Questions for a Highlander

by Angeline Fortin

  And with only that warning, his head dipped and caught her lips in a fiery kiss that cut off Kitty’s initial squeal of protest and turned it instantaneously into a moan deep in her throat. Her palms remained flattened against the wall behind her but her head did press up to increase the pressure of the kiss as her lips parted invitingly, rousing a corresponding groan in Jack before he pulled away.

  “Think on that, my love,” he shot back before turning and stalking down the hall, leaving Kitty to stare after him in dumbfounded shock, her fingers pressed to her tingling lips. One brief kiss and all her resolve was torn asunder. She’d been a fool to try to deny it and he had called her on it. She was nearly dying of love for him and wanted him in her bed. She only hoped he would not give up on her before she could allow it to happen. She stared at the wall across from her as she waited for her breathing and heartbeat to return to normal.

  It was a long while before she collected herself enough to make her way back into the Glenrothes box. Before she could contain the urge to chase after him and beg him to forgive her for her rash accusations, and to admit that she couldn’t deny the raging desire that burned for him, deep within her. She took her seat, waving aside Moira’s questioning glance and, clasping her hands to still the trembling inside, focused her gaze steadfastly on the stage below.

  But all she saw was the anger churning in Jack’s molten eyes, the grim line of determination his lips had settled into after that shocking kiss. The remainder of the opera was lost to her as much as the first portion.

  Chapter 18

  It was the old New York way…

  the way of people who dreaded scandal more than disease,

  who placed decency above courage,

  and who considered that nothing was more ill-bred than ‘scenes’,

  except the behavior of those who gave rise to them.

  - Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence

  Glenrothes House

  The next morning

  “It seems,” Francis drawled the next morning to the three women seated with him at the breakfast table, “there have been some rumors flying about town recently that I must admit I find most disturbing.”

  “Really?” Eve cast a curious glance to her sister and Moira, who had moved into the house on Carlton Terrace with them the previous day. “What sort of rumors, Francis?”

  Glenrothes chewed his bread slowly as he considered the three of them before his gaze settled dispassionately on his toast and jam. “It has been brought to my attention that my new bride has been seen kissing my best friend, not only on our own front steps but at the Royal Theater last evening as well.”

  Kitty spat out the mouthful of food she just forked in her mouth while Eve choked on hers and met her sister’s shocked gaze with one of her own. Moira, the dear girl, could do nothing more than choke on her laughter.

  “According to Lord Roxburghe, whom I had the pleasure of encountering on my morning ride,” he went on smoothly, as if he hadn’t just stunned them all into silence, “I should have known better than to wed again so quickly, if at all. In his words, the old adage ‘marry in haste, repent in leisure’ about sums it up.” Francis raised a brow calmly to the ladies as he spread jam on his toast, before settling his steady gaze upon his wife. “What say you, wife?”

  After all the rumors and scandal that Kitty’s brother-in-law had suffered at the hands of his first wife, rumor of a wife’s infidelity would be the very last thing he would find amusing. Kitty was aghast as she stared at him even as Eve ignored her husband to stare back at Kitty with amazement.

  “Francis, I,” Kitty stammered with genuine regret, twisting her napkin in her lap. It had been a horrid evening for her. When the curtain had finally dropped on the performance, she had wanted nothing more than to come home and crawl into the depths of her feather bed and sleep for a week, so exhausted was she by the despair and chaos that riddled her mind. But she hadn’t slept a wink. Instead, she had risen with the sun that morning, eyes sandy with fatigue, but apparently that punishment wasn’t enough for the Fates. That disturbing kiss had been witnessed and gossiped upon sufficiently enough to blossom fully and fall ripely into Glenrothes lap before dawn. Misery descended upon her, compounding all else. “I’m so sorry!” she cried, waiting for the reprimand she clearly deserved.

  “You kissed him?” Eve finally choked out. “Haddington?”

