Questions for a Highlander

by Angeline Fortin

  “Other than I am simply charming, you mean!”

  “Oh, aye! Except for that!” They laughed again as they danced about the room earning a glare from Vin from across the dance floor that was easily noted. Moira could feel his eyes burning into her back for the remainder of the set and knew Harry could as well from the gleam in his eye as he pulled her closer and closer.

  “He’s a lucky man, but he doesn’t deserve you,” he whispered when the dance ended and he led her off the floor.

  “That is true, I think. Hopefully, he will realize it…soon.”

  “If he does not, I shall simply have to…prompt him into the proper course of action.” He touched her jaw with a light right hook.

  “You are too good to me and I love you dearly. I hope you find the woman who doesn’t deserve you soon, my friend.”

  “I, also, but first things first. Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Chapter 34

  Keep your face always toward the sunshine –

  and shadows will fall behind you.

  - Walt Whitman

  “This is silly, Harry,” Moira offered a while later as they stood together in the hallway to the right of the second floor landing. “What makes you think he’ll come up?”

  “You said he was fatigued, yes? I imagine he’ll make his excuses soon and head to his rooms.” Aylesbury pointed to the hallway leading to the left across the landing. “He’ll come up and see us here together and…voila!”

  “Just like that?” Moira said with a sniff of doubt.

  “Just so.” With a wicked smile, Aylesbury backed her against the paneled wall until she was pressed against it and propped himself up with a forearm over her head forcing Moira to tilt her head far back to look at him. She’d never realized that Harry was taller even than Vin and Vin was over six feet tall. He leaned in toward her, his proximity closer than it had ever been. Moira could feel the heat of his body and felt a quiver of nerves unlike anything she’d ever felt in his presence. Not fear but perhaps uncertainty. She looked up at him curiously.

  “What are you doing, Harry?” Moira’s chest vibrated nervously and swallowed nervously feeling a little nauseous. This was nothing like when Vin did the same!

  “Being effective.” He toyed with a curling tendril of hair at her temple. “One must be prepared.”

  “You’re very close.” Moira tilted her head back to look at him again. “You’ve never been like this before. You seem almost…predatory, I think.”

  “There is a reason most women want me, you know,” he whispered. “Most do not look at me and see a friend. Most look at me and see a man, a lover. I have a fair reputation with the ladies beyond my title.”

  “I’m sorry I could not do that,” she whispered. “I don’t think I can do it now, either.”

  “Worry not. I’ll do it for us both.” He bent and kissed her cheek as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. “I did say I wanted you. Do you remember? It will be easy for me. You can just close your eyes and pretend I’m him.”

  “I’m not sure I can…” Moira’s protest was cut off as Harry’s lips caught hers in a fierce kiss. Surprised, Moira let out a little squeal and raised her hands to his shoulders intent on pushing him away. He was like a brick wall, however, as he pressed her against the paneling, one hand came behind her neck to keep her head tilted back as his mouth plundered hers ardently. Despite the depth of the kiss, it was not unpleasant and, curious now, Moira relaxed and let him continue wondering if he would have the same effect on her that Vin did. It was…pleasant, she thought. She parted her lips to allow him entrance, analyzing her responses but gasped when his hand came up to cup her breast.

  Harry’s groan of pleasure was drown out by a deeper growl of anger before Aylesbury was dragged away from her. Moira watched in mute horror as he was violently flung against the opposite wall. His head snapped back but he met her gaze with some satisfaction before Vin grabbed him by his lapels and punched him with a hard right to the stomach.

  Not one to give in easily, Aylesbury returned the blow. Vin threw another punch, but as Moira regained her senses, she could see Vin could not take much more no matter how much he might like to. The long series of dances had already brought him to the edge of collapse. “Stop it!” Moira cried, pushing herself between them drawing a long string of curses from Vin, but Moira wouldn’t be set aside. She pushed them apart once more and sent Harry a level glare. “You’ve proven your point, Harry! Now go!”

