by Gill, Tamara
She smiled at the memory of their interlude only minutes before and fell asleep dreaming of when she could do it again.
Chapter 8
The following morning Sophie came downstairs and found her driver kicking his heels in the foyer. “Good morning, Peter. Are you after me for something?” she asked, coming to stand before him.
“Miss Sophie, good morning. Yes, the wheel for the carriage arrived yesterday from Inverness and has been repaired. We can continue with our journey tomorrow if you wish.”
Footsteps sounded on the parquetry floor and she turned to see Brice striding purposefully toward her. She bit her lip, and blinked at his kilt and shirt, his only articles of clothing. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she turned back to Peter only to see him contemplating her and the laird.
“Is there something the matter, lass?” Brice asked, coming to a stop beside her.
She shook her head. “No, nothing.” She glanced up at him, her stomach summersaulting at being near him again. Her fingers itched to reach out and wrap about his waist, pull him close so he may kiss her again.
Sophie shook her head, dismissing the fanciful thought. She really did need to get a hold of her emotions.
“My carriage is repaired. Peter was just saying we may continue on with our journey tomorrow.”
His smile slipped before he schooled his features. “We shall send word this afternoon regarding Miss Grant’s travel arrangements.” Brice clasped her hand and pulled her toward his study. “If ye’ll excuse us.”
Sophie didn’t have the opportunity to say thank you to her servant before she was whisked into the laird’s office where the door was shut, the snip of the lock loud in the empty, sizeable room.
“What are you doing, Brice? With the way you just acted, I’m not sure what my driver will think.”
He walked over and then leaned up against his desk, watching her, his dark, hooded gaze pinning her on the spot. She fought not to fidget, although why she felt as if she were about to be scolded she had no idea.
“I dinna care what yer driver may think or anyone else. What I wish to know is if ye are going to be leaving me tomorrow?”
Leaving me? Sophie came up to him and uncrossed his arms covering his chest, placing them about her back. “Are we welcome to stay for a few more days then, my lord?”
He threw her a half smile, his grip about her waist increasing and making her belly clench. “Aye, ye’re more than welcome. If fact, I’d love for ye to be a guest here for some weeks. Mayhap write to yer friend in the highlands and ask her to travel here to see ye. She’d be more than welcome also.”
“Really? You’d do that for me?”
He leaned forward, brushing her lips with his. “Aye, I’d do that and more if it meant that I could keep ye here for a little while longer.”
Sophie would love to have her friend come and stay and she would write her today and ask if she’d come. “I will ask her to stay, although I’m not certain she’ll be able to. She helps her parents with the family income, but I will ask in any case.”
He let her go and walked over to the fire and threw a log into the grate, watching the flames lick the wood. Sophie stayed where she was, unsure what was going through Brice’s mind.
“Is everything well, Brice?”
He glanced at her and she wondered if it was regret that she glimpsed in his eyes. “’Tis a sweet sound hearing my name on yer lips, lass. Yes,” he said, turning to face her. “All is well. The fact that yer carriage is ready has me wondering when ye will be leaving these parts. To continue on with yer travels either to the highlands or back to London.”
Sophie came over near Brice and sat on a settee. “If Jean comes here, then after her stay I’ll return to London. I received a letter only yesterday from Louise and she and Stephen miss me dreadfully, or so she says.”
“Ye are close with yer siblings then?”
“Even though we were separated for many years, or at least Stephen and I were from Louise, we’ve always tried to stay close. Now that I have Louise back in my life, I do find I miss her dreadfully as well. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cannot wait to see them again.”
He ran a hand over his jaw before that same hand ran through his hair, leaving it on end. “So our time with ye is limited. ’Tis a sad day that we’ll have to bid ye farewell from our land.”
“Even a Sassenach?” she teased, grinning.
He chuckled, coming to sit beside her, pulling her into the crook of his arm. “Aye, even an English lass such as yerself.”
Some hours later Brice sat at his desk and went over the ledgers from his steward, yet his mind refused to concentrate. His thoughts kept straying to Sophie, who right at this moment was somewhere in his house, somewhere he was not.
His every waking hour he wanted to be near her, watch and admire how her pretty little hips shifted with each step. How her long, blonde locks caught the highland sun and glistened like ripe wheat.
The idea that her time here was limited left a hollowness inside. He wasn’t fool enough to not know that he did not want her to go anywhere. Yet he could not ask her to stay either.
His path in life was set many years ago and Elspeth and her family were expecting a proposal in the coming months. He could not let them down, even if Elspeth seemed far from inclined to have him as her husband.
The lass had many times stated her desire to remain a spinster and had he not promised his parents he’d marry the lass, he’d be loath to disappoint Elspeth and take away her dream.
A knock at his door startled him from his reflections and he yelled enter more abruptly than was probably necessary.
His good friend Angus Campbell glanced about the threshold, smiling. “Brice, how are ye, my friend? ’Tis been an age since I’ve seen ye darken my threshold. I thought I’d come and darken yers instead.”
