Page 51 of The Last Debutante
“For heaven’s sake!” She was annoyed with herself for being foolish enough to pretend she knew the slightest thing about botany.
He laughed outright. “You’ve been quite helpful,leannan.Now that Fingal and I know that weeds will grow taller with a wee bit more soil, we might leave him to his work, aye?” He put his hand possessively on the small of her back and began to usher her to the front of the little hothouse.
“You can’t blame me for at leastattemptingto be useful,” she groused.
“I donna blame you for wanting to be useful, but for dissembling. A wee bit more soil, you say?” He laughed again, opened the door, and stepped through with her into the sunlight. The dogs quickly leapt to their feet, their tails wagging madly. “Come along then, Miss Babcock. I suspect Duffson is quite frantic at having lost you once more.”
She snorted.
“I would have thought that the tongue-lashing his father gave him last time would have made for a keener eye. How did you manage it?” He took her basket of mangled flowers, peering at them curiously as they began to walk through the mews.
Daria glanced away. “I suggested that I had a... female illness,” she said as they stepped into the bailey.
Jamie laughed so loudly that it startled her. “You must no’ frighten the lad,leannan. I am losing men to Glasgow every day. I donna need to encourage any more of them to flee. Now then, what are you trying to hide?”
“Hide? Nothing! Why must you assume the worst?”
“Ach, I was right, then,” he said, winking down at her. He folded his arms across his chest, the basket dangling from his elbow. “You are about mischief.”
“I am not.”
“Then what is in the hothouse that you wanted so much that you would send the poor lad on a fool’s errand?”
Daria gazed up into his handsome face and sighed with great exasperation. “I wanted...”
“Aye?” he asked, leaning forward as if she were on the verge of admitting an earth-shattering secret.
“I wanted to see you,” she said haughtily. “There you are, Jamie Campbell, you’ve forced me to confess. Are you happy?”
He leaned back. And then a smile slowly curved over his mouth. “My, my, Miss Babcock,” he murmured. “Might I take from this confession that you find me bonny?”
“No.”She wasn’t particularly convincing, if his overly broad and self-satisfied grin was any indication.
“Aye, I think you do.”
“No,” she said more emphatically, shaking her head. “At least you speak English. And I am interested in botany—”
“I quite like to see you flustered, for I find the blush in your cheeks very appealing.”
“I am notflustered.”
“It’s quite all right,leannan,” he said, dipping his head to look her directly in the eye. “I understand, for I’ve rather enjoyed our kisses as well.”
Daria wished for a chaise where she might collapse with the last bit of dignity she had left to her. Her gaze had drifted to his mouth, and she was debating what to say, how to prolong this ridiculous conversation so that she might ask for one more kiss, when Aedus and Anlan’s sudden barking startled her out of her wits.
“Diah,”Jamie muttered, and followed that with a string of Gaelic as two riders thundered into the bailey ahead of a carriage.
“I see you have visitors,” Daria said, grateful for the opportunity for a clean escape. “I’ll take my leave—”
“No,” he said, and caught her elbow in his hand.
The first rider slid off his horse and, with a grand flourish, doffed his hat and bowed deeply at the waist. He was an inch or two shorter than Daria and twice her width. He looked to be considerably older, as well. Behind him, a slender young woman with fair blonde hair dismounted gracefully and moved to stand beside him, her riding crop firmly in her hand. Daria had the sense that the woman would not be shy to use the crop at a moment’s notice. She did not bow nor curtsy, and seemed entirely too occupied in staring at Daria.
“Good afternoon, Laird Campbell!” the portly man said. He was English, and Daria felt a moment of panic. How would he regard her being held for ransom?
“My lord,” Jamie said gruffly. “We were no’ expecting your call.”
“I can see that,” he said jovially, his gaze raking over Daria. “I beg your pardon for the interruption,” he said to Daria, “but we were showing some friends about the lovely countryside and I had in mind to slay two birds with one stone, as it were. I had heard of your unfortunate accident, Laird, and came to express my hopes for your speedy recovery. And I thought the ladies should like to see an estate as old and authentic as Dundavie.”
