was she, really? Evidently she wasn’t the charming ingenue she pretended to be. No woman could kiss that well without some practice.
Had she a reputation in London? Was that the reason Sinclair had made a home for her and her mother in Scotland?
“No,” he said, “I haven’t apologized to her.”
“Then I would appreciate if you did so,” Sinclair said. “She isn’t as worldly or as experienced as you, your lordship. She does not deserve to be treated in such a way.”
He doubted she was as innocent as Sinclair believed, but that was a comment he didn’t voice.
The less he thought of Ellice, the better.
Chapter 10
F or two days Ellice waited for her mother’s explosion. She readied herself for the lecture to come.
How could you have done such a thing! My own daughter to shame me in such a way. Eudora would never have acted in such a disgraceful fashion!
Or: What have I done, to be treated like this by an ungrateful child? What sins have I committed, to be humiliated in front of the whole of Scotland by a daughter who transformed herself to a harlot?
Without even thinking about it, she had changed herself from being demurely proper to acting just like Lady Pamela, hadn’t she?
She’d become surprisingly brave, but had no defense against her mother’s tirade.
Gadsden had looked at her with those glorious eyes and that stubble of beard and she’d nearly swooned in his arms.
To her surprise, her mother didn’t say a word about harlotry or wickedness. Oh, but she said a great deal about helping to save the village.
“Whatever could you have been thinking of, being out in the weather, and with the maids, of all people? What will they think of you?”
She didn’t know. Nor did she care. She felt curiously distant from the opinions of others, but she did note that the maids smiled more easily at her. Even Brianag unbent enough to thank her for her efforts to save Kinloch.
Gadsden was still at Drumvagen. The river hadn’t subsided enough for the bridge to be passable. She vacillated between hoping the water level would soon drop to praying that it wouldn’t do so anytime soon.
Even her mother noticed her mood.
“What has gotten into you, child?” Enid said on the morning of the second day after the scene in the gazebo.
Would she always think of time that way, she wondered: the day before the gazebo and afterward?
“I’ve never seen you so unsettled. Are you certain you’re not ill?”
“No, Mother.”
“If you are, do not go to see Virginia. That’s all she needs, to come down with your cold.”
“I assure you, Mother, I’m well. Truly,” she said, leaving the room to see Virginia for the first time since she’d given birth.
The baby was large, loud, and greeted everyone but his mother with a squalling cry. As far as Virginia, she was still pale, her eyes shadowed and her lips nearly without color. When Ellice handed her a cup of tea, a restorative blend Brianag swore by, Virginia’s hand trembled as if she were still weak.
“I’m not to stay but a moment,” Ellice said, “but I wanted to see you.”
“Who told you not to bother me?” Despite her wan appearance, there was a spark of humor in Virginia’s eyes.
“Brianag.”
“Not Macrath?”
She hadn’t seen Macrath since the night he’d come to the gazebo, yet another person she avoided assiduously. In Macrath’s case it wasn’t difficult. He was either at Virginia’s side or in his library. As long as she avoided those rooms, she was relatively safe.
“I’m surprised,” Virginia said. “He’s very protective of me. More so since Carlton was born.”
The baby snuffled in his cradle beside the bed as if knowing he was the topic of conversation.
Virginia stretched out her hand toward her son. “My milk has not come,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve not nursed my child.”
“You had a very difficult time.”
Did Virginia know how close she’d come to dying?
She sat with Virginia for five
Had she a reputation in London? Was that the reason Sinclair had made a home for her and her mother in Scotland?
“No,” he said, “I haven’t apologized to her.”
“Then I would appreciate if you did so,” Sinclair said. “She isn’t as worldly or as experienced as you, your lordship. She does not deserve to be treated in such a way.”
He doubted she was as innocent as Sinclair believed, but that was a comment he didn’t voice.
The less he thought of Ellice, the better.
Chapter 10
F or two days Ellice waited for her mother’s explosion. She readied herself for the lecture to come.
How could you have done such a thing! My own daughter to shame me in such a way. Eudora would never have acted in such a disgraceful fashion!
Or: What have I done, to be treated like this by an ungrateful child? What sins have I committed, to be humiliated in front of the whole of Scotland by a daughter who transformed herself to a harlot?
Without even thinking about it, she had changed herself from being demurely proper to acting just like Lady Pamela, hadn’t she?
She’d become surprisingly brave, but had no defense against her mother’s tirade.
Gadsden had looked at her with those glorious eyes and that stubble of beard and she’d nearly swooned in his arms.
To her surprise, her mother didn’t say a word about harlotry or wickedness. Oh, but she said a great deal about helping to save the village.
“Whatever could you have been thinking of, being out in the weather, and with the maids, of all people? What will they think of you?”
She didn’t know. Nor did she care. She felt curiously distant from the opinions of others, but she did note that the maids smiled more easily at her. Even Brianag unbent enough to thank her for her efforts to save Kinloch.
Gadsden was still at Drumvagen. The river hadn’t subsided enough for the bridge to be passable. She vacillated between hoping the water level would soon drop to praying that it wouldn’t do so anytime soon.
Even her mother noticed her mood.
“What has gotten into you, child?” Enid said on the morning of the second day after the scene in the gazebo.
Would she always think of time that way, she wondered: the day before the gazebo and afterward?
“I’ve never seen you so unsettled. Are you certain you’re not ill?”
“No, Mother.”
“If you are, do not go to see Virginia. That’s all she needs, to come down with your cold.”
“I assure you, Mother, I’m well. Truly,” she said, leaving the room to see Virginia for the first time since she’d given birth.
The baby was large, loud, and greeted everyone but his mother with a squalling cry. As far as Virginia, she was still pale, her eyes shadowed and her lips nearly without color. When Ellice handed her a cup of tea, a restorative blend Brianag swore by, Virginia’s hand trembled as if she were still weak.
“I’m not to stay but a moment,” Ellice said, “but I wanted to see you.”
“Who told you not to bother me?” Despite her wan appearance, there was a spark of humor in Virginia’s eyes.
“Brianag.”
“Not Macrath?”
She hadn’t seen Macrath since the night he’d come to the gazebo, yet another person she avoided assiduously. In Macrath’s case it wasn’t difficult. He was either at Virginia’s side or in his library. As long as she avoided those rooms, she was relatively safe.
“I’m surprised,” Virginia said. “He’s very protective of me. More so since Carlton was born.”
The baby snuffled in his cradle beside the bed as if knowing he was the topic of conversation.
Virginia stretched out her hand toward her son. “My milk has not come,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve not nursed my child.”
“You had a very difficult time.”
Did Virginia know how close she’d come to dying?
She sat with Virginia for five
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