Suddenly, she heard a set of unmistakable, heavy footsteps in the empty hall. She tiptoed across the floor until she reached the door, prying it open ever so slightly to peek out.
She watched Hugo walk down the hall, his unsteady gait suggesting that he had imbibed that evening. She looked at his frame against the paintings on the walls, noting just how impossibly tall he was. His width was almost as impressive, his shoulders broad and strong as he strode away from her.She looked at his backside then, realizing his back was just as remarkable as his front.
Damn the cad,she cursed inwardly as she slowly closed the door.
Again, she found herself leaning against the closed door and sliding down to the floor in a puddle of fabric and unquenched desire.
I despise him.
Chapter Twelve
“What do I say to her?” Elspeth asked, wringing her hands.
“Well, perhaps you will finally meet your match then,” Hugo said as he ushered her through the iron gate. “You will behave yourself, which is a start. I think you will find there is much you can learn from such a lady.”
“Aye.” Elspeth swallowed thickly. “Anythin’ to get me out of this mess is worth a shot, I suppose. I will play yer games.”
A couple of days had passed without incident since the bewildering encounter in the drawing room. Elspeth had come to expect his coldness and sought reprieve in solitary walks around the garden and books.
She found particular comfort in Verity’s latest novel,The Highland Husband. It had a delicately woven plot, where a Scottish lass found love with an English lord who was in realityan adopted Scottish royal. A case of mistaken identity that was highly improbable and extremely entertaining, but it helped Elspeth forget her troubles for a few hours.
This afternoon, Elspeth was once again being escorted by Hugo, somewhat against her will. This time, they were entering a new territory, an imposing residence.
As she inhaled deeply, Elspeth caught the scent of old books and dried lavender.
This was the stately home of none other than Lady Letitia Sinnett, the Dowager Duchess of Tarwood, and Hugo’s intimidating grandmother.
They were shown by the butler to a sunlit sitting room, where the Dowager Duchess sat perched by the window, engrossed in a book. She was a woman of elegant bearing, with sharp, intelligent blue eyes that Elspeth knew missed nothing.
She also noted that, as Hugo entered the room, her face softened. There was a genuine warmth in her smile that could not be feigned.
“Hugo, my dear boy,” the Dowager Duchess said, closing her book and extending a hand toward him. “Come closer! Oh, yes, it is good to see you. You look… preoccupied.” Her gaze flickered to Elspeth behind him, and her expression became more formal. “And you have brought a guest.”
“Grandmother,” Hugo replied, kissing her hand and then motioning to Elspeth. “May I present, more formally, Lady Elspeth Fraser, the Dowager Marchioness of Inverhall. We had much else going on at the party for proper conversation.” He then turned to Elspeth. “Lady Inverhall, you recall my grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Tarwood.”
Elspeth curtsied deeply, feeling a strange mix of apprehension and curiosity.
“Lady Inverhall,” the Dowager Duchess acknowledged with a crisp nod. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
Hugo cleared his throat. “Grandmother, I have brought Lady Inverhall to you as well, as a matter of some urgency. Finding her a suitable husband has proven to be more difficult than anticipated.”
“Of course it has,” the Dowager Duchess snorted, her eyes sweeping over Elspeth. “A woman who has spent her life in the wilds of Scotland, and who, I gather, has already managed to scandalize half of London Society, is hardly a simple charge.”
Hugo’s lips twitched, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Elspeth noted a silent understanding pass between them.
Aye, she kens him well.
“I would be happy to lend a hand, Hugo,” the Dowager Duchess continued, her gaze fixed firmly on Elspeth. “Indeed, it soundslike a challenge I might actually enjoy. It has been a long time since I have been able to properly employ my rather particular set of skills.”
“I had a feeling that may be the case,” Hugo said as he went to sit down on a settee.
The Dowager Duchess raised an eyebrow at him. “Now, if you would be so kind, dear boy, I believe Lady Inverhall and I require some privacy. Ourlessonswill begin immediately.”
“Very well,” Hugo relented, turning around. “I will return later to retrieve her.”
“Lessons?” Elspeth sputtered, a protest rising to her lips. “Yer Grace, I assure ye, I am perfectly capable of composin’ meself and?—”
“Hush, child,” the Dowager Duchess commanded, her tone firm but not unkind. “When one is in the presence of a professional, one listens. I can tell straightaway that you are an independent sort, but even you must see the pragmatism in this. Hugo, you may take your leave.”
