Page 26 of Beware A Wallflower's Wrath
She nodded, those lovely blue eyes concentrating on the sugar bowl, her long lashes creating a crescent shadow upon her cheeks. “I have thought about your last visit.”
“Favorably, I hope?” Wiping his sweaty palms on his trouser legs, he racked his brain for a lighthearted quip. Nothing. His mind was a barren desert, his eyes locked onto her lips, fingers curling into his thighs as he thought of their last kiss.
“I willna deny the attraction is still there. But there are other… matters we need to discuss.” Now those bottomless oceans pinned him, narrowed and thoughtful. “I’m afraid I have a confession to make that may be a wee jarring.”
Her son. His son. Their son. Two words he longed to shout to the world. He nodded calmly while his insides were as jumbled as a bag of loose thread.
He watched her mouth as she spoke, her fingers tracing a pattern on the tray, then moving to her lap, and back to the table. She’s nervous, he realized with a start. My fearless Annis is uncertain how I will take this. Robert heard her voice crack when she said “broken betrothal” and suddenly wanted to save her from any further discomfort.
“I know about Finlay. He’s my son, isn’t he?” he blurted out, then scrubbed his face with a hand. Such tact, you nincompoop!
Her brows drew together as she stopped in midsentence. “How do ye ken? Did Mrs. Douglas?—”
“No, no, of course not. She’s as loyal to you as the summer day is long.” He ran a hand through his hair, his heart pounding with the confirmation. “She sent me to your apartment to get a book for a customer. She was returning a novel and said you had put one aside for her that you had just finished yourself.”
Annis smiled. “Mrs. Gelliman. Her husband doesna approve of romances, so she borrows them rather than purchasing them. Then he canna be upset about the expenditure if he finds out.”
“When I found the novel in your parlor, I saw the miniatures on the table. Fin could have been my twin when I was a boy.” The tears springing to her eyes made his gut twist. “I’m not judging you. I had put you in a terrible position. I was young and naïve, never realizing I might have made my way without my father’s help.”
Annis shook her head. “Nay, I should have told ye. It wasna fair to either of ye. But if ye’d ken, would ye have changed yer mind?”
He stood and walked over to her, his hand cupping her cheek as his thumb wiped away a tear. “Of course I would have. And yes, my path would have been different, but we would have been together.”
“Ye would have been miserable, not practicing law. Aileen says ye bury yerself in old law tomes every afternoon.”
“I’m on holiday. Reading is a pleasure, and I never have enough time. I’ve been studying the differences between English and Scottish law.” His knuckle traced the curve of her jaw. “I can understand why you love this shop so much. I can feel you on every shelf.”
She gave him a watery smile. “Now ye ken about Fin, what will ye do?”
“Get to know my son if he’ll allow it. Does he know about me?”
“Aye, I told him this morning.”
CHAPTER 11
Robert winced. “A fresh pain, I imagine. Does he have anything against the English?”
Her laugh set his stomach at ease. “Och, he’s an amiable boy. He judges people on their words and actions, no’ by where they were born or what they look like.”
“I’m sure you’re an excellent mother.” How he longed to wrap his arms around her. Better carry her up the stairs where they would be alone. He was a patient man, but it had been fifteen years.
Fifteen years. It seemed a lifetime ago. Would they have another lifetime together? If he had a say in the matter, they would.
“What about… your other son?” she asked quietly. “Mrs. Douglas explained about the secret ye’ve also carried.”
Anthony. The boy would be shocked, but would he be happy for his father? He truly had no idea. “Let’s begin with Finlay, then we’ll deal with Anthony.”
“We’ll have to wait until my son—our son—comes to a decision. Shall I send ye a note? I dinna believe it appropriate to loiter at the shop every day until then.” She reached out and took his hand. “In the meantime, I will tell ye it’s verra good to see ye. I dinna regret what’s come to pass.”
The grin came unbidden. Yes, the barrister in him could be patient. The man in love with this delicious creature would barely be restrained. “I’m staying at the Tontine Hotel on Trongate.”
As he left the shop, his step was light. Perhaps he’d take his gelding on a long ride and burn up some of this excess energy, so he’d have the patience to wait. He said a silent prayer that Finlay was as forgiving as his mother.
Annis fretted the entire day. She imagined Fin had gone to the textile mill and Colin. What would her cousin say? Her son respected the man and would listen and probably follow whatever advice Colin gave. When she heard Mac’s bark and boots pounding up the stairs, she sat down, gripping at her skirts.
Fin burst in with his usual high energy. “Ma,” he acknowledged with a nod. “I’m so hungry I could eat fish head soup.” He plopped down on a chair across from her in the kitchen, Mac settling on the floor beside him.
“Ye’re in for a treat, then. That’s what I have in the pot.” She put her elbows on the table, her hands clasped beneath her chin. She laughed at his scrunched face. “I’ve got a stew with fresh bread and some of Mrs. Douglas’s shortbread.”
