a frown that pulledHero away from her own thoughts. “You don’t think so?”

“It’s a lovely gown, my lady.”

Hero matched Mandy’s frown with one of herown, wondering what had prompted such a response. The gown wasbeautiful. The starched organdy had a gathered bodice and loosebell sleeves that were perfect for a hot summer night. “But? Ithought we agreed that in coming to Cuilean and given the heat ofthe summer, putting off my mourning would be acceptable as long asI wasn’t out in Society.”

“It’s not that, my lady. I was just thinkingthat perhaps the trio of ruffles at the bottom are a wee bitgirlish?” the maid offered haltingly.

“Too girlish for what?” Hero smiledteasingly. “Am I getting too old for a flounce or two?”

“Oh, no, my lady!” Mandy rushed to assureher, then bit back a smile when she saw the amusement on hermistress’s face. It must have emboldened her because she added moreconfidently, “Perhaps the red silk?”

Hero’s eyes widened. “The red? Isn’t that abit sophisticated for a simple dinner at Cuilean?”

“I thought that perhaps Lord Ayr mightappreciate the …” Mandy pointed with one finger to a spot low onher bosom and Hero felt a blush rush to warm her cheeks once again.Turning away to hide what it might reveal, Hero sat at her dressingtable so that Mandy could go to work on her hair.

Mandy brushed her long hair silently for afew moments until Hero found herself asking,

“What makes you think I’m trying to impressthe marquis?”

“Aren’t you, my lady?”

“You’re being impertinent, Mandy,” Hero saidsternly, but she knew the reprimand wouldn’t stop the maid fromvoicing her thoughts. After ten years, Mandy often felt she hadearned the right to her opinion. Hero wasn’t wrong there.

“Look at him, my lady,” Mandy said as shetwisted a lock of hair and expertly jabbed in a hairpin to secureit before moving on to another. “He’s what the maids in thescullery call a braw, bonny lad. It’s plain he’s taken a shine toyou as well.”

“Is it?” Hero’s heart raced at thethought.

“Mmm,” Mandy hummed in the affirmative as shebraided a long narrow strand and looped it around the twistedcurls. “Just as it’s obvious that you are attracted to him.”

Hero cringed at that. “Is it?”

The maid only patted her shoulder. “I’ve beenwith you a long time, my lady. The others don’t see what I can. Butwhy not take a chance with the marquis? You could do worse.”

“I’ve hardly been widowed a year.”

“To a man old enough to be your father,”Mandy replied promptly. “Think what it would be like with a manlike Lord Ayr.”

Since that was all Hero had been able tothink about, it took but a moment for her cheeks to bloom brightlyonce again. She thought of his all too brief but tantalizing kissesand his promise to kiss her properly. What exactly did properlyentail?

How could it possibly be moreexhilarating?

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to try somethingthat would be more inviting to him.

“So the red?” Mandy said with a smile whenshe saw the light in Hero’s eyes.

“No, no, but perhaps the ivory silk?”

Mandy thought on