  Aylesbury nodded shortly, rubbing his jaw. Gradually, the fight drained out of him and he was able to toss Moira a jaunty grin. “Eight days, darling. Not bad.” He straightened his jacket and turned away to find Vin glaring at him with murder in his eyes and the marquis returned the same look. “You don’t deserve her.”

  The blood was pounding furiously through Vin’s veins. He could feel the pressure of it beating against his temples and chest, hear it in his ears. Could almost see the red of it in his eyes. He was so angry he wanted to throw his fist through a wall if he couldn’t beat Aylesbury within an inch of his life. He wanted to break something, bellow like a madman over what had just occurred. How dare he?

  How dare she?

  Vin turned his incensed glare onto Moira who was just standing there with her hands on her hips scowling right back at him. How could she have done such a thing? She’d had him in her bed just last night and yet there she was kissing Aylesbury, letting him put his hands where only Vin’s had been!

  By God, he hadn’t wanted to think Moira might be like other women. He didn’t want to believe she wanted another. Had somehow been convinced she wanted him alone. There was that arrogance again. It wasn’t about him, Vin knew. Aylesbury had more right to her than he.

  Vin had done nothing to make it more than that so how could he be angry with her? He had no rights having made no claims. Had his lovemaking not filled the need in her that she would look to another?

  Didn’t that just prove his point, though? There was not faithfulness left in the world. Even Moira, who he hadn’t thought capable of duplicity. Nausea rolled through him and Vin looked away before closing his eyes. No, she turned to him because she was lonely. As lonely as he. Wasn’t that what she told him? She could do as she wished, certainly, but did their friendship mean nothing?

  With a growl, Vin turned away and stomped down the hall toward his rooms hearing Moira’s hiss of frustration behind him. “Oh, no you don’t, Vincent MacKintosh!” she snarled. “You don’t get to walk away from this! Get back here!”

  Ignoring her, Vin continued on to his room but Moira scurried behind him catching his arm before he could disappear into his chambers and close the door on the entire situation.

  Hanging on Vin’s forearm, Moira pulled him around to face her taking in the anger in his eyes. He was livid. His brown eyes were black chips that bore right through her and if Moira were in a calmer frame of mind, she might have seen this wasn’t the moment to argue with him. But she was as much as Scot as he and when her temper was up, it didn’t fade quickly. One thing she was sure of, Vin didn’t get to fill everyone’s expectations so tidily and then walk away without saying something about it.

  “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing, Vin?” He remained silent as Moira stared up at him, his jaw clenching in anger. “You think you can come up here and cause a scene like that and just walk away as if nothing happened?

  “You are not his!”

  A hysterical bubble of amazement rose in Moira and she couldn’t stop the sarcastic snort that escaped her lips. “Really? Whose am I then? Yours?” When Vin remained silent, Moira snorted again. “You knew he was courting me, Vin. You know, having asked the question not one week ago, that I was planning to marry him. Did you think what we’ve done together would change what I want out of life? I want to get married! I want a family of my own! Why do you think Eve is taking me to London? So I can dance the Season away before I go
back to a lonely life at the Tower? When a man courts a woman, they kiss. Harry is…”

  “Not like that!” Vin cut her off with a slash of his hand. “That is not how a gentleman kisses a woman he is courting. A lady he is courting. And you! Why were you letting him kiss you like that? Is one lover not enough? How can you jump from one to another? You were kissing me just hours ago, lovey!” he snarled suddenly surprising Moira with the attack. “How could you do that? How could you do that to me?”

  The temper leeched from Moira as she stared at Vin curiously. “Do you care, Vin?”

  “Of course, I care! I don’t want to see you taken advantage of!” Vin glowered down at her seeing her disbelief at his words, knowing he wasn’t even being honest with himself. He might be angry by her faithlessness but more so, he was angered by the sight of her in another’s arms, angered that another man had touched her. Angered that she had allowed it. Angered that apparently she wasn’t as attached to him as he was to her. “I don’t want to share you with him. For as long as we are lovers, you will be only mine.”

