Page 19 of My Highland Rogue
“I see you’ve met Lauren,” she said, glancing at her sister-in-law. She moved to the middle of the table next to Lauren and opposite Gordon.
“I have. We’ve discovered that we have quite a few friends in common in London.”
“Oh?”
She wouldn’t have known any of Lauren’s friends in London. She’d only visited the city twice in her life, and she’d spent most of the timeawestruck by the monuments, the museums, and the sheer number of people.
Most of her time had been spent at Adaire Hall with visits to Edinburgh. She wasn’t nearly as cosmopolitan as Lauren, or evidently, Gordon. Part of her wanted to flee the room. Instead, she sat, thanking the footman who’d pulled out the chair for her.
Lauren, who hadn’t had an appetite for the past week, certainly made up for it tonight. Both she and Gordon masked the fact that Jennifer wasn’t eating much. Nor did she have anything worthwhile to offer to their sparkling conversation.
Lauren had lived in Edinburgh most of her life, but her father also had a house in London, where she stayed during the season.
The only thing Jennifer knew well was life at Adaire Hall, and that was too boring a topic. She could quote how many sheep and cattle they owned, the various acreages being farmed, and whether the salmon were plentiful this year. She knew hundreds of separate details pertaining to the history of her home, none of which she mentioned. Lauren only saw Adaire Hall as Harrison’s home, and there was never a doubt of Gordon’s dislike for the estate.
He’d dressed for dinner. The black suit favored him, making his blue eyes even more vibrant. His was a strong face, with individual features that nevertheless seemed to fit perfectly. His nose reminded her of a Roman statue. His chin was squared. His brows were thick, but so were his eyelashes, keeping his face from being too rough.At the same time, he looked like a Scottish warrior, someone transplanted into the present from the tenth century.
Over the years she’d often seen him wearing a kilt and he’d looked perfect in it. Once, he had hefted a broadsword in the clan hall. She’d never forgotten the sight of him lit by sunlight, the muscles in his arms pulled tight against his shirt. In that moment he’d been a member of her clan, proud, brave, and willing to fight.
He’d never known how often she had thought of him that way. Or how it had stirred her.
Lauren sat with her hand on the mound of her stomach. It was a protective gesture that she had started making about two months ago. From time to time she would pat her expanding girth as if to reassure the baby that she hadn’t forgotten he was the most important person in her life. This dinner might well be the last time she was able to make it down the stairs until her child was born.
While she was probably a terrible person for resenting their easy camaraderie, Jennifer found it difficult to contribute to the conversation. She was being childish, as foolish as when she was five years old and refusing to eat her porridge to punish her mother. Lecturing herself didn’t seem to make any difference. It was quite obvious that Gordon liked Lauren and that her sister-in-law felt the same way about him.
All she had to do was bring Harrison’s name into the conversation and the tenor of it would immediately change. Lauren would look sad, and Gordon would no doubt scowl at her. Forthat reason, she remained mute, wishing she were a better person. Or that she wasn’t feeling miserable and overjoyed at the same time.
He’d always had that effect on her. A smile from Gordon was enough to make anything tolerable. It was the same with his anger. If he was mad at her, nothing would make the day brighter.
“Are you not feeling well?” Lauren asked. “You’ve hardly eaten anything and the salmon is especially good.”
Her sister-in-law was one of the sweetest people she’d ever met. Plus, she noticed things. Even being heavily with child, she didn’t withdraw into herself. Instead, she wanted to know about her maid’s love affair with one of the footmen. Or how Mrs. Thompson’s arthritic knee was doing. She might have been the daughter of a wealthy man, but she’d never put on airs.
Her question made Jennifer feel even smaller and more petty.
“I find that I’m not very hungry,” she said, smiling at Lauren. She changed the subject immediately, looking at Gordon.
“How did you find your father?” she asked.
“Worse than I anticipated, frankly. Thank you for your care of him, Jennifer. No one could have done more.”
“He’s part of Adaire Hall,” she said. “Besides, he’s come to mean a great deal to me over the years.”
That wasn’t a lie. When she was a girl she was, if not afraid of Sean, then cautious around him. He had a tendency to say exactly what he thought to anyone who was nearby. The only people heseemed to respect were her mother and Harrison. Yet as she grew, and especially after she had taken on the management of Adaire Hall, they had come to a meeting of the minds. He told her exactly what he thought, as usual. She did the same. They felt a grudging respect for each other, supplanted by a growing affection. She’d been as surprised by that as he.
“Sally said the physician has been to see him?”
She nodded. “Mr. McPherson. He treated my mother.”
“Is there anything more that can be done?”
Although the topic was not one normally discussed at dinner, she wasn’t going to dissuade Gordon from asking questions. At least he was talking to her.
“Not according to the doctor.”
The prognosis for Sean was grim. In actuality, he had outlived the doctor’s estimation. No doubt because proving him wrong would give Sean some satisfaction. The man might be ill, but his stubbornness was still firmly intact.
In that regard Gordon was just like his father.