  The disgust in Eve’s voice was much greater than the shock Kitty expected. It seemed her sister wasn’t appalled so much by the fact Kitty had kissed a man in public, when she was supposed to be posing as Eve, as she was that Kitty had kissed Jack. She could almost see the ‘eewww!’ forming on Eve’s lips. It might have been amusing if she hadn’t been so worried about the damage she had inadvertently caused to her sister’s reputation. As it was, Moira was nearly choking trying to contain her amusement.

  “Perhaps I might draw your attention more definitively to the other pertinent detail, my Eden,” Francis cut in, drawing Eve’s attention back to him. “Rumors are abounding this morning that you are having an affair with Haddington. Such rumors will bring still more scandal down on both of us, especially if I continue to receive my friend in this house.”

  “Perhaps we can simply stop receiving him?” Eve asked hopefully, and for a moment Kitty could almost see a bit of humor in the situation.

  To her surprise, the earl sat back with a chuckle. “I’m afraid not.” He reached out and took her hand, raising it to his lips before turning to Kitty. “What say you then, sister?”

  “Francis, I am so incredibly sorry! I never meant…”

  “No, no!” He waved his hand, dismissing her regrets. “I do not want or need your apologies, dear lass. I am more curious what relationship you are developing with Jack that he would kiss you in public, as I am very certain of my wife’s devotion and fidelity.”

  “You are not worried about the scandal?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Scandals come and scandals go. My family has a tendency to be at the heart of many of them. Eve and I created more talk than you can imagine when we wed. I must say, though,” he added archly, as if a new thought had just occurred to him, “it doesn’t speak well to my more amorous skills if my newly wedded wife is already seeking another lover.”

  Eve blushed while Moira set off in gales of laughter.

  Leaning closer to her husband, Eve whispered something in Francis’s ear the other two women couldn’t hear, but the look that came over his face, combined with Eve’s increased blush, spoke volumes. He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her as tenderly as Kitty had ever imagined a man might embrace a woman. Her chest squeezed with feeling.

  Turning back to his guests, Francis beamed from ear to ear. “Ah, I’ve just learned that my skills as a lover are no longer to be doubted! It seems my lovely bride is to bear the fruit of our labors!”

  Kitty and Moira traded surprised looks before jumping up to embrace Eve and Francis. “Oh, Evie!” Kitty cried, wrapping her arms around her sister. “How wonderful! I know you longed to have more children! When?”

  Eve blushed once again, accepting their hugs. “Well, let’s just say if I make it nine months from our wedding date, it will be a close thing.”

  Francis chuckled pulling his wife back into his arms and murmured again in her ear. Whatever he said brought a renewed blush to her cheeks. “If you’ll excuse us, ladies, I believe I shall take my wife off to celebrate our good fortunes in private.”

  Kitty watched them wander out of the room, hand in hand, with a smile on her face until she recalled the previous conversation. “Wait! Before you go and we don’t see you for days and days, what shall we do about these rumors? We can’t have anyone doubting the paternity of your child!”

  Eve and Francis frowned, sharing a look that carried a conversation all on its own. Eve turned to her sister with a sad smile. “What do you think we should do, Kat?”

  Kitty knew the answer. What she had done, she needed to be the one to undo. She wo
uld have to announce her presence and identity to the whole of Edinburgh, be seen in Jack’s company as herself and make sure everyone knew it was she, not Eve, who had kissed Haddington. No other solution would be fair to her sister and new brother-in-law. It would spare them months of speculation and doubt cast over the paternity of a child who might well be the heir to Glenrothes. The most Kitty could hope for was that her husband hadn’t seen fit to search overseas for her as yet. “I guess I had better see if Abby would be brave enough to take me around on her calls today and introduce me to everyone. She might not want to be seen with me either.”

  “Her brother is a part of all this. The cause of it all, I would wager,” Eve added knowingly, with a bit of disgust lacing her voice. “She’ll do it or have words with me. What’s more, her backing will carry more weight than anyone else’s,” her sister assured her.

