“I will certainly take that under consideration,” he said, amused by her comical observations. “But I do have a few original pieces I can dredge up. My thanks for the warning, since I’ll now have time to work on them.”
They gazed at each other for a few seconds, and then her lighthearted mood seemed to evaporate. As she glanced at the sheets of music spread out on top of the piano, he sensed again that she was uncomfortable in his presence.
“That’s very kind of you, sir, but I’ll cease pestering you now, since you are obviously much engaged.”
Kade took a step forward, holding up a hand. “Please, there’s no need to leave. I’m finished for the day.”
He wasn’t, but he found he’d much rather talk to her than return to his work.
Charlie hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want to disturb you.”
“I am absolutely sure.”
At the moment, she was considerably more interesting than his blasted concerto, and certainly more enjoyable to look at. Charlie Stewart was a very pretty girl, with big brown eyes, a charming, uptilted nose, and a honeyed complexion that spoke of time outdoors. The average town miss would recoil in horror at the thought of exposing herself to that much sun, but clearly Charlie would never be a town miss. When not in a kilt or riding habit, it seemed she wore simply cut gowns that lacked the ridiculous extravagances of the current fashions.
And Charlie’s quirky wit was just as appealing as her lovely face.
“Well, I was simply going to, um, fetch a book that I think I left on a table here,” she said.
Kade suspected she was trying to find an excuse to avoid him again. Suddenly, he greatly disliked the idea of her feeling uncomfortable in his presence.
“Miss Stewart, I hope you’re not embarrassed because of our initial meeting. I assure you, there’s no need.”
She gave a slight grimace. “Tell that to my mother.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Did Lady Kinloch find out?”
“Thankfully, no. But she has quite the nose for sniffing out my misadventures. I feel faint with horror at the very idea that she might squeeze it out of someone.”
“My lips are firmly sealed. And, again, there’s no need to feel awkward about that encounter, or to avoid me.”
She hesitated and then flashed him a rueful smile. “Is that what I’ve been doing?”
“I think so.”
“Then I should stop behaving like such a chicken heart. But be warned, sir, that means I might start pestering you so much that you’ll wish I would indeed avoid you. I did that when we were children, after all. You were so kind to put up with me then, when you must have been wishing me to perdition.”
He smiled. “As I recall, you were a very sweet and interesting child. I enjoyed your company.”
She looked dubious. “Really?”
“I particularly liked it when you bashed Andrew in the nose. How I could ever have forgotten that glorious moment is beyond me.”
Charlie laughed, and the warm, lovely sound was as endearing as she was.
“I’ll never forget it,” she wryly replied. “Papa gave me a right royal scold—and he never scolded me. In fact, I was sent to my room without supper.”
“That hardly seems fair, since you were defending a friend from a bully.”
“He was a rat, too. Ran right off to tattle to his father.” She shook her head. “Andrew’s lucky I didn’t hit him again.”
“It would seem the Campbells have much to answer for, in addition to Glencoe.”
“Indeed.” Then she gracefully dodged past him to a side table stacked with books. “I’ll be out of your hair in a moment.”
She still seemed a little too eager to escape his company. Why that should bother him so much was a mystery, but bother him it did.
“For a family that is apparently not musical,” he said, trying another topic of conversation, “this room is very well kitted out.”