Brice stood, gesturing him to enter. “Angus, ’tis good to see ye. More than ye know. Come,” he said, walking about the desk to pour two whiskeys. “Sit and have a drink with me. I’m in need of advice.”
Angus glanced at him as if he’d lost his mind, which Brice was starting to think he had. “Is something wrong? ’Tis not like ye to ask for help.”
That was true, he very rarely asked for anything and yet, right now, Angus was the only person he could trust and confide in. He was his friend of many years, and both held confidences for the other that would never be told. Angus would listen and help steer him through this obstacle course called Sophie Grant.
He handed Angus a whiskey and sat back down. “What brings ye to these parts in any case? Ye’re a long way from home.”
“Aye.” Angus nodded, taking a sip. “My sister has had a bairn and I’m on my way to see them at Avoch. If ye remember she married a landowner up there two years past.”
“I remember it well. ’Twas a grand celebration that night. I’m glad yer sister is happily settled. How is Aberdeen?”
“The same.” Angus studied him a moment before he said, “But I can see ye have something on yer mind. Out with it, man.”
Brice sighed, leaning back in his chair, running a hand over his face. He’d never asked for such advice before and to do so now was out of character and foreign to him. “I dinna know what to do about a lass.”
Angus raised his brow. “Are ye feeling well? Never would I ever thought to hear those words uttered from a Mackintosh’s mouth.”
Brice stared up at the ceiling in the hope that it may give him some divine insight into what he should do. “There is a woman here. Staying as a guest of my sister’s. ’Tis a long story, but she came to stay after injuring herself in town. She’s bonny.”
A slow smile formed on Angus’s lips. “How bonny?”
“She’s the bonniest lass I’ve ever met and my troubles have now doubled because I canna keep my hands off her.”
Angus did chuckle then, smiling fully. “Have ye tupped her?”
“Nay, she’s the Marquess Graham’s sister-in-law. To tup her
would mean I’d have to marry her and ye know that I’m all but promised to Elspeth.”
Angus rolled his eyes. “No matter what ye promised yer parents, or hers for that matter, I’ll be surprised if Elspeth marries anyone. I’ve always thought she found men quite the bore, whereas women she seems more than happy to be around.”
Brice narrowed his eyes, having never really taken much notice how Elspeth behaved around men, but now that his friend mentioned it, she did seem more inclined to converse with the female sex. Maybe she did not like men at all.
“’Tis not just my parents who expected a match. Elspeth’s parents do too, and ye know they still believe we owe them our land due to that blasted loan Father took out from them before I was born. If everyone who wished for such a union were no longer living I wouldn’t worry so much about the promise, but they are. I’d be letting them down if I dinna align the Mackintosh and Brodie clans together.”
“That, my friend, is a load of horse dung. Elspeth’s parents may long for whatever they like, but the debt has been paid, and why would ye not want yer daughter to marry with affection? Ye dinna have to do what anyone says. Ye’re a Mackintosh, a laird. Ye may marry whomever ye want.”
“A Mackintosh never goes back on their word, and I gave my word to my parents.”
His friend threw him a consoling look before he said, “I understand, I do, but marriage is a lifelong commitment. Ye dinna want to be stuck with the wrong lass forever and a day. Marriage is nae supposed to be an endless cycle of torture.”
Brice chuckled, glad of his friend’s arrival and his words of wisdom, which all made sense, but still, he would need to think on what to do. He’d never broken his word to anyone before and to start doing so now for a woman that in all reality he hardly knew was foolish. In the coming weeks he would see how things went, and then make a decision at the end of it.
“Tell me ye are staying. We’ll be having dinner soon. I’d love for ye to meet my guest.”
Angus finished off his drink, placing the crystal glass down on his desk. “Now that I know of yer struggles ye’ll not be getting rid of me, not for one night at least. I need to meet this English lass of yers and see what all the fuss is about.”
Relief poured through him like a balm that his friend would be here, tonight at least, to support him. “Ye’ll like her, Angus and then ye will be as confused as I am.”
“Probably,” his friend said, finishing his drink. “Now, where am I sleeping? I need to change before dinner.”
At dinner that evening Brice sat at the head of the table and watched with growing annoyance as Angus and Sophie chatted to one another.
His sister had placed them together, and even though Brice trusted his friend with his life and everything else, the sight of him laughing, engaged, and enjoying the evening with his lass left a sour taste in his mouth.
He pushed about the roast potatoes on his plate, glancing up every now and then to see that they still spoke about all subjects, some of which even he had not discussed yet with her.
Elspeth on the other hand was reading some book that she tried to conceal under a napkin. Elizabeth, like him, looked a little put out by Angus talking to Sophie and he narrowed his eyes, wondering if his sister held some feelings toward his friend.
Angus would be a good match for his sister and he knew him well enough to know that he would treat his sibling well. But knowing his friend as well as he did, he did not expect him to marry for some time yet. He enjoyed his bachelorhood too much.
He took a sip of wine, nodding to a waiting footman that the sweet course could be served. The pudding that was placed before him did little to lift his mood, even if it was one of his favorite dishes.