  “I’ll come along and hold your hand,” Moira offered, linking her arm through her troubled friend’s with a squeeze of support. “I don’t mind being at the center of a bit of carnage. Besides, I find it all incredibly fascinating anyway. I mean Jack Merrill? You must tell me all about it, Kitty!”

  Kitty couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up in her throat, but bit it back, feeling it completely inappropriate to the occasion. “Fine, in return for your moral support, I shall give you a detailed account. But Eve?” She turned back to her sister with a pleading glance. “Might I at least say I’m a widow? I mean, a public kiss as a widow is much less titillating to the gossips than that of a married woman.”

  Eve chuckled in agreement and sent her off with a wave. “Do as you will, Kat! As long as my baby remains Glenrothes’ in the eyes of the people, I care not. However, I do not want any kind of accounting about it from you or anyone. It quite turns my stomach to even consider it! I will want an explanation for it however, because I simply do not understand.”

  “And you’ll have one,” Kitty promised, though her eyes twinkled now. “Next time I see you. Today? Tomorrow? Next week?”

  Eve shooed her away as the count grew, with an embarrassed but pleased blush as Francis’ fingers tightened on her own. She would make no promises she couldn’t keep!

  Kitty was exhausted by the time Abby dropped her and Moira back off at Glenrothes House. Abby had taken her to every residence available for an at home visit that rainy morning and introduced her as Mrs. Katherine Hayes, widow and the sister of the Countess of Glenrothes. Reactions ranged from skepticism to blatant curiosity once Abby made it known it was Kitty who accompanied her to the previous evening while Eve had remained home with her husband.

  Subtle interrogations clashed with blatant inquiries, from when she had arrived in Edinburgh to how long she had been widowed. Kitty had given an accurate date on the former and a period of some years for the latter, since the clothing of Eve’s she borrowed was not appropriate mourning or even half-mourning apparel.

  Within the span of two hours, the whole of Society was aware of the arrival of Mrs. Hayes, sister of the Countess of Glenrothes, and of her indiscretions with the Earl of Haddington. Not so subtle innuendo questioned whether she was Haddington’s lover, while others of a more circumspect nature merely offered grave warnings to Kitty regarding Haddington’s loose ways with women, and his fickle heart. Apparently, to many she was looked upon with some pity under the assumption that the earl had targeted her for his infamous seduction. He had a notorious reputation himself in Edinburgh. She shouldn’t count on him, they warned, to come up to snuff and make a respectable offer of marriage. It wasn’t his style to get serious, despite the rumors that the earl was on the hunt for a wife. Everyone knew such rumors must be unfounded.

  They told her nothing Kitty did not already know about Jack, not only from similar warnings from Eve, Moira, and Jack’s own sister, but from her own realizations. He was fickle even in his base desires and perhaps he was content spending his life in the seduction of multiple women at once. Kitty, however, thought if she were to engage in an affair, she should at least have the sole focus of her lover for whatever time they were involved. True, she would not consider a physical lover until her divorce was complete, but even a serious flirtation should be a monogamous one!

  Their final visit had been to the Duchess of Roxburghe, where Kitty had admitted her charade of the previous evening and begged her grace’s forgiveness. “Nonsense,” that lady had waved dismissively, “I knew you weren’t Lady Glenrothes the moment I saw you. You haven’t her air of reserve. I could not quite figure out exactly who you were though. I had quite thought twins, given your identical appearance.”

  “She had no idea!” Moira declared when they got back in the carriage. “She just likes to look like she knows everything!”

  “I have to agree with Moira,” Abby laughed in agreement. “I think she was merely bluffing. Kitty? You look pale. Are you all right? Did the duchess upset you?”

  “No, not at all.” Kitty sank back against the cushions. “Just not feeling well. Much has been going on these past few days and perhaps I am just over-fatigued.”

  “Best go right up to bed then, it wouldn’t do for you to get sick.”

  Chapter 19

  Business, you know, may bring money,

  but friendship hardly ever does.

