Page 3 of Taming the Scot
“The solicitors, I’m assuming,” Euan said with a frown. He leaned against the windowsill, his back to the outside, arms crossed and Owen pressing against his side.
“That is unwise,” Raine piped in. “Anyone can imitate love.” To show this, she turned to Esme and said in a singsong voice, “Oh, Esme. Your hair shines as the bottom of a churning loch, and your eyes… Does the light deceive me, or are they the verra image of a blue sky?”
“The bottom of a churning loch?” Esme frowned, tugging a tendril of her hair toward her face. “My hair does no’ look like muddy water.”
“The entire thing is ludicrous,” Euan interjected, heading off an argument before it could come to blows. “And I suppose this means the lot of ye are going to have to come to Edinburgh with me as I bumble through the upcoming season in search of the perfect bride to fall in love with.”
“Ye are no’ prepared for a season,” Esme said with a worried grimace.
“No’ in the least,” Skye agreed.
Euan nodded slowly, in complete agreement. It wasn’t that he was unused to going to balls and fetes and house parties. He did so often, but only as a chaperone or to be with his friends, not to woo a lass. His best talents at a ball were finding the gentleman’s smoking room and pouring himself a dram. Dancing was left to those who knew how to step and twirl. And engaging in polite conversation? Never.
He’d rather charm the venom from a snake.
Owen let out a long sigh as if the hound could read his thoughts and then sank to the floor at Euan’s feet, as tuckered out from the conversation as Euan was.
“Ye need a governess to teach ye better manners and the ways of behaving in society in order to gain the attention of a worthy lass who will fall deeply in love with ye,” Maggie said through a smile that was more of a half-laugh.
But she wasn’t wrong. In fact, Euan thought she was brilliant. His arms uncrossed, and he straightened to his full height of six and a half feet.
“Ye’re right. I do need a governess.”
“I was jesting.” The smile fell from Maggie’s face, and she gave him her “this is a bad idea” look.
“A governess worked for the lot of ye wild things,” he prodded back. “Why can it no’ work for me too?”
His sisters all burst out laughing at the same time. But when they noticed he’d not joined in their laughter, suddenly, they stopped.
“Ye’re no’ joking,” Maggie stated.
“No’ at all. I will hire a governess to help me prepare for procuring a bride.”
“And what about Hector? What if the governess can no’ take ye in hand quick enough and he finds a wife first?” Maggie still gaped at him as if he’d told them all he planned to marry the Queen of England.
“As ye said, he’ll have a hard time finding someone to fall in love with him, which provides me a slight leg up. In the meantime, I’ll give the governess, what? A week? Two weeks?”
“I think two at the least,” Maggie said, that grimace back. “And recall what Skye said—
anyone can lie and pretend they are in love.”
“I’m certain the solicitors will be on the lookout for such a scheme,” Euan said. “Ye have to stop making that face.”
“This one?” She did it again, only this time much more exaggerated.
“Precisely. The look that says, ‘Euan is going to fail spectacularly.’”
“Among other things,” she said with a smirk.
He rolled his eyes. Whatever man was lucky enough to win his sister over had better have a large pair of ballocks.
“All right.” Euan walked toward his desk, his faithful hound leaping up to follow him and settling in the dark alcove underneath. “The lot of ye put your minds together and figure out exactly what it is that a governess will need to teach me. And how do we find out when the society events start in Edinburgh?”
“Well, the papers for one,” Lillie remarked. “The season shall be starting on the twelfth of August, as it does every year. That’s when all of society comes up from London. Some are already here. I read this morning in Lady Edinburgh that there were enough carriages outside Holyrood Palace to create a snarl-up that delayed the opening of the market square. All of the milliner’s shops are backed up until the opening of the season from the ladies putting in hundreds of orders.”
“So I will no’ be able to get a new hat?” Raine pouted.
“Where did ye get a copy of Lady Edinburgh?” Euan frowned.
