“Oh, ’tis so good to see both of ye.” Lady Errol raked her gaze over Giselle, settling on the slight swell in her gown, which, being loose, hid most of the roundness of her belly. She flicked her eyes back to Giselle but didn’t say a word. The glitter in her eye and large smile spoke volumes, and Giselle was pleased to see the excitement in her eyes at learning she would soon be a grandmother.
“We are glad to be back in the city,” Giselle said, embracing her mother-in-law.
“And the city welcomes ye with open arms.” Lady Errol held her at arm’s length and stared again at her growing belly. If Giselle wasn’t mistaken, there were tears of joy in the woman’s eyes as she squeezed her hands. She finally let go to pull her son in for an embrace. “Oh, do please refresh yourselves, and then we shall have tea.”
Their idea of refreshment was slightly different than Lady Errol might have expected. Rather than retire to their bedroom—they headed to the library, which Alec had been telling her about. It was not as grand as the one at Slains Castle but rivaled all of the libraries in Edinburgh, Giselle was fairly certain.
The curtains had been opened to allow in light, and rows upon rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves of books filled the space with not a speck of dust in sight. There was a large marble hearth, topped with a massive gilded-looking glass. Wherever there was wall space not taken up by books, there were paintings of people writing books, lounging with books, and a particular favorite of Giselle’s where a woman had fallen asleep on a chaise with a book, and her hound had a bit of the corner as if he’d drag it away like a prize.
“This is so incredible,” she said, whirling in a circle, taking it all in. “Who would have known that the Beast of Errol had no’ one but two of the most amazing libraries in Scotland?”
Alec wrapped his arms around her, swirling her into a dance. “Ye are incredible.”
Surprisingly, they spent the afternoon undisturbed in the library, managing to make love twice with no one the wiser. By the time evening rolled about, both of them had realized they’d missed tea and felt a little guilty about it. But alas, they were about to endure the ultimate torment, which was a grand ball in their honor. And they reasoned if Lady Errol had wanted them at tea, she would have come banging down the door herself, which she’d never been too shy to do before.
At the top of the stairs, both of them were dressed in their best—she in a rose-colored gown with all the frills of a countess, her hair done as simply as she pleased with a diamond-and-gold comb. Alec was garbed in his starched white shirt, kilt and frockcoat; his boots shone in the light of the candelabra in the grand foyer. They each drew in long, steadying breaths.
“The quicker we enter the ballroom, the quicker we can escape. And we are quite good at that,” Alec said with a mischievous wink that had Giselle’s limbs humming with anticipation of the moment they would elude their unwanted guests.
“Aye. Do we need a codeword?” She gazed up at him, a wide grin on her face.
“Hmm. That would be a good idea, and I suppose ‘help’ would be a bad choice.”
Giselle laughed and smoothed her hands over the lapels of his frockcoat, her fingers tapping over the Errol pin there. “Aye. Perhaps, ‘I think I left a candle burning in the library?’”
Alec nodded slowly, a smirk on his lips. “That could work, although a servant could be used to extinguish it, so we may be foiled in our escape.”
“Ah, a good old plot then—my ankle.” She pretended to go limp on one side, faking an injury. “As we did during croquet.”
Alec slid his hands around her waist to her back and lowered his lips to hers for a soft kiss. “Perfection.” He held out his arm to her, and she took it, continuing to revel at the feel of his muscles beneath her fingertips.
Her heart did a little flip as they descended. She still couldn’t believe her luck in Alec finding her on the moors. The fact that she was married to him, sharing this wonderful life. The circumstances of how their love evolved were bittersweet considering how it ended for Sir Joshua, but at least they could go to bed each night knowing that his death was not at Alec’s hands.
The desire and love she had for her husband seemed to grow with each new day. And soon, they would be three. The idea of being a family was a little scary at the same time that it was exhilarating. She imagined them playing seek and find, and they would teach their bairn to be the best of the best.
“I love ye, beastie,” she said as she reached the last step.
“I love ye, too, my wee runaway.”
Giselle laughed as the doors were opened and they were announced.
“The Earl and Countess of Errol.”
She bit her lip to silence herself, but the smile was hard to replace with the stoic expression a countess should wear. Alas, she’d come to terms with the fact that she would never be that kind of countess. She was quite happy being herself.
Giselle’s smile only grew when she saw who greeted them in the grand ballroom.
