Page 75 of Hard-Hearted Highlander
Bernadette turned her head, meaning to get Lady Kent’s attention, but Rabbie was moving casually toward her. She panicked. She looked about for an escape and, finding none, she unthinkingly curtsied again.
“You greet me so formally,” he said.
“I, ah...” She glanced nervously at Avaline, but she was engaged in conversation with Catriona and Aulay. “I don’t think I should greet you at all.”
Bernadette couldn’t help herself—she looked at him then. She could see his regard for her, could feel it, and it made her sick with despair. Who would ever look at her like that again? Who would look past what had happened to her and see her for who she was? Would Rabbie still hold her in such high regard if he knew everything about her? If he knew that she couldn’t bear children? She would never know—there would never be a reason to admit such a dark truth to him.
“Perhaps no’, but I canna abide being in the same room with you and no’ speaking to you, aye? I’ve thought of naugh’ but you, Bernadette,” he muttered. “I canna sleep, I canna eat.”
“Neither can I,” she whispered, and looked away from him. “But we’ve made everything so much worse.”
“Worse? No, Bernadette—you’ve given me hope, you have.”
“Don’t say it,” she begged him. “It’s impossible.” She caught sight of Renard returning to the room. He walked directly to Lord Kent, who was holding forth about something, and bent down to whisper in his ear. “I told Avaline about us,” she whispered.
“Pardon?” Rabbie said, a little louder.
Bernadette was frantic—they would notice, they would all see, they would understand what she and Rabbie had done. She moved, meaning to step away, but Rabbie caught her elbow and pulled her around, moving her to the hearth. He pointed at the cornice above the mantel, and said, quite loudly, “This piece was handcrafted by Mr. Abernathy.”
Bernadette shifted her gaze upward.
“Why?”he demanded under his breath.
“I told you—I couldn’t live with myself knowing I’d betrayed her so.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “And?” he asked impatiently.
“And...she didn’t care,” Bernadette said, and looked at him then. “She intends to—”
“Miss Holly! Miss Holly, come away from there at once and come with me!” Lord Kent said loudly.
Bernadette’s heart lurched—her first thought was that he’d discovered what she and Rabbie had done. She whirled around, but Lord Kent was stalking out of the room, and Renard gestured for her to follow. She and Rabbie exchanged a look, and then she hurried from the room, following his lordship to the kitchen.
Mrs. MacInerny, the hired cook, had removed her apron and was wrapping her cloak about her.
“Where in God’s name do you thinkyou’regoing?” Lord Kent railed at her as Renard and Bernadette crowded in behind him.
Mrs. MacInerny responded quite heatedly in Gaelic, with a finger shaking directed at his lordship that so startled Bernadette, she gasped. The woman then turned about and stomped out of the kitchen. A moment later, they heard the kitchen’s exterior door slam.
A girl, hardly taller than the kitchen table, stood clutching a pot and looking terrified.
Lord Kent swung around to Bernadette. “You’ll have to finish the slop she was making.”
“Me?”Bernadette cried. “I don’t know how—”
“I don’t care, you’ll learn!” he said hotly. “I willnotbe made a fool of before the likes of these Highland thieves! Finish the meal.” He moved to depart so abruptly and with so little balance that he almost collided with Renard. “Move aside!” he barked, and stormed out of the kitchen.
Bernadette looked helplessly at Renard. “I’m no cook! I don’t have the slightest notion how to do it!”
“Do what you can. You’re the only hope we have,” he said, and went after Lord Kent.
Bernadette couldn’t catch her breath. She was wheezing with panic. She looked down at her beautiful gown and winced. Then she remembered the girl and looked up. “What is your name?”
“Ina.” The girl was shaking.
“Do you know how to cook?” Bernadette asked, the desperation clear in her voice.
“A wee bit, aye,” Ina said.
