“Och, did ye insult Miranda? Did she get angry and start tossing things at ye again?”
“No, lad. She’s an angel and did nothing of the sort. Leave me in peace and let me change my clothes. I’ll join ye in a few minutes.”
He climbed the stairs and strode into the Royal Suite.
To his surprise, a sense of sadness overcame him.
He genuinely liked Miranda, especially liked how she had tended to him just now. It wasn’t much, merely taking the table linen out of his hands and wiping the tea off his face. But it was natural to her, this need to gently fuss and offer comfort.
He wasn’t certain why his feelings were so strong for her when he had only known her a few days. And in those few days, he had shown the worst of himself and his kinsmen.
Still, she had smiled at him just now, and he thought his heart would burst with joy.
Pathetic. Truly.
He was forty years of age and his hair was graying at the temples. Yet Miranda made him feel like a hopeful boy again.
Could there ever be the chance of love between them?
Chapter Five
Miranda was surprisedby how enjoyably the evening passed.
She and Gwenys were dining with Solway and Douglas at the Golden Rose, one of Edinburgh’s finest establishments, and neither the meal nor the company disappointed. To her dismay, having Solway beside her felt nice.
Too nice.
This frightened her, but she was not going to say or do anything to spoil their last night here. It was decided, mostly due to her insistence, that they would depart for London tomorrow. Gwenys was obviously disappointed because she liked being in the company of Douglas Lanark and hoped to spend more time with him. He seemed to be a good and diligent young man, but would he or Solway ever seriously consider taking a Sassenach bride?
Well, Solway had suggested it to her.
But he must have been thinking of protecting Mongo and his companions from her wrath at the time.
These men were Scottish noblemen and felt a strong sense of loyalty to their country. Would their kinsmen not feel betrayed if they were to take English wives?
She was not going to make too much of it, since she was never going to marry again. As for Gwenys, she would soon be making her come-out and be inundated with gentlemen seeking to court her. It was likely she would forget Douglas and be sweptaway by a handsome marquess or earl, or possibly a duke, upon attending her first ball.
“A toast,” Douglas proposed as he rose with champagne glass raised high. “To the fairest roses of England,” he said, smiling at Miranda and Gwenys, although mostly at Gwenys. “May the sun always shine on ye. May the rain always fall warm and gentle upon yer shoulders. May yer life be a bountiful garden filled with friends ye have cultivated along the way. May they always treat ye with kindness. As forthisfriend,” he said, placing a hand over his heart, “he shall never forget ye lovely English roses and these days of heaven spent with ye. I will carry the blossom of our acquaintance in my heart forever.”
Gwenys smiled back at him with tears in her eyes.
Oh dear.
Was there possibly something more serious going on between them? Gwenys could be a little bit of a goose when it came to men. But this felt different. She hadn’t chattered on and on about Douglas as she usually did about other young lords upon meeting them. No silly outpourings, even though she was always one to talk about her potential beaus with gushing praise, only to forget about them the next day when another came along.
But she was quiet about Douglas.
Miranda wondered whether she was being an ogre to force these two apart. She wanted to return with all haste to London, but there was no pressing need for it. And hadn’t Tilda warned her that another few days of bed rest would be helpful?
Well, the decision had been made. It would become clear in the months ahead if these two were serious about each other. Anyway, how could anyone develop strong feelings for a stranger within a couple of days? Was it not dangerous to believe in love at first sight?
In truth, was it not dangerous to believe in love at all?
Yet love did happen. Miranda had seen it with several of her dearest friends. who also happened to be her neighbors on Duchess Square. Lady Berry Thane, for one, whose husband, Gideon Knight, adored her. Another of their neighbors, Suzanna Carstairs, had found love with Gideon’s best friend, John Bonham. Not to mention how happy one of the very first friends she had made on Duchess Square, Lady Fiona Shoreham, was now that she had found true love with Robert Durham, the Duke of Durham.
In truth, no one could ever doubt how deeply and faithfully Durham had loved Fiona, since he had remained ever true in his affections since he was a child and they first set eyes on each other as neighbors in the countryside.
But this deep and abiding love that her friends had found was rare, was it not?
