Page 17 of A Virgin for the Icy Highlander
She did not have the romantic heart of Lilian, whose effusive love of poetry had certainly shaped how she viewed the world. She was always looking for the good in things, refusing to accept that there were any harsh edges in the soft existence she believed in. It was there in Lilian’s drawings, too—never any harsh lines, her shading gentle and dreamy.
Nor was Grace a woman of pure logic and scientific principle, like Maddie, whoonlysaw what was right in front of her, leaving no room for nuance or the emotional side of things.
Once she had proof of something, unless greater evidence came along to change her mind, she was set upon a certain opinion. Maddie believed in possibility and probability, yes, but she had already made up her mind about Hunter’s odds.
“The care he has for his daughter shows he is not everything he appears to be,” Lilian added.
“What care?” Maddie scoffed. “He has relinquished her ‘care’ into the hands of someone else—or he wishes to, anyway.”
Lilian shrugged, reaching out to warm her hands by the fireplace. “Is that not care, in and of itself? If he does not believe he has the abilities required to raise a happy daughter, then I think itdoesshow he cares because he wants to find someone who can help him do that.”
The two of them were not going to agree. Both glanced at Grace as if she might have the answer to her own conundrum. But she was none the wiser either. Her mind darted back and forth between both possibilities: that there was more to him beneath his hard exterior, and that there was not.
“Lilian is right,” Maddie said suddenly, nudging her spectacles back into position.
Grace blinked. “She is?”
“I am?” Lilian chimed in, her eyes wide in astonishment.
Maddie raised a finger, chuckling to herself. “She is right in that it has only been half a day since we arrived, and I would not be much of a woman of science if I made my conclusion after such a short amount of time. It is not thorough at all.” She paused. “So, since we are staying here for a week, I have a proposal to satisfy everyone’s curiosity.”
“Go on…” Grace urged, for her own confused thoughts on the matter clearly couldn’t be trusted.
“Before you decide whether to marry the man or not,” Maddie began, sitting up straighter, her eyes alight with excitement, “I challenge you, over the next six days, to make him show you a series of emotions. And Ishallbe taking notes and will require extensive explanations of how these moments have proceeded, so I can confirm whether the emotions have been achieved or not.”
Grace stared at her friend. “Emotions? Is that not… somewhat vague?”
“Tomorrow, you will begin with disgust,” Maddie replied, not missing a beat.
Grace pulled a face. “Disgust? Why onearthwould you suggest that?”
“Because a man who can’t feel anything is not shocked by anything and, as a result, is not appalled by anything,” Maddie replied with ease. “Disgust, as an emotion, is the simplest way to gauge his capacity for feeling.” She paused for breath. “Theday after, we can do something that is more or less established already—like anger.”
“The third day should be… oh… um… surprise!” Lilian added excitedly.
Maddie pointed to Lilian. “An excellent choice.” She hesitated. “The fourth day should be something more poignant, so sadness is the obvious choice here.” She stalled again, tapping her forefinger against her temple, coaxing out the next thought. “And let us say… fear on the fifth day, which is perhaps even more poignant for a soldier like your Laird.”
“Oh, the sixth day should be happiness!” Lilian said firmly, nodding her head. “That is the only emotion to end the experiment with, for it would be rather unpleasant to end with something uncomfortable. And if it concludes with a wedding, then you would certainly want him to be happy for that.”
Grace shook her head slowly, uncertain of how she would even start such a task, and even more uncertain of how she could get out of it.
“And you said Miss Sutton was as mad as a box of frogs,” she mumbled, her brain already hurting with the enormity of such a challenge.
“We have learned from the best,” Maddie replied with a grin. “So, consider this your official dare, given to you by your dearest friends!”
Sitting back in the armchair, Grace considered protesting that she had already received her dare from Miss Sutton and had, indeed, completed it.
But Maddie was already one thought ahead of her. “And no, thecèilidhdid not count, because you did not dothatalone.Thisdare shall be yours and yours only.” She stuck her hand out. “So, what do you say?”
Shuffling away from the fireplace, Lilian rested her hand on top of Maddie’s. “Yes, Gracie, what do you say? How fearless are you ready to be?”
Grimacing reluctantly, her breathing only just calmed after her encounter with Hunter, Grace muttered a few choice words under her breath and placed her hand on the very top.
“I say… I think this is going to be a very uncomfortable week, but I am nothing if not a fearless Horndean heroine.” She mustered a small smile. “Let us make Miss Sutton proud.”
And let us see what feelings my future husband is capable of.
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