Page 31 of Sinful Scottish Laird
“He took the Lord’s name in vain at least twice,” Belinda whispered.
Daisy didn’t think that would lead to risqué behavior, but she knew when to argue with Belinda, and this was not the time.
Belinda stood back to admire her handiwork. “There you are, pretty as a painting.”
“Thank you.” Daisy took a seat at the small vanity to brush her hair.
“I’mexhausted,” Belinda said and fell onto Daisy’s bed, draping herself across the pillows. “Now that it’s said and done, what do you think of your neighbors?”
Her neighbors? She could think of only one. She could think only of that kiss. “Unfortunately, I think very few of them can properly be termed neighbors,” Daisy said. “It would appear you were right, dearest,” she said, sighing with defeat. “Our neighbors have sent their prospects for a match, just as you suggested.”
“None that you’d consider, I should hope,” Belinda said.
Daisy laughed. “Of course not.”
“Thank God for it,” Belinda said softly. “I had begun to fear that you might have changed your mind about your best prospect.”
Daisy glanced at Belinda’s reflection in the mirror. “Pardon?”
Belinda flushed and averted her gaze. “I saw you speaking to the Scotsman, and I... I fretted that you had forgotten Captain Spivey.”
“For heaven’s sake, Belinda,” Daisy said and turned about on her bench to face her cousin. “I don’t know if I can be any plainer. My marriage, or lack thereof, is not your worry. You should think of your own prospects and not mine.”
Belinda laughed. “My prospects? You know very well I could never marry, Daisy, on account of my hips being far too narrow for delivering a child. Mrs. Brendan, God rest her soul, died in childbirth because her hips were too narrow. I’ve explained to you more than once that no gentleman will have me if I cannot bear him a child, and certainly I can’t risk my life for the sake of marriage.”
Well, it was certainly true that Belinda had explained it more than once. It was just that there were times that Daisy feigned listening to Belinda. She turned back to the looking glass so she could resume brushing her hair.
“But even if I could bear a child properly, I don’t have an edict from beyond the grave hanging over my head as you do, Daisy. Youmustmarry, and really, dearest, shouldn’t we return to London as soon as possible? We’ve been here for weeks now. Surely the captain has come. You’ve not seen him in years! Won’t you need time for a proper courtship? Mustn’t you reacquaint yourself with him before any talk of a match can happen?”
“Belinda—”
“I bring it up only because of Ellis,” Belinda said quickly. “I would never forgive myself if I did not warn you of squandering his fortune.”
Daisy didn’t mean to bring the brush down on the vanity as violently as she did, but the ivory handle cracked, and Belinda gasped, sitting up, her eyes wide as she looked at the brush.
“I willnotsquander my son’s fortune!” Daisy said sharply. “The arrangement will be made with or without me, and voilà,I will be married! Ellis will keep his fortune, and I will... I will manage somehow. But please, for the love of God, stop accusing me of squandering my son’s inheritance.”
“Oh, Daisy,” Belinda said sadly. “I didn’t mean to. I know you would never intentionally do such a thing. But I don’t understand why we languish in Scotland. I only wish you’d find a bit more romance in your situation.”
“Romance?Are you mad? My first marriage was made without the benefit ofromance,”she said, biting out the word. “My situation now does not provide for any romance. That is a young girl’s dream, Belinda. It’s not the truth of things.” She picked up the brush to examine it. She’d broken the handle. Now what would she do? It wasn’t as if she could send a footman out to fetch her a new one.
“But...” Belinda sighed. “Never mind.”
“Never mind what?” Daisy asked absently as she tried to fit the broken piece onto the brush.
“It’s none of my affair—”
“No.”
“You do still hope to marry Captain Spivey, do you not?”
“Yes!” Daisy said, terribly exasperated with her cousin. She didn’t want to think of Rob today. She was still thinking of another man’s kiss. Could she not have that one small pleasure? “That’s why we’ve come all this way, remember? The bishop was so eager to make a match that I feared he’d have done it before Rob could reach me. Youknowthis.”
“Yes, I know. But I saw the way you looked at Arrandale.”
Daisy sighed. She came to her feet and began to pace. “I have trifled with him, Belinda, that is true. But it has been a harmless flirtation. I am a grown woman and Imiss—” She stopped herself before she said too much.I miss intercourse. I miss a man’s hands on me. I miss being desired and wanted in that way.Belinda would not understand these things.
Daisy looked at her cousin, her expression full of despair. She sighed again and moved to sit next to her on the bed. “I hope to marry Rob. Ido. Arrandale is...he’s diverting, that’s all. I am merely amusing myself—nothing more. Because he is the one man on this earth who cares nothing for my fortune,” she added bitterly.
