Enlightened
Page 19
It was why, they whispered, he would never marry.
The story was scandalous, romantic, and most importantly, verifiable. And Murdo played his part of new gentleman farmer beautifully. Not that it required any effort—it was, after all, what he’d always wanted to do. He would happily spend the rest of his life exiled in Perthshire, managing his new estate.
He had agreed, though, to accompany David on his next trip, a visit to Lancashire in the autumn to inspect a new factory Murdo was financing. While they were there, they’d be looking in on the MacLennans. Euan and Elizabeth were married now and fond parents to a fine, strong boy: Patrick David MacLennan. Murdo wanted to stop at the Lake District on the way back to Scotland. There was good hill walking there, he said, and scenery to rival Laverock Glen, though David found that difficult to believe.
David stopped when he reached the end of the ridge. The edge of the woods that led to the house was just a few feet away, but David wanted one last look at the glen below before he took the path down the hill.
He was standing there in the weak spring sunshine, his open coat flapping in the wind and his hat in his hand, when a shout roused him from his reverie.
“There you are!”
It was Murdo, emerging from the woods. David felt his smile grow, felt the face-aching broadness of it. It was a mirror of that rare and wonderful smile that Murdo reserved for him alone and that Murdo wore now.
“You bastard!” the other man exclaimed as he drew closer. He was laughing, though, white teeth flashing. “I came out to meet the carriage for our grand reunion to find nothing but a pudding to greet me!”
The laughter that bubbled out of David came from deep inside him, like water from an underground spring. It burbled up and fell from his lips as he walked into Murdo’s arms, stopped only by the firm press of the other man’s mouth as they came together in a fiercely joyful kiss.
“That’s better,” Murdo murmured when they finally pulled apart, and the soft words tingled against David’s lips.
“I’m a day early,” David said. “I didn’t think you’d be at the house, or I’d’ve stayed with the carriage.”
“What can I say?” Murdo grinned. “I must’ve had a premonition that my beloved would get home today.”
My beloved.
“I missed you,” David said.
“And I you.”
They smiled at one another for a long, perfect moment, right there, at the edge of the woods. At the edge of the broad, green stretch that surrounded their home.
“Come on,” Murdo said. “Let’s go back to the house.”
He took David’s hand and tugged him towards the start of the woodland path.
Murdo clambered over the stile first, and when David stepped up after him, he said, “How’s the leg?”
David glared at him. Murdo still asked that question every day. Force of habit, Murdo claimed. “It’s good,” David replied firmly. “I got out of the carriage at the top of Bank’s Hill and did the climb up here with no bother.”
“None at all?” Murdo sounded sceptical.
David sent him a defiant look. “Just the barest ache at the very end. Nothing a five-minute rest didn’t cure.” He jumped from the stile step to the ground to make his point.
Murdo raised one brow in a perfect arch—cool and amused—the eternal aristocrat. “Did your mother give you any more liniment? I think I’d better give you a rubdown if your leg’s been aching.”
David couldn’t suppress a grin at that. “As it happens, she did.”
“She’s an excellent woman, your mother,” Murdo observed.
“She is,” David agreed. “She’s the one who sent that clootie dumpling you saw in the carriage earlier. It’s her prized recipe and her dearest wish is that you’ll give it a try.”
“That monstrous pudding?” Murdo looked appalled. “That’s your mother’s clootie dumpling? Good lord, David, it weighs a ton! What’s in it? Rocks?” He shook his head, wrinkling his nose. “I’ll leave the clootie dumpling to you to dispose of, if you don’t mind. You’re the one with the sweet tooth.”
“Oh come on, you have to at least try it,” David wheedled. “If I write and tell her that no less a personage than Lord Murdo Balfour ate her dumpling, she’ll be able to crow to all the neighbours for weeks.”
Murdo reached for David’s hand, entwining their fingers together. His eyes danced with humour. “All right, I’ll try it,” he said, tugging David towards the path. “I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” David replied, enjoying the warmth of Murdo’s hand in his and the companionable bump of their shoulders as they made their way down the path.
“Honestly,” Murdo sighed. “The things I do for love.”
The End
READ THE PREVIOUS TWO instalments of David and Murdo’s story in Books One and Two of the Enlightenment series, Provoked and Beguiled
PROVOKED
TORMENTED BY HIS FORBIDDEN desires for other men and the painful memories of the childhood friend he once loved, lawyer David Lauriston tries to maintain a celibate existence while he forges his reputation in Edinburgh’s privileged legal world.
But then, into his repressed and orderly life, bursts Lord Murdo Balfour.
Cynical, hedonistic and utterly unapologetic, Murdo could not be less like David. And as appalled as David is by Murdo’s unrepentant self-interest, he cannot resist the man’s sway. Murdo tempts and provokes David in equal measure, forcing him to acknowledge his physical desires.
But Murdo is not the only man distracting David from his work. Euan MacLennan, the brother of a convicted radical David once represented, approaches David to beg him for help. Euan is searching for the government agent who sent his brother to Australia on a convict ship, and other radicals to the gallows. Despite knowing it may damage his career, David cannot turn Euan away.
As their search progresses, it begins to look as though the trail may lead to none other than Lord Murdo Balfour, and David has to wonder whether it’s possible Murdo could be more than he seems. Is he really just a bored aristocrat, amusing himself at David’s expense, or could he be the agent provocateur responsible for the fate of Peter MacLennan and the other radicals?
BEGUILED
TWO YEARS AFTER HIS last encounter with cynical nobleman Lord Murdo Balfour, David Lauriston accidentally meets him again in the heart of Edinburgh.
King George IV is about to make his first visit to Edinburgh and Murdo has been sent North by his politician father to represent his aristocratic family at the celebrations.
David and Murdo’s last parting was painful—and on Murdo’s part, bitter—but Murdo's feelings seem to have mellowed in the intervening years. So much so, that he suggests to David that they enjoy each other’s company during Murdo’s stay in the capital.
Despite his initial reservations, David cannot put Murdo’s proposal from his mind, and soon find himself at Murdo's door—and in his arms.
But other figures from David’s past are converging on the city, and as the pomp and ceremony of the King’s visit unfolds around them, David is drawn into a chain of events that will threaten everything: his career, his wellbeing, and the fragile bond that, despite David’s best intentions, is growing between him and Murdo.
Thank you for taking the time to read this story—I do hope you enjoyed it. I’m very appreciative of any reviews—good or bad—that readers are kind enough to take the time to post, whether at retailer sites, on social media or on blogs or reviews.
Joanna Chambers
Titles by Joanna Chambers
The Enlightenment Series
Provoked
Beguiled
Enlightened
Seasons Pass
Unnatural
Porthkennack Series (Riptide)
A Gathering Storm
Tribute Act
Other novel length titles
The Dream Alchemist
Unforgivable
The Lady’s Secret
Enemies Like You
Enemies with Benefits
Novellas and Short Stories
Humbug (A Christmas Tale)
Rest and Be Thankful (appeared in the Comfort and Joy anthology)
Introducing Mr. Winterbourne (appeared in the Another Place in Time anthology)
Mr. Perfect’s Christmas (appeared in the Wish Come True anthology)
Merry & Bright (collected holiday shorts)
You can find details of all my books at my website
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About the Author
Joanna Chambers always wanted to write. In between studying, finding a proper grown up job, getting married and having kids, she spent many hours staring at blank sheets of paper and chewing pens. That changed when she rediscovered her love of romance and found her muse. Joanna's muse likes red wine, coffee and won't let Joanna clean the house or watch television.
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