Page 27 of When the Laird Claims
Victoria lifted her gaze to him expectantly, but it felt as if she were not expecting much. He had never seen anybody with such an expressive face before.
“…I wanted to see if ye wanted to have dinner with me,” he finished lamely.
“Ah, sothatis why there are two plates.” She nodded slowly. “For a moment, I wondered if it was some manner of test, to see if I would eat all of this after that sea voyage robbed me of my appetite and my dignity.”
He could not tell if she was toying with him or not.
“There was nae as much food on the road, I’ll admit, but–”
“I am perfectly comfortable dining alone, thank you,” Victoria said as she sat back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. “Would prefer to, in fact.”
“I wanted to see if ye were all right… and perhaps if ye wanted to talk?” He frowned, unaccustomed to being at such a disadvantage, for he did not have the faintest notion of how to broach the matter that had sent her running earlier.
Victoria’s jaw tightened, and he could see the reluctance in every single part of her features. “What do you wish to talk about, my Laird?”
Arran sighed and sat down across from her. She was using his title instead of his name as some sort of insult; that much he could tell. “Whatever ye wish to tell me? Perhaps more about yer sister… yer family?”
He had wanted to ask her more about her sister earlier, before she fled, to see what he could do to help put her at ease: make inquiries about her sister’s safety, even send some men for her if that was what Victoria wanted. He was not the sort of man who was willing to leave a woman in danger. Least of all from a man as unscrupulous as that bastard Earl.
“What does that matter?” Victoria asked and picked up her fork, only to push at the food on her plate.
“Is there somethin’ about the supper that is not to yer likin’?” Arran asked, pouring them both a glass of wine.
“The food is fine, I am sure. I just do not have much of an appetite when I think about having someone’s blood on my hands, and the ruination of my beloved sister.”
Arran sighed slowly. “I willnae pretend to understand how that works, but if ye are worried about yer sister, then tell me what I can do to aid ye. Shall I send soldiers? Guards to watch her, maybe?”
“I just want to know if she is all right!” she said, shaking her head. “Goodness, there do not always need to be swords involved.”
He took a steadying breath to temper his annoyance. “A messenger, then?”
“A messenger? Yes… if I could, perhaps, write to her, then that would be something. I do not even truly know where we are, so it is not as if I can give away our location or anything like that. I promise,” Victoria said without looking at him. If anything, she almost seemed sheepish about it.
“I am nae worried about that, lass,” Arran answered. “I can have me men go and find her if ye ken where to look for her? Bring her back here, if ye like?”
Victoria did not comment, only continued to push her food around the plate.
“Is there… anything else waiting for ye back in London?” he said stiffly, getting the feeling that she was not too keen about him, or his men, nosing about in her world.
Perhaps there was another reason she wanted to return home to London. What if she had not wished to marry the Earl because she was actually in love with someone else? The very notion did not sit well with him. It made his stomach feel sour just to think about it, a spike of something like jealousy catching him unawares.
Some bonny English lad who would squeal at the first sign of danger, and wouldnae ken a thing about pleasin’ her?He had to fight to stop his lip curling at the image of some unworthy fop pawing at her.
“A mountain of debt? If that is what you mean,” Victoria answered quietly. Almost ashamed. “That is another thing that I have no choice but to think about. If the Earl were to die, all of my father’s debts would come due nearly instantly. He would lose everything. Without our estate, he would be shunned from society, and my sister would never be able to marry. We will both be considered fallen ladies with ruined reputations, cast out and friendless.”
Arran might not have known the right things to say to her, but hedidknow all about paying parental debts. He leaned forward in his chair.
“I daenae think I like the sound of yer friends then.” He could not fathom what that must be like, for loyalty to be sothreadbare. “Yer world seems very fragile if one person can say somethin’ wrong and ruin yer life without them even speakin’ to ye?”
Victoria lifted one shoulder in half a shrug. “I cannot allow my sister to go hungry, or die of shame. Marrying the Earl was my only option to ensure my sister’s future. I will not be shamed for making the choice that I had to make.”
Arran chewed on the inside of his cheek for a long moment. He hated that a beast like the Earl had treated her so terribly, and that her society would have made her stay with such a demon. He hated that her experiences of men all seemed so dire. Most of all, he hated that she thought he was judging her in some way, when the only people he judged were those who had hurt her.
I’d destroy them all, if ye but asked. Or ye could stay here and do as ye please—all the things that would make yer weak English society gasp. I wouldnae mind helpin’ ye with that.If they were going to slander her name anyway, he figured she might as well give them something juicy to gossip about.
Would it be overstepping to remind her that he was also here for her? That he was by her side and offering to help her with whatever she needed? Would she wonder if he was asking for something in return? He would never ask for something that was not willingly given, no matter how tempting she was or how his mind wandered.
“I never shamed ye, lass,” he said. “I was curious.”
