Page 11 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

‘So you regret hooking up with him?’

Elspeth couldn’t meet his gaze. ‘Of course. It’s put me in such an awkward position...’ Wasn’t that the truth? She chewed at her lower lip and added, ‘I hate the thought of Sabine finding out but, again, I hate the thought of her marrying him tomorrow without knowing he cheated on her.’ She returned her gaze to his. ‘He should have told her well before this, so she could decide whether she wanted to continue their relationship or not. She thinks she’s marrying a devoted and loyal partner but instead she’s marrying a cheat and a liar.’ Elspeth knew she was hardly one to criticise someone for lying when all she had done so far this weekend was do exactly that—lie and deceive people.

‘So you believe in honesty in intimate relationships?’

Elspeth’s gaze skittered away from his. ‘As far as possible.’

‘Meaning?’

She glanced back at him but his expression was inscrutable. ‘I’d like to think if I was in a committed relationship with someone they would honour me by being truthful about their feelings. If they felt, for instance, their needs weren’t being met in some way, wouldn’t it be better to talk about it rather than have those needs met clandestinely with someone else?’

‘I couldn’t agree more.’

There was a silence that was so intense Elspeth was sure she heard a rose petal drop from the flower arrangement on the antique table in front of the window.

Then the silence was broken by the click-clacking sound of approaching footsteps and before Elspeth could put some distance between her and Mack, Sabine came in with a wide smile. ‘Oh, here you two are. What on earth are you up to in here?’ Her eyes twinkled like a fairy godmother on a matchmaking mission.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Elspeth said, moving away from Mack, conscious of the fiery heat pooling in her cheeks. ‘Are we holding up the rehearsal?’

Sabine’s blissfully happy smile was painful to witness. ‘Only a little. I’m so glad you two are getting along so well.’ She linked her arm through one of Elspeth’s and added, ‘It will make Fraser’s and my wedding day all the more special, won’t it, Mack?’

‘Indeed it will,’ Mack said with a stiff smile that didn’t reach the full distance to his eyes. Then he reached for Elspeth’s clutch purse off the bookshelf and held it out to her with an enigmatic look. ‘You might not want to leave this behind.’

Elspeth was shocked to realise how distracted she had been by him that she had completely forgotten it. Her life depended on the EpiPens in that purse. ‘Thank you.’ She took her purse from him, only just resisting the urge to snatch it out of his hold. How could she have been so caught up in the moment she had compromised her own safety?

And not just her physical safety. She was beginning to realise Mack MacDiarmid was a threat to her emotional safety.

And sadly, there was no EpiPen for that.

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