Page 16 of Return of the Scot
“I do no’ know what ye’re talking about.”
Emilia smiled and went back to work. Normally, Jaime would engage her in conversation over a sentence so cryptic. Force out of her whatever it was she was thinking. But not this morning, for Jaime knew exactly what her clerk was implying, and she had no interest in talking about the duke any more than she already had today.
Instead, she sat at her desk and began going through her morning correspondence. While her company was vast, she’d always made it a part of her day to directly reply to all queries. It gave their business a more personal touch and made their clients feel as if they were each cherished and important, which, in turn, kept them loyal. It was one of the ways she’d been able to grow the company, and she was proud of it. Since she’d taken over, Andrewson Shipping had become the principal shipping company for luxury imports from other European countries and Asia.
But hours later as she continued to mull over the manifestos and ledgers, for the first time since she’d taken over her father’s company, she was not fully engaged. Her attention was continuously pulled away by a certain very tall, very handsome, very aggravating duke.
How dare he be handsome to boot? That wasn’t fair at all.
“Are ye all right, Miss Andrewson?” Emilia said from her desk across the room. “If ye frown any more, the milk in my tea’s going to curdle.”
Jaime tried to smile but it felt so brittle, and the way Emilia winced, she was certain it looked as she felt—more like baring her teeth.
“Apologies.” Jaime stood and stretched. “I’m going to walk the docks a minute and hope that settles me.”
Emilia leaned back in her chair, setting her pencil down. “This is about the duke.”
Jaime stopped in her tracks and whipped her head toward her clerk. “What makes ye think so?” Was she so obvious?
Emilia shrugged. “Everyone is talking about him.”
“I’ve no’ said a word.”
Emilia’s gaze strayed toward her desk where the crumpledLady Edinburghedition sat in a ball, the victim of her irritation a few minutes ago. She raised an eyebrow in Jaime’s direction.
That was a direct challenge, and at some point, Jaime was going to have to deal with her clerk’s impertinence. For now, she pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest. “I said I’m no’ talking about him.”
“Do ye want to?”
“No.” Jaime raised her chin.
“All right.” Emilia dropped the topic without argument, which was also very much like her. “Do ye want me to walk with ye?”
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to check on the repairs for the Shanna.”
“They should be coming right along. Our men did well on the high seas, escaping the pirates.”
Jaime frowned, recalling the Shanna captain’s rendition of the attack. They’d been lucky to have seen the ship coming and cautious not to engage. Though they’d taken some damage from cannons, they’d been able to use the wind in their sails to escape. “They are thieves, no’ pirates. Do no’ glorify them.”
Emilia grunted. “If ye say so.”
“I’m sorry, Emilia. I slept little last night, and if ye must know, and ye might already as it was in the papers, the duke did visit me yesterday, and I’m quite put out by it.”
Already mouths were flapping about what the duke might have been doing there. Looking for Shanna, coming to claim his child, perhaps seducing another of the Andrewson sisters. It was the latter that had got to Jaime the most. As if she would allow herself to be seduced by anyone, let alone the duke.
She scoffed once more, much to Emilia’s attempt at concealed glee.
“No’ a word,” Jaime warned.
Emilia pressed her lips together and winked. Jaime wrenched open the door to her office and walked straight into a brick wall. Nay, not a brick wall, but a man.
And not just any man. Her hands were splayed on the hard abdomen of the Duke of Sutherland.
5
Lorne had raised his hand to rap on the office door when it burst open, and a bundle of woman smacked into his frame. He stood rigid, peering down into the surprised face of Miss Jaime Andrewson.
His first instinct was to frown and advise her it was best to look where she was going, but he was fairly certain such a reaction would garner him the opposite of what he needed, which was her cooperation.