  “Were you jealous, Vin?” she could not help but ask. It had been Harry’s point after all, to prove to both Vin and herself that he wanted her, that he cared more than he could admit. Moira wanted to hear it from his lips. She felt the need to force him to face what was right in front of him, perhaps for the first time in his whole life, to recognize the truth of what he saw. Acknowledge the truth of his own feelings.

  Vin ground his teeth. “I do not share.”

  “And if he asks me to marry him? What then?” Moira pushed even harder, determined to get something from him that would give her the assurances she needed. “You might not think I am now, but if I marry him, I will be his, Vin. I will be his wife. Harry’s wife.”

  A strangled sound caught deep in Vin’s throat but still he remained stubbornly silent. “Will that be alright with you, Vin? Tell me!”

  “I know you will want to marry someday,” he allowed though he sounded as if he were choking on the words.

  Moira felt her heart clench and tears burn behind her eyes. “Why can’t you just say it, Vin?”

  “What?”

  “Say that you want me.”

  A dry, humorless chuckle escaped him. “I didn’t think that was in doubt, lovey.”

  The need to shake him nearly overwhelmed Moira. She wanted to rattle his mulish brain right out of his head. “I know you want me in your bed, Vin. The question is, do you want me out of it? Do you want to keep me as your own?”

  “I’ve already told you, I do not intend to wed, Moira.”

  “Then, let Harry court me as he will, Vin,” she told him, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. “He may kiss me, touch me or whatever he will, because he will give me what I want. He won’t deny me or himself, Vin. I will marry him when he asks and then he will take me to bed and I will be his.”

  Vin watched Moira turn away feeling the blood rising barbarically in his head once more at the picture she painted for him. Moira, in Aylesbury’s bed. That marquis touching Moira as he had, rousing her to the passionate heights Vin knew she was capable of. It made him nearly ill to think of it, but that sickness was combined with jealousy and anger. Torn between the desire to just let her go and the need to keep her as his own, Vin drove his fingers into his dark hair and grasped the hairs by the roots, tugging in frustration.

  He couldn’t give her what she wanted, even if he wanted to. He couldn’t take that step. He knew he wasn’t the man to make her happy. He wanted her to be happy.

  Moira needed an unburdened soul. He was so bogged down by guilt. The past was where he lived and he couldn’t keep her there with him. Before his return, Moira had begun to move forward with her life and he was doing naught but dragging her down with him. Pulling her into the hell he dwelt in.

  Just let her go.

  No! His heart argued. He couldn’t let that Aylesbury fellow have her, couldn’t let him take his friend from him. Couldn’t let him take the one person who gave him hope for the future, who gave him gladness and joy in his heart. Who put light in his life.

  Vin grabbed Moira’s hand, pulling her back toward him and cupping her cheek in his hand. “You want me to admit that I was jealous? Fine, I do. Do you want to hear me say that the very idea of you in bed with him sickens me? It does. I am not ready to let you go, lovey. I will not give you up to him.”

  “What will you give then, Vin?” Moira asked.

  Ignoring the hope burning in her eyes, Vin skirted the question with a kiss, capturing her lips fiercely with his own and plunging his tongue deeply into her mouth. He was angry with himself, angry at her for pushing so hard. Torn between right and wrong, knowing that what he was doing was not fair to her but could not stop. Taken off guard, Moira’s head fell back helplessly as she took his kiss and returned it in kind. Her arms snaked around his shoulders and neck to pull him closer as she went up on her toes to press her body against his.

  With an answering moan, Vin pulled her closer, trapping her in his arms as he devoured her. He could feel all the silk roses crossing over her skirts press against him, the ones near her hip pressed into his groin as she rocked against him. Vin growled savagely dragging her sleeve down to press of kisses there, to her collarbone. Pushing one breast up with his palm, Vin lowered his head to suck on the soft flesh swelling over her neckline.

