Page 93 of To Wed an Heiress
“Throw it into the loch. I figure Douglas can fish it out if he cares enough.”
“You really don’t care if the feud continues, do you?”
“At this point,” he said, “no. Especially after one of Douglas’s guests tried to shoot me.”
“He might not have known anything about it.”
“Then he was lax in showing Gregory where the gun was kept.”
There was that. She couldn’t blame him for his irritation at Douglas or Gregory.
“You aren’t supposed to be here,” he said. “Why haven’t you left Scotland? Or have you decided to extend your stay?”
“Are you wanting me to leave? Or hoping I’ll remain?”
Chapter Forty-Three
At the moment he didn’t know how to answer that question.
Irene had told him that Mercy was remaining in Scotland although the “whole of that family don’t seem all that pleased she’s still here.”
“So the marriage plans fell through?”
She glanced at him. It wasn’t a friendly look.
“Mercy.”
He couldn’t seem to think of anything cogent to say other than her name. So many emotions flooded through him. Fury—when he’d seen Gregory strike Mercy he’d been several dozen feet in the air and unable to help her. Gratitude—that she’d been able to keep Gregory from firing at him. Confusion—that despite what he’d said to her she’d come to his aid.
“Why were you afraid?”
“Are you jesting?”
“No. I want to know.”
She just shook her head and walked away again.
“Mercy. Stop.”
She didn’t so he had no choice but to go after her.
“Why, Mercy?”
She halted, but didn’t turn.
“Was it because of Gregory?”
“I’m thinking you need to shake your head a bit more, Lennox. The rocks have gotten stuck. No, it was because of you. You. Just because you’re not afraid in that big, lumbering airship doesn’t mean other people aren’t afraid for you.”
“It’s not lumbering. It’s a very sleek design.”
She looked up at the sky, then shook her head.
He took advantage of her silence to come and stand in front of her. He placed his hands on either side of her face and gently turned her head to examine her. Her cheek was already swelling and the cut on her mouth needed to be treated.
“He hurt you.” The words were said with calm, but it was the last thing he was feeling. He wanted to stride back to where Gregory was getting to his feet and bash the man over the head again.
“It’s all right, Lennox.”
