Page 96 of To Wed an Heiress
“Gregory,” Lennox said, the man’s name sounding like an oath. “She’s not going back, Irene. They don’t give a tinker’s damn about her there and that Hamilton ass made a punching bag out of her. If that offends you, either you or Connor, then I’m thinking that Duddingston isn’t the place for you.”
“Are you daft?” Irene said. “It’s the smartest thing either of you has done since you met.”
With that, she went to get Lennox’s medical bag herself, plunking it down on the table and looking at him expectantly. He’d evidently been given his orders, so he led Mercy to a chair, exchanging a smile with her as Irene bustled around the kitchen.
“It seems that every time I come to Duddingston it’s to be treated.”
“Not every time. You stitched me up, remember?”
“Are you certain your arm is healed?”
He nodded. “I’ve removed the stitches myself.”
She didn’t look convinced.
Bringing Mercy to Duddingston wasn’t the best situation, but it was better than allowing Gregory within striking distance. At least this way he could be assured of her safety. Nor was he altogether certain that her family wouldn’t try to marry her off to the idiot, just to prove a point.
There were bound to be ramifications, not to mention gossip, but at the moment Lennox was surprised to find himself oddly content. If not strangely—and disturbingly—happy.
Chapter Forty-Four
“What is that?” Mercy asked, wide-eyed.
He looked to where she was pointing. “A fox, I think.”
“You think?”
“It could be a squirrel.”
“It was no squirrel,” she said. “And it was bigger than a fox. It could have been a bear.”
“We don’t have bears in Scotland,” he said, grinning at her.
“Really?”
“Really. We don’t even have many wolves nowadays.”
“Wolves?” Her hand went to her throat.
He went to stand in front of her, trying to hide his smile and failing.
“I’ll protect you,” he said. “Even if we do encounter a wolf.”
She put both her hands on his chest. He really should step back. At the very least he should ask her not to touch him. This past week he’d done everything in his power to treat Mercy like she was a guest. A stranger come to stay at the castle for a time and nothing more.
He hadn’t gotten close to her. He hadn’t remained alone with her despite the fact that they’d often found themselves deserted by Connor and Irene. He’d claimed the press of work, or needing to get back to his drawings, or some excuse to escape the temptation of her.
Today, however, he’d thought to take advantage of the beautiful weather and walk the other side of Loch Arn. All the wooded property was Caitheart land and he was thinking of taking an offer to cull some of the timber. It would provide him some much-needed cash. First, though, he wanted to pace off exactly how much land he’d agreed to strip.
He’d invited Mercy to accompany him, never realizing that even in the midst of a forest she would prove to be alluring.
Everything amazed her, from the height of the pines, to the shadowed stillness among the trees, to the animals scurrying away. More than once she’d asked a question that proved she’d never explored a forest.
“These aren’t like the woods at home,” she said. “This is almost a wild place.”
Wild enough, since there was no village nearby or any other type of settlement.
He showed her where he and Robert had each carved their initials in adjoining trees. Robert’s initials were much higher than his because his brother had been older—and taller—at the time.