Sophie thanked the servant and glanced up the table toward him and a right hook to his stomach would’ve had less impact.
Her lips lifted into a knowing smile and he could not look away. The urge to go to her, wrap her up in his arms and kiss her to distraction overwhelmed him and he shook himself to remind himself they were in public.
There would be nothing of the sort, not unless she sought him out again or he came across her somewhere in the house when she was alone. It was one major advantage of having a house like this. One could get lost or remain lost so no one could interrupt or intrude on one’s day.
He winked at her and smiled as a deep flush rose on her cheeks, making her even more beautiful to look at. His sister’s clearing of her throat brought his attention to her and her pointed stare and raised brow was proof enough she’d caught him.
Brice turned back to his meal, eating his pudding with more zest than was necessary. There was nothing so bad that he’d done other than kiss the lass. Nothing wrong with him teasing her a little at the dining table either, even if his sister seemed overly shocked by his actions.
Who was he kidding? He was skating on thin ice and playing with fire at the same time. And yet, he could not remember a time when he’d enjoyed fire and ice so much in his life.
Chapter 9
The following day dawned warm and without a gust of wind to mar the beautiful spring weather. Yesterday after dinner Sophie had written to her friend Jean, inviting her to come and stay, and she hoped more than expected her to come. They were a family who worked for their living and times could sometimes be hard. A sojourn south to simply do nothing other than visit friends was not usual for them and so she didn’t think she would be able to come.
Sophie sat outside on the lawn that her room overlooked. The grounds were vast and from here she could see down into a valley that looked to have a small stream running through it. Placing her book beside her, she started to navigate the small decline, wanting to explore more of this marvelous estate.
She couldn’t imagine growing up in such surrounds. The village of Sandbach had been small, quaint, but not a lot happened. As for the small cottage her aunt had owned, it had been three bedrooms, a kitchen and drawing room. All modest and little, but comfortable. Her aunt had been a proud woman and had tried her hardest to give them a little luxury while they grew up.
When she’d moved into her sister’s London home with the marquess she’d not really understood the divide between the rich and poor. But she did now. The divide was monumental and at times, when they drove through the streets of London, looking out on the poor begging for food or work, she wondered if it would ever be breached.
When she returned to Town she would join a charity and try to give help to those she could. She had been fortunate, had been able to step out of a life of servitude, which she was destined for, into a life of a woman who could choose her future, a husband. So many were not so fortunate.
The walk through the trees down to the small river was cooler than up on the lawn and she pulled her shawl closer about her shoulders. The dappled sunlight lit her way and a crack of a stick made her pause, only to see a deer a few feet away looking at her as if surprised she’d impinged on his solitude.
Sophie continued on working her way through the ferns and undergrowth that had been allowed to grow wild this far away from the house.
The tinkling sound of flowing water met her ears and she pushed through the thick foliage and came to the side of the river. She stifled a gasp and stepped back behind a fern, hoping that Brice had not seen her, for she had certainly seen him, all of him in his naked glory.
Heat infused her face and she lifted her hand, patting her cheek in the hopes of bringing its temperature down. Unable to resist, she peered through the bushes again, watching as he dipped into the water, before coming up again, the water slithering over every ounce of muscle that his body sported.
And there was a lot of muscle, all of it flexing and tightening with each of his movements as he wrung out his hair.
“Do ye like what ye see, lass?”
Sophie gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth. She glanced up at the heavens, wishing right at that moment that she was anywhere but here. She’d been caught ogling him like a little strumpet instead of turni
ng about and heading back toward the house, which is what she should have done the moment she’d intruded on his privacy.
Oh dear Lord in heaven, how would she ever face him again?
She turned around, giving him her back, although she was sure he could not see her well enough to know she’d granted him that modicum of privacy. “I do apologize. I did not know you were here. I should have made my presence known.”
She cringed again at being caught. What did he think of her?
“Dinna fret, lass. I dinna mind ye looking. Ye may look as much as ye like.”
Sophie bit her lip, counting to five in the hopes that she would not turn around and take her fill some more. He was too tempting for his own good and he damn well knew it.
“Somehow I do not believe that would be appropriate, my lord.”
His replying chuckle made her shiver and she shut her eyes, reveling in it a moment. “And our little trysts over the last few days have been appropriate? No one is here and we’re hidden from view from the house. What does it matter if ye look at me while we talk?”
Sophie took a calming breath and called his bluff. She turned, stepping through the undergrowth and leaned against a nearby tree watching him. “Happy? I’m looking at you now, my lord.”
“Brice, please,” he said, walking toward her in the water. The action drew her attention down to his abdomen and the sharp V that delved into the water. She’d never seen a man so naked before and her mind swirled with the idea that he was as naked beneath the water as he was above it.
“Do not come any closer, Brice. Our kissing behind closed doors is one thing, but if you step out of that water and I find you’re as naked as I fear you are, that is quite another scenario altogether.”
He threw her a mischievous grin and she shook her head. He was impossible! His hands ran along the water’s surface and she was envious of them, wanting them upon her body instead.
