Love in the Highlands by Barbara Cartland

indeed. No lady of delicacy would be alone with a man in this isolated spot. If I should insult you with my advances there is nobody to help you."
    "I rely on you, as a gentleman, not to insult me with your advances."
    "But how if your reliance is mistaken?"
    Lord Elswick's eyes were glinting strangely.
    "Suppose I force my unwelcome attentions on you?" he asked.
    For a moment Lavina found it hard to speak. Something seemed to be fluttering in her throat, and her heart was beginning to thump erratically.
    "Since we are engaged," she managed to say with spirit, "the presumption would seem to be that your attentions are not unwelcome."
    "Do you mean that you pursued me here in the hope of receiving them? Fie on you!"
    "I – that is not what I meant – "
    Suddenly he was standing very close to her.
    "Didn't it occur to you that you were doing something dangerous in coming here alone with me?"
    She took a shuddering breath. She would have moved backwards but she found she was standing against a tree.
    "I – do not feel – in danger – " she stammered.
    "How foolish of you," he said as he lowered his mouth to hers.
    There was no escape, even if she were sure she wanted to. His arms were about her body, drawing her hard against him, while his lips caressed hers with ruthless purpose.
    At first shock held her still. Then she made a sound of protest and tried to push him away, but he immediately tightened his arms. Anger began to flow through her veins like fire.
    But suddenly it was a different fire, made not of anger but of excitement. If she had given in to it she would have strained against him, seeking more kisses and yet more. But pride would not let her do so. She was still angry with him, and if she yielded an inch it would be a victory to him in the battle between them, that had raged since the moment she had burst into his house.
    He was proud, but so was she, and she would not let him think he had won her over in the slightest way. She could not afford to.
    He seemed to sense her rebellion and began to move his lips more seductively over hers, as though determined to be the winner in this battle.
    Lavina's head spun. Suddenly she no longer wanted to fight, but to yield, to give herself to him utterly and completely. Somehow her arms had found their way about his neck and she was pulling his head down to hers, kissing him back eagerly, feverishly.
    "Lavina – " he murmured.
    His voice seemed to call her back from a great distance. His mouth had released hers, he was looking down into her face with a look of stunned astonishment.
    Her breath came raggedly, and suddenly she was herself again, shocked at her own behaviour. How could she have behaved so disgracefully, with such unladylike abandon? He had said that she had no sense of propriety, and she had proved him right.
    She pulled away, and this time he released her. She walked a few steps away and stood there, breathing hard.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    After a moment he came close, but did not try to touch her. It seemed a long time before he spoke.
    "Forgive me. It is I who lack propriety. I should not have taken advantage of – that is – you are very foolish to be angry with me for – for what I said to the Queen."
    "Am I?" she asked in a muffled voice.
    "It is well known that Her Majesty believes in the subjection of women – "
    Lavina turned and gave him an incredulous stare.
    "As long as it's other women," the Marquis added wryly. "She has been known to speak about the 'dreadful wickedness of Women's Rights'. She deludes herself, of course, but she thinks this is what she believes. So I simply used the one argument that she could not answer. Can't you understand that?"
    "I suppose so," she said reluctantly.
    "I know that, for you, it goes against the grain to defer to me, but in that lies your safety, and your father's safety. It puts the whole responsibility for defying the Queen on to my shoulders, and I promise you I can fight the battle better than either of