Page 43 of A Bonny Pretender
Chapter Twelve
Homecomings and Hope
“Are you surehe’ll be all right on top of the luggage?” asked Evie.
“He’ll be fine. Did ye see him scramble to the top of the pile? He’s got better balance than I do.” Brigid stuck her head out the window and squinted up at the boy. He waved enthusiastically with a broad grin. What a difference a bath and a meal could make in a child’s life. It made her think of Liam, and home, and Scotland.
“Then I’ll worry about you instead.” Evie crossed her arms over her chest. “What happened last night? Should we share a room tonight to keep you safe?”
Brigid snorted. “I’m safe enough. Besides, he’s a gentleman and insists he canna put out the fire inside me until we’re married.”
“The fire inside you?” Evie’s brow furrowed, then her eyes grew wide. “Oh, my! I hate to tell you this, but a gentleman shouldn’t speak of fires and burning desire.”
“I didna say anything about burning desire,” Brigid argued, “but I canna deny it. The mon sets a blaze inside me, then tells me he loves me.”
“He did?” Her friend beamed. “It’s about time. He’s been smitten since you met him in the park. Do you have any plans yet?”
She shrugged. “I’m considering a favorable answer when he asks me to marry him. I havena thought much past that, except how to tell my family.”
“Are you worried they won’t accept him?” asked Evie. “Because he’s English? They welcomed Fenella.”
“She’s a woman. It’s different with the men. He needs to prove himself, and I’m no’ sure how he’ll do it.” She rubbed the velvet pouch in her palm. “The true test will be Lachlan and Colin, my cousin. If they take to Frank and find him suitable, Grandda will be easier to convince.”
“So, this visit is critical.”
“Aye,” Brigid agreed. “I want to see his estate when we return. I’m no’ sure I can leave the Highlands and need to see where my new home will be.”
“Charles says it’s lovely, but too far north for his taste.”
“Does Mr. Wilkens dislike the weather?” Some people didn’t like the colder temperatures in the north. Brigid loved the different seasons, finding benefits to all four.
“No, he says the land is… untidy. He prefers neat and orderly.” Evie laughed. “He’s a typical Englishman.”
That sounded hopeful. Perhaps Frank’s estate was a bit wild, closer to her home than the grounds she’d seen outside London. It put her mind at ease. Evie returned to her book, and she returned to the previous evening. The images flashed through her mind—her tears, the knock, his comforting arms. His lips on hers, his mouth doing things to her breasts she’d never imagined. And then his fingers…
Saints and sinners!His fingers were magical. Her pulse pounded, heat flushing through her core with just the memory. The flames had licked her from the inside out, her tense muscles quivering then turning to jelly. That bewildering ache in her lower parts had pulsed and throbbed until the torture turned to pleasure and swept through her like a spring flood, leaving her wet and limp.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
She jerked at Frank’s deep timbre. Did he know? Was he teasing her?
“A lady doesna kiss and tell,” she said smugly through the open window. His leg was so close, she could reach out caress his thigh.Sweet Mary, ye’ve become a wanton,she scolded herself.
“Nor does a gentleman,” he agreed.
Evie cleared her throat. “May I remind you both that Iamsupposed to be a chaperone?”
“I will take my cue and leave you ladies until our next stop,” he said with a bow from the saddle. “One more night and we’ll be safely in Glasgow.”
*
The Lowland townhad grown since she was a child. New streets had been added, accommodating thriving businesses. Brigid frowned at the crowded thoroughfares and alleys. The blue and white uniforms of the Hussars mingled with the citizens; the gold flash of their hats glinted in the late afternoon sun. Why was the cavalry here?
Tension filled the air. It sent a shiver through her.
As they made their way to the residential area, they came upon new housing under construction. Investments were prime, and it seemed business-minded men were getting in on the boom. The once small town of Glasgow would soon challenge Edinburgh in commerce and population.
Her aunt’s three-story townhouse of red brick overlooked a fashionable west-end neighborhood. A butler and housemaid opened the front door, and two grooms appeared on the steps. Frank dismounted and escorted the ladies from the carriage. Brigid blinked back tears.Ye blethering eejit!she scolded herself. It had only been two months, yet it had felt like a lifetime.