  - Jane Austen, Emma

  It seemed she had indeed caught a bit of a cold or such, Kitty thought as she woke from a nap late that afternoon. Her nose was stuffy and her head ached terribly. Unwilling to face anyone – well, Haddington at least – with her flagging strength, she gave her excuses avoiding an engagement for dinner at a popular new restaurant at the Balmoral Hotel. Instead, she stayed in her room while Sung Li nursed her with his soups and wisdom. She slept on and off through the next day, feeling worse rather than better. However, when she missed her morning ride the following morning, it seemed that was all Jack could take.

  “Lord Haddington is downstairs, missy,” Sung Li informed her as the clock crept toward the noon hour. “He insists on seeing you. Lady’s butler, Hobbes, is a very funny man. He’s put Haddington on front step until you say it’s all right to let him in!”

  Kitty laughed at the idea, though the action split her still aching head. Hobbes was a very dear old man. Though he liked to portray himself as a most dignified butler, he had proven himself loyal and protective of Eve and now it seemed she had been blessed with the same. It would serve Haddington right to wait indefinitely on the front stoop, or even be turned away, after his improper behavior at the opera. Certainly, after the rumors abounding, it would not do to receive him openly, but she supposed it was better to have him inside than on public display at the front door. “Oh, as much as I would love to leave him out there, I’d better come down for a moment and see what he wants. Will you send a maid to let me dress, and let Hobbes know Haddington might enter as I will be down shortly?”

  “Very good, missy, but not too long a visit!” warned her equally protective majordomo. “You must rest!”

  “If you think avoiding me will make me go away, Kitty, you have another thing coming!” Jack informed her as she entered the family parlor half an hour later, not even giving her a chance to toss out a greeting. “I’ll admit I may owe you an apology for my behavior the other night, but I’ve come for yours as well.”

  “Well, good morning to you, as well, Lord Haddington,” she sniffed, offering him her hand while the other held a tightly clenched handkerchief she felt she would certainly need. “Would you like some tea? Cakes?”

  “Don’t play Evelyn with me, Kitty,” he warned, as if that were some awful game he couldn’t abide taking part in. “I had enough of that at the opera.”

  “I hardly think making my sister sound like an unwanted disease is the way to build a friendship, Jack,” she chided, as she sat weakly on the sofa.

  Jack sat across from her and ran both hands through his hair with some frustration. “I don’t mean to disparage your sister, Kitty. You had the right of it before, I actually quite like Eve despi
te her prickly exterior, just as I know she now considers us friends though she tries to deny it, but I cannot have you, of all people, talking through me as if I were some stranger to you!”

  “What do you mean? Me, of all people?” she asked curiously, thanking Hobbes with sincere gratitude when he brought a strong tea and honey in for her. She poured and sipped the herbal remedy, hoping it might clear her sinuses soon.

  “You,” he gestured to her up and down. “That isn’t you at all. You are too cheerful and personable to talk through someone like that. It isn’t like you to treat me like a stranger!”

  “In essence, you are a stranger, Jack,” she reminded him, as she inhaled the steam from the cup and sighed.

  A rueful grin flashed across his face. “We have never been strangers, Kitty. From the moment we met, I felt as if I had known you always. I actually like you, you know?” He reminded, as if it were still an incredible feat. Though Kitty supposed it was, given the stories Abby had recently told her. Jack had always treated women like…well, stray dogs. Oh, they’re cute and loveable but if you give them too much attention, you just can’t shake them off and you’re stuck with them for life. That was Jack’s entire history with women in a nutshell. And as much as she might like some of his attention, she didn’t want him to feel hunted by her.

  Jack went on, “To me, you’re more like a…” He faltered, as if uncertain how to define her.

  “Sister?” she guessed, when he continued to flounder.

  “Bloody hell!” he gaped in disgust. “No, not at all! As I said before, Moira, she is like a sister. I like her dearly but I could never imagine…” he trailed off with a shudder.