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

in the morning, my lord,” Cooper answered,swallowing with an audible gulp. “My lord …”

“In my judgment, both you and Simms have beenlax in your duties, playing upon Lady Ayr’s good nature and love ofher father to escape the responsibilities you have been assigned.Lady Ayr should not have to spend a single sleepless nightwondering if her father is getting the best of care,” Ian barked,though he wanted to strangle the man for causing Hero a moment’supset. “If you feel that you cannot perform the duties you havebeen assigned in a more competent manner, I assure you that I shallsee to it that you are replaced, even if Lady Ayr is toosofthearted to do it herself. Am I understood?”

“Ye—yes, my lord,” the nurse stuttered beforeturning to Hero. “My lady, please accept my apologies. I assure youthat it will not happen again.”

“It’s all right, Cooper.” Ian raised animperious brow, but Hero shook her head wearily. “Come, Papa, letme see you back to bed.”

“No,” Ian interjected sharply, before addingmore softly, “I’d like a word with you if I might, Lady Ayr. I’msure Cooper will see your father to bed and sit by his side for theremainder of the night.”

“I will, my lady,” Cooper agreed with anemphatic nod.

“Very well,” Hero said. She rose and went toher father, who was turning the hand crank on the orchestrion,again trying to fill the bellows, which just wept and moaned,unable to hold air without the plug. Hero urged him to his feet andgave him a hug, resting her head against his chest. “You gave mequite a fright, Papa.”

“Did I?” he asked innocently, beforefrowning. “What are you doing out of bed? It must be past midnight.Come now, daughter, back to bed.”

“You go up with Cooper, Papa,” she saidsadly, and Ian could feel her heartbreak as if it were his own.Hero had told him that there were bad moments as well. Given theduke’s general good cheer over the past couple of days, Ian hadn’tanticipated what he’d just been witness to. “I will follow you upafter I have a word with Lord Ayr.”

Beaumont looked around curiously before hiseyes lit on Ian, and Ian thought the duke looked calm andunruffled, as if nothing had happened. Perhaps he had alreadyforgotten the incident, leaving only Hero with the memory of hispanic. How many times in the past had she replayed such a scenario?Beaumont smiled at him, waving a finger. “Oh, Ian. Yes, yes, ofcourse. I knew Robert had died.”

“Goodnight, Papa,” Hero said and started topull away from the duke, but he caught her tightly against him in aferocious hug, squeezing a squeal from her. With a chuckle, he lether go, dropping a kiss on her cheek.

“Goodnight, daughter,” he said. “Goodnight,Ian.”

“Goodnight, Harry,” Ian answered, but hiseyes and thoughts were already on Hero.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Beaumont said asCooper led him away. “And please be quiet when you come up. Youdon’t want to wake your mother.”

With a sigh, Hero crossed the room and kneltto replace the plug in the orchestrion’s bellows before thinkingbetter of it and instead putting it on the mantel.

“Are you sure you’re quite all right?”

Ian’s brogue was husky with concern. Hiscaring for both her and her father once again warmed her heart.“Yes, I had thought it nothing but a lark of his when I first heardthe music playing. Just one of the silly things he does. To see himshouting like that, I’m afraid it took me aback for a moment. Thankyou for dealing with Cooper, my lord.”

“Hero …” Ian took a step forward thenstopped, running a hand through his short hair, making it stand onend. “Bloody hell, Hero. How often does that happen?”

Hero clasped her hands in front of her,twisting them unconsciously as she remembered other times likethese. “Not often,” she said, but couldn’t stop herself fromconfessing, “though these are the times when I wonder if I’ve donethe right thing.”

“The right thing?”

“Arthur, my brother, wanted Papa to beinstitutionalized.”

It had been a long, painful argument betweenthem, between all the duke’s children. Half of them wanted onething, while the other half wanted another. In the end, Hero hadinsisted that her mother would never have agreed to it. Arthur hadbeen firm then that their father would be her responsibility, soshe had brought Beaumont to Scotland. To Dùn Cuilean, where hecould live a happy life.

Circling the room, Hero explained all this toIan, who listened intently as was his wont. He had a way about himof expressing his caring, his sympathy, without saying a word. Itwas just one more quality that Hero admired in him. One morequality that would make it so incredibly easy to fall for him.There was that thought again, that feeling that she might come tolove Ian swiftly and deeply, and yet she hadn’t even been with himfor an entire week yet. How could she be thinking such thingsalready?

It was one thing to desire so readily. But tolove?

Knowing nothing of the turmoil in her mindand heart, Ian continued, “I think you do beautifully with him,Hero. In truth, I worry not about him but about how all thisaffects you. They must be trying, moments like these.”

“Yes, they are,” she admitted, pausing by theone window in the room that overlooked the firth. It was raining,she realized. It was funny how the day had been a sunny one,reflecting her moments of joy, only to now weep upon the sorrowfulones. “Thank you again. I know this hasn’t been easy for you,either, or what you expected when you allowed us to stay.”

Ian joined her at the window, and Hero feltthe warm heat of a comforting hand at the small of her back. “Ilike him, Hero.”

Hero had to smile at that. “He likes you aswell.”

“You don’t have to do this all alone, mylove.” Ian reached out and caressed her cheek and in an instant herworries fled only to be replaced by awareness. Hero finally noticedthat he was still dressed as he had been for dinner, minus hisjacket and cravat. His waistcoat was open and his shirt partiallyundone, allowing her a peek at the dark smooth skin beneath.