‘Yes. That’s correct.’ She tried to sound brisk and businesslike.
‘You have the cheek of the devil, Clementina and I ought to run you out of here by the back of your beautiful neck. But I will make a bargain with you.’
She gazed up at him and looked him straight in the eye, determined to ignore the thudding of her heart and be sensible.
‘Very well. What are the terms of the bargain?’
‘I will look after your friend, if you will allow me to look after you.’
She was completely nonplussed. ‘I … I’m not sure I understand… . What do you mean?’
‘I am asking you to marry me.’
She hesitated uncertainly, the strain of her recent sufferings putting her at a distinct disadvantage.
‘I don’t think you’re being very fair, Douglas.’
‘Don’t you?’ he said in a tone of mild surprise.
She tried to think, to weigh up the situation calmly and sensibly. In doing so, it occurred to her that as Lady Monteith she would be in an excellent position not only to help Rhona but to have much more power and influence to wield on behalf of the Cause and justice for women in general. However, she had to be fair to Douglas; she had to be honest with him.
‘I won’t change,’ she said.
‘Never mind that just now.’ Impatiently he brushed her words aside. ‘Let us deal with one thing at a time. All I want you to do at the moment is answer my question.’
He watched her earnest face struggle with the proposition and eventually come to a decision. Suddenly she stepped forward and resolutely stuck out her hand. ‘I accept the bargain,’ she said. He took the small hand in his and then with a groan gently pulled her into his arms.
‘Oh, Clementina!’
‘I think I will have that pot of tea now,’ she said briskly.
For a second, temper flared in his eyes. Then, just as suddenly, he laughed. He couldn’t help it. She was the oddest, the most infuriating, the most impossible female he had ever come across in his life. But there had been eccentric members of the Monteith family before, so one more wouldn’t do any harm. Anyway, for better or for worse he adored her.
‘I will ring for some tea,’ he said, his eyes glimmering down at her. ‘Do sit down and let us discuss how best I can help Rhona Lindsay.’
Other B & W Titles
by Margaret Thomson Davis
A Darkening of the Heart
A Deadly Deception
The Breadmakers Saga
Burning Ambition
The Clydesiders Trilogy
The Dark Side of Pleasure
Double Danger
The Glasgow Belle
Goodmans of Glassford Street
The Kellys of Kelvingrove
The New Breadmakers
Red Alert
The Tobacco Lords Trilogy
Write from the Heart
COPYRIGHT
First published 1984, Reprinted 1994, 2000
by Black & White Publishing Ltd
29 Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JL
www.blackandwhitepublishing.com
This electronic edition published in 2014
ISBN: 978 1 84502 805 3 in EPub format
ISBN: 978 1 87363 143 0 in paperback format
Copyright © Margaret Thomson Davies 1984
The right of Margaret Thomson Davies to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Ebook compilation by RefineCatch Ltd, Bungay
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