“Aye, I havenae heard him laugh like that before. I wouldnae imagine he has laughed like that in some time… I think he needed it.”
Verity’s eyes widened as she set down her teacup. “The Duke of Arrowfell laughing? Good heavens, Elspeth, you are performingfeats no author could hope to conjure. This surpasses even the most scandalous passages in my latest novel!”
“I dinnae ken ye’ve already started on the next one.” Marion let out a low whistle. “Ye’re so fast.”
“You have to keep the readers engaged,” Verity said with a wink. “The whole industry is terribly fast-paced.”
“Do tell, then!” Elspeth urged, her curiosity piqued.
Verity leaned forward conspiratorially. “My hero, Donald MacLeod, is a Highland warrior who fears nothing on the battlefield, but the feisty governess who is caring for his young ward has him completely unraveled…in all the right ways.”
“Ye have me attention,” Marion said, taking a large bite of her cucumber sandwich. “Go on.”
“I daenae see what the problem is.” Elspeth gave a small laugh. “Sounds like a great start!”
“Well, he is meant to be brooding and protective, yet every time I attempt to write from his perspective, he ends up staring at her with nothing more than a thoroughly perplexed expression. Hardly romantic. I must devise some means of stirring proper drama. Some inner musings that reveal his thoughts and make him feel more… alive.”
“Lady Inverhall,” a familiar voice suddenly called, and Elspeth spun around to find the source. “It is nice to see you out and about town, and with such fine company.”
“Yer Grace!” Elspeth exclaimed, rising to her feet and bobbing a small curtsy. “It is so nice to see ye! Would ye like to join us? I am sure they can pull up a chair?—”
“Oh, I dare say you ladies have far more pressing matters to discuss than whatever I might add. Besides, I am due to meet an old acquaintance over there. Lady Featherstone. You know her, of course.”
The Dowager Duchess’s eyes flicked to the corner, her lips twitching almost imperceptibly.
Lady Featherstone sat framed by a swirl of satin and lace, the rich purple of her feathered hat catching the afternoon light. Glittering ribbons cascaded from its brim, brushing her shoulders as she lifted a gloved hand in a delicate, rehearsed wave. She shifted, preparing to rise, and the rustle of her gown drew every eye in the room.
I dinnae have the patience today.
“I shall be along,” the Dowager Duchess said with a small wave to her friend, then gave Elspeth a sly wink. “Lady Featherstone is not everyone’s cup of tea, but there is much to be gleaned from a woman like her. She is singular, uncompromising… rather like someone else I know. In her youth, she found the cleverest way to secure a husband and her place in Society. And one discovers,in advanced years, that certain freedoms present themselves quite delightfully.”
“I understand completely, Yer Grace,” Elspeth said with a small smile. “Enjoy yer tea. And thank ye.”
“Good day, ladies,” the Dowager Duchess said with a wave as she sauntered away, the epitome of mature elegance.
I havenae thought of Lady Featherstone like that before. Surely once she was a lass, just like me, in search of a good match. And as she grew older, a certain independence came, allowin’ her to do as she pleases. Perhaps I would do well to remember that when dealin’ with the likes of Lord Middleby, plain as he is.
“What were we talkin’ about?” Marion asked, bringing them back to the moment.
“Well, we were talking about my novel. I am at a bit of a block on my hero. Please, ladies, I will take any advice fromme Highlanders!”
“Perhaps I could inspire ye,” Elspeth said as she refilled her cup. “Right after His Grace laughed in the kitchens, and his façade seemed to be fadin’ like the mist of Loch Ness in the sunshine, Lord Middleby arrived to call on me,” she recounted, a wry smile on her face. “And I must say, he practically chased him out. It was quite amusin’, actually. Nae the behavior I’d expect from someone who wishes to be rid of me. No?”
“He sounds rather… protective of you,” Verity mused, a thoughtful expression on her face. “But the note is taken; perhaps I need some sort of third party to move the plot. Make my hero realize just what he stands to lose… Aha,a love triangle!”
Elspeth scoffed. “No, I dinnae mean that! All of this is in His Grace’s head.”
“Doesnae seem that way,” Marion said quickly.
“And he’s nae protective. He is merely tryin’ to ensure I daenae embarrass him too much before he can marry me off. He still insists on finding me a husband, ye ken. He even tried to flirt with other women the other night, from what I have heard around town. And failed miserably.”
“He told you that?” Verity squeaked.
“Heavens, no,” Elspeth hissed. “I happened to overhear some men in a local bookshop and put the rest together meself. Sounds like quite the scene…”
Marion giggled. “Poor ol’ curmudgeon Duke. If ye ask me, he sounds utterly smitten with ye, even if he doesnae ken it yet. Seems ye daenae see it either!”
“Smitten?” Elspeth snorted, though a faint blush touched her cheeks. “He is a man who fears losin’ control more than anythin’.And I, apparently, am the greatest challenge to his control. We bicker constantly. And then then we keep almost kissin’.”