  Moira’s head fell back and Vin kissed his way back up the slender line of her throat before returning to her lips. Pushing a knee between her thighs, Vin grasped her hips and pulled her against him, letting her feel the heated length of him. His moan of pleasure was matched by hers.

  Chapter 35

  This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.

  - Oscar Wilde

  “Well, what have we here?” The snidely voice broke through the haze of lust and want that surrounded them and Moira pulled back to find an older but dapperly dressed man near the landing looking at them with malicious glee on his face. Before Moira could respond, the fellow leaned over the banister and called down, “Lady Gordon, Lady Stanhope! Come see what I have found!”

  Reginald Wallis. With a groan, Moira stepped away from Vin pulling together her bravado to face the greatest gossipmonger in all of Edinburgh and the crowd that was coming up the stairs and assembling behind him. Gossip followed Wallis and when a ball needed to be livened up, the people followed Wallis.

  And they’d found a juicy tidbit tonight, Moira thought eying the little man regally and trying to formulate the best response. How had they been noticed up here anyway? She cast a glance at Vin only to find him glaring at Wallis. He looked like a wild animal backed into a corner and was ready to fight for survival. A muscle ticked angrily in his jaw and Moira sensed that Vin was about to be very rude to Wallis.

  Hoping to calm the storm before it blew, Moira took a step forward only to have Eve push through the crowd ascending the stairs and come down the hall, putting herself between Wallis and the scandalous couple. “Wallis.” She nodded coolly. “Whatever do you think you’re about? This part of the house is not open to guests.”

  “I might ask you the very same thing, Lady Glenrothes. It seems that you’ve been so occupied by your husband that you’ve neglected your duties as chaperone.” He tittered here and a few in the crowd joined him. “Or are you perhaps Lady Haddington? It is so hard to tell.”

  Eve leveled a look of pure contempt on the man who Kitty often referred to as ‘that little toad’. He was a toad. Wallis took joy in making other lives miserable. When Kitty first came to Edinburgh and had been seen in Jack Merrill’s company; Wallis spread rumors abounding that the newly wedded Eve had already tired of her new husband and was having an affair with his closest friend even after knowing Eve and Kitty were so identical they might be mistaken for one another. Eve would have thought after her sister planted the man a facer the previous summer he might think twice about putting her family in his sights but it seemed that time dimmed the memory of his broken nose.r />
  Flicking her gaze at the crowd, Eve’s mind raced for a solution. It had been a long night already. Though the music, dancing and food were all spectacular, there had been little to titillate and the crowd all looked eager for a good scandal to lighten the evening. Another glance behind her found Moira chewing her lip nervously but Vin looked ready to blow. She needed to do something. Her mind raced. Facing Wallis once again, Eve addressed him in her haughtiest tones. “Surely an engaged couple can be allowed a few moments of privacy without reprimand, Lord Wallis.”

  “Engaged?” Wallis sneered doubtfully. “A tidy excuse. Except you’re forgetting Lord Clarendon was considered dead these past five years. How could they be engaged?” The nods of the crowd showed that they agreed with this.

  Eve waved her hand airily as she continued. “Lady Moira and Lord Clarendon had an understanding long ago before he was sent on to Burma with the Queen’s Guard. Lord Clarendon was courting her for years. Any who knew them then can remember how close they always were.” There was a murmur in the crowd that encouraged Eve to continue. “Lady Moira mourned him for a long while. Her friends all know that her love for him is what kept her from wedding another in all the years since.”

  Eve looked back at Moira with an apologetic wince, but Moira knew there was nothing for it. She knew how Society worked. They were caught and would pay the price. Better to have their tale spread as a story of lovers reunited than something more tawdry. Vin, however, looked appalled and directed another glare at her. He could see what was happening as well as any but Moira just shook her head slightly and put a calming hand on his arm.

  Their family began to work their way forward and were coming out to surround Vin and Moira in a show of unity. Abby took Moira’s hand while Francis and Richard flanked Vin. Francis clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder that might have demonstrated approval to the crowd but Moira knew was meant to keep Vin silent.