Why, this was not a grand ball at all, but an intimate gathering of their friends. Standing beneath the glittering crystal chandelier in their finery were Jaime and Lorne. Malcolm and Euan stood among Euan’s six beautiful sisters, and a lovely looking lass with hair the color of midnight. Also in attendance were Giselle’s parents, whom she’d not seen since her wedding.
“Oh, my,” Giselle whispered, a jitter of nerves making it hard to walk forward.
Her apprehension for what they would say by way of greeting, and her excitement at seeing her friends, warred within her, making her slightly dizzy. But she needn’t have fretted—her mother teared up and rushed forward to pull her in for a hug, and surprisingly, her father did the same. She’d been worried they wouldn’t accept her marriage to Alec, but they seemed quite happy with the match, or at least happy to see her.
“Ye look beautiful, my dear,” her father said. His hands clasped her face, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, something he’d not done since she was a wee lass, and Giselle nearly melted into a puddle of tears at the loving gesture.
Then he was turning, gripping Alec in the greeting equivalent of a bear hug. She was quite stunned at the show of affection, never having seen her father do such before.
Lady Bothwell embraced her heartily, then pulled back to stare down at her daughter’s swollen belly. But just as Alec’s mother had not said a word, neither did hers.
“Aye, Mama, I am with child,” Giselle finally said, unable to hide the burst of joy that filled her.
Lady Bothwell’s hand came to her mouth as she tried to conceal her shock, but the tears flowed anyway. This reunion seemed as if it were taking its emotional toll on everyone because Giselle felt herself tearing up too.
Then Jaime squealed in delight and hugged Giselle, pressing her own large abdomen to Giselle’s, bringing out laughter with the tears of joy.
“Our bairns will be the best of friends, like us,” Jaime said.
“Oh, I dearly hope so!” Giselle was certain to have a sore face the following day from all the smiling she was doing.
The Dowager Countess of Errol whirled her hand in the air, the small quartet began to play, and Alec whirled her out into the center of the dance floor. They gazed into each other’s eyes, joy emanating from every feature.
Who would have ever guessed that a beastly earl and a runaway lass would ever end up dancing to the beat of their hearts?
A few weeks later, Jaime and Lorne were delivered of a strapping lad with gray eyes like his father. And a few months following that joyous occasion, Giselle and Alec welcomed their beautiful, fiery-haired lass. Perhaps their children being friends would be the least of their concerns…
* * *
If you enjoyed THE SCOT IS HERS, please spread the word by leaving a review on the site where you purchased your copy, or a reader site such as Goodreads! I love to hear from readers! Visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightfiction. I’m also on Instagram @ElizaKnightFiction and Twitter: @ElizaKnigh
t Many thanks!
Stay tuned for more of Eliza’s brand new Scottish Regency series — SCOTS OF HONOR!
Highland war heroes rebuilding their lives grapple with ladies forging their own paths—who will win?
Regency Scotland comes alive in the vibrant and sexy new SCOTS OF HONOR series by USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight. Scottish military heroes, who want nothing more than to lay low after the ravages of war in 19th century France, find their Highland homecomings vastly contradict their simple desires. Especially when they meet the feisty lasses who are tenacious enough to take them on, and show them just what they’ve been missing out of life. In battle they can’t be beaten, but in love, they all find the ultimate surrender.
Return of the Scot
The Scot is Hers
Taming the Scot
* * *
Want to read more Scottish romance novels by Eliza?
Check out her Stolen Bride Series!
The Highlander’s Temptation
The Highlander’s Reward
The Highlander’s Conquest
The Highlander’s Lady
The Highlander’s Warrior Bride
The Highlander’s Triumph
The Highlander’s Sin
Wild Highland Mistletoe (a Stolen Bride winter novella)
The Highlander’s Charm (a Stolen Bride novella)
A Kilted Christmas Wish – a contemporary Holiday spin-off
How about some fierce Highland rebels? Check out Eliza’s Prince Charlie’s Angels series!
The Rebel Wears Plaid
Truly Madly Plaid
You’ve Got Plaid
About the Author
Eliza Knight is a USA Today bestselling author of many historical adventures. Escape to Scotland for irresistible heroes, courageous heroines and daring escapades. Join Eliza (sometimes as E.) on riveting journeys that cross landscapes around the world. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies.
Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com. Sign up for her newsletter to get news about books, events, contests and sneak peaks! http://eepurl.com/CSFFD
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