Page 81 of Sinful Scottish Laird
“What?” He laughed.
“Why didn’t you, Robert?” she asked again.
Now he frowned. “Daisy, darling.” He reached for her, but she stepped back, just out of his reach.
“I want to know,” she said.
He sighed, annoyed. “You know very wellwhy. I was in no position to make a formal offer. I was the son of a country vicar, andyouwere the daughter of a baron.”
“But you encouraged me. You said we would be together always. You said you loved me and wanted to be my husband, and yet you never went to my father to try and persuade him to our desire to wed.”
“Well, naturally I didn’t,” he said, his exasperation clearly mounting. “What case would I have made? We were very young, Daisy. I would have gone in due course, when the time was right.”
When the time was right.That phrase knocked something from her past off a dusty shelf. She suddenly remembered that he had used those words with her then. He’d said he would speak to her father when the time was right.
Her gaze narrowed with suspicion. “And yet the time was never right, was it? I wonder, was it because you knew the Chatwick offer was in the making?”
Robert scoffed at that, but the color rose in his cheeks. “No,” he said, sounding vexed. “How could I have possibly known it?”
“You did,” she said softly. “You knew. Apparently everyone knew but me. You never intended to speak to my father, did you?”
“What rubbish. Of course I did,” he insisted.
Daisy didn’t believe him. She was filled with a clarity she’d never had about that part of her life until this very moment. It made perfect sense—all the clandestine meetings, the silly kissing...but the moment Daisy wanted more, Robert would back away, promising to speak to her father soon. He never did because he never intended to. He’d intended to seek the naval commission all along.
“For heaven’s sake,” Robert said. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I intend to formally offer for younow, Daisy. Iloveyou. I have always loved you. I want only to make you happy, and after all these years, I am able to do so.” He smiled and caressed her cheek. “Let us vow to forget what happened many years ago. I was young and callow. I’d never been in love before, but on my honor as a captain in the Royal Navy, whatever I did then was because I was thinking of you, Daisy. Only you.”
She hesitated. She could believe his youth had played a role. Maybe he had loved her but had wanted to experience a bit of life before marrying. Maybe she was unfairly looking for reasons to doubt him, because her heart was somewhere else.
“We’ll think only of the future,” he said, smiling again.
The future?Daisy laughed with incredulity, but of course Robert believed her to be that stupid, stupid girl she’d once been. He smiled with self-satisfaction that he’d made her happy again. But Robert couldn’t make her happy. He couldnevermake her happy.
“That’s better,” he said. “My heart is always made glad by your sunny smile.” He dipped his head beneath her bonnet and kissed her softly on the lips. “In a few days, we’ll be on England’s shores once again, where we belong. I will speak to the bishop straightaway, and I will be the happiest of men. And in turn, I will endeavor to make you the happiest of women.”
“Yes,” she said simply.
“Now then, your uncle and I are on our way to call on Mr. Munro about some provisions we will need for our voyage.”
“Oh,” she said. “Is that wise?”
He smiled charmingly, as if he were teasing a precocious child. “You put far too much stock in the words of a thief.” He kissed her cheek. “We’ll return before dark.”
“Oh,” she said again. Her thoughts began tumble and race.
Robert touched her chin. “Don’t fret,” he said and winked. He took her hands in his. “No more work in the garden—will you promise me?”
“Yes, I promise,” she said sweetly. Anything to make him go.
He strode away, calling for her uncle.
Daisy followed well behind, walking onto the terrace and watching Robert and her uncle stride down to the water’s edge, get in the boat and glide away from Auchenard. She watched them until she could no longer see them, then turned and hurried to the stables in search of Mr. Green.
When she found him, she said breathlessly, “A horse, please, Mr. Green. I mean to ride.”
She then ran into the lodge calling for Belinda as she yanked the apron from her.
“What is it? What has happened? Is it the Highlanders come for us?” Belinda cried, running out of the great room.
