Page 14 of Taming the Scot
“Are we arriving together?” he asked.
“Aye.” She peeked at him from the side.
“Then I shall offer ye my arm.” Euan bent his elbow, and she stared at his offered appendage as if he’d swung a snake in her direction. But she took it all the same, and he smiled.
“Right ye are, Captain. Oh, I almost forgot.” She pushed the invitation back into his hand then slid her arm around his, her palm resting on his forearm.
Her touch was delicate yet firm. Euan had to ignore the sizzle of heat at her touch. He chalked up that reaction to the fact that it had been a few months since he’d had a woman touch him—by choice. And none were so interesting as the unusual lass at his side. Perhaps it was the thrill of a challenge with Miss Holmes. Most decidedly, this was madness.
The seconds ticked by as he waited for her instruction. But she seemed to be waiting for him to act.
She glanced at him with a little huff. “Now ye may knock.”
This was all so very strange. He knew how to knock on doors and make calls. Anytime he sent a card to a lady for a visit, she agreed. That wasn’t a problem he had. It was the ladies he was sending them to, he supposed. Typically widowed or unhappily married, looking for an assignation. His confidence about a virginal bride accepting his invitation was another issue altogether. He supposed he ought to let Miss Holmes run through her lessons the way she saw fit. There was always something he could learn. After all, she was supposed to be the expert.
Euan knocked on the door, which his butler opened. Owen stood at his side, looking at the lot of them.
Euan glanced down at Miss Holmes, who gestured at him to proceed, so he handed his butler the invitation. Martin, discreet as ever, inclined his head as if all of this were perfectly normal.
Miss Holmes elbowed him in the ribs and said from the side of her mouth under her breath, “Announce us.”
Euan cleared his throat. “Captain Euan Irvine and Miss Holmes to see Miss Irvine.” Euan raised a brow at his governess to see what she thought of his request.
She nodded with a slight twitch to her lips. The very first evidence of a smile. Goodness, but his heart nearly punched through his chest.
“A moment,” his butler said, playing along as he went into the parlor, returning nearly immediately to say, “This way, please.”
Inside the drawing room, Maggie awaited them, perched on a chair. As soon as she spotted them, she stood, trying to temper her grin.
Euan waited for instructions, but Bronwen simply looked at him and waited. When he didn’t move right away, she said, “Well, greet her. She’s your host. Bow.”
Euan bowed to his sister, who appeared ready to burst into laughter at any second, and he felt his mirth bubbling up into his throat.
“My dear Captain, an honor it is to have ye call on me today,” Maggie said, overly exaggerated.
“The honor is all mine, given it is my residence.”
Bronwen made a tsking noise and raised her brows at him as if he were a wayward lad about to get into trouble.
“Please excuse him,” Bronwen said to Maggie as if he were three years old. “He is only now learning his manners. Will ye no’ share with the captain exactly what he should be saying in response, as I’m certain ye know?”
“Of course, Miss Holmes.” Maggie turned her gleeful gaze on his and straightened her shoulders as if she’d been practicing this all morning. “Captain, ye should simply say, ‘The honor is all mine.’”
“Correct,” Miss Holmes said with a perfunctory nod. “Now, introduce me to Miss Irvine, Captain, as part of our lesson today is greetings and introductions.”
He expected her to tell him the right way to go about it, but she didn’t. Instead, she waved him along. Perhaps her style of teaching was to see what the student knew and then correct them.
“Miss Irvine,” he drawled, eyes on Miss Holmes. “Might I have the pleasure of introducing ye to my companion, Miss Holmes?”
His governess’s eyes widened at his use of the word “companion,” and he waited for her to correct him, but she didn’t. For some reason, he rather liked the idea of calling her that. Made their connection more than a man who’d hired a governess to teach him some manners. Implied some intimacy. And…then his gaze slipped lower until he was staring at her mouth.
“A pleasure,” Maggie interrupted with an incline of her head.
“Indeed it is,” Miss Holmes said with the same incline of her head and a slight clap. “Good, good. Shall we do it again? Only this time ye can play the host, Captain.”
Maggie faltered. “But Euan will no’ be receiving female guests.”
“Of course no’,” Miss Holmes said with a flutter of her hand, then flashed them both a placating smile. “But in every situation, it is best to know both sides.”
