“Maybe. But ye’ll be so busy attending parties and balls, ye’ll not have time to notice.”
“What the devil is that supposed to mean? Why would I be attending parties and balls?” Duncan shuddered at the prospect.
“So ye wish yer Lady Merry to be dancing and laughing with all those gentlemen of thetonwho are in search of wives?”
“What?” With a tug on the reins, Duncan halted his mount. Jealousy crackled through him like an all-consuming inferno. “What the devil are ye talking about?”
“She is of age, Duncan. Unmarried. Not officially courting or betrothed, and even if she were, she would still be expected to attend events. Her brother is a duke. He also needs her married off. Surely ye dinna believe she will sit at home whilst her friends and family enjoy parties and social gatherings. The woman loves to laugh. Loves to dance. Ye saw her at her birthday.”
“She is mine,” Duncan said, not caring that he sounded like a man crazed with greed.
“Then ye best stay close to her to ensure no one else steals her away.”
“No one takes what is mine,” he said. “Not ever.”
Malcolm thumped his fist to his chest. “Then guard yer heart, brother, and stay close to her until she is officially yers.”
*
Her sisters swarmedaround her, just as she had known they would. To irritate them, Merry purposely remained silent as she handed her cloak and gloves to Fipps. She wished she could disappear into her room and savor the thrill of being so bold as to kiss Duncan on the cheek. My goodness, but it had made her breathless and all warm and tingly inside. Her sisters, however, would never let her be. She’d spied them watching from the window. Deciding to goad them even more, she started for the staircase.
“Where do you think you are going?” Grace blocked her way, and Felicity joined her.
“To the nursery to visit with the children before everyone leaves. It will be unbearably quiet once all of you go.”
“We saw you kiss Lord Kirkston on the cheek,” Serendipity said. “I was under the impression you had dismissed him as a possibility?”
“I had dismissed him until he showed up on our doorstep.” Merry decided not to mention the return of her reticule or her giving him her favorite handkerchief. Good gracious, her sisters would be beside themselves picking that one apart.
“Would you be happy living in Scotland?” Blessing asked, cringing as if the place were on the other side of the world.
“Galkirk is in the Lowlands. A little northwest of Gretna Green. Duncan showed me on the map in the library.”
Fortuity held up her thumb and forefinger with a tiny space pinched between them. “You do realize that this far on a map is, inreality, many, many miles? Absolute hours of travel by carriage.”
“Since when do we weigh a man’s eligibility for marriage by miles or hours in a carriage? None of you behaved this way when you were considering your husbands. Do stop circling like carrion birds.” Merry angled around her siblings and took refuge in the parlor to keep from being cornered in the hallway. “And he is coming to London for the Season,” she said, as they gathered around her. “He is certain to be elected to one of the Scottish seats in the House of Lords. If he does well, I cannot imagine his not retaining that seat for additional sessions.”
Serendipity plopped down beside her on the settee. The other five drew in close, perching on chairs and footstools.
“Chance gave him his blessing,” Serendipity said. “He told me.”
A heady mixture of excitement and dread made Merry catch her breath. “Did Duncanaskfor Chance’s blessing?”
“The way Chance told it,” Joy said, “our meddling brother volunteered it because he felt you approved of Lord Kirkston.”
“A rarity for you,” Grace said. “You’ve eluded suitors longer than the rest of us by either hiding in the nursery or simply telling them to go away.”
Merry couldn’t very well argue with that, so she remained silent.
“I have heard no unsavory rumors about the man,” Fortuity said. “Have you, Seri?”
“None.” Serendipity reached over and gave Merry’s hand a reassuring pat. “And while he appears a bit on the somber side, he does seem very protective of our dear sister. After all, he did save our lives.”
“Mightn’t it be wise for you to keep your options open?” Grace clicked her fingers for the nearest hound to join her on the other settee. “With the new Season upon us, and his admitting to rarely visiting London, we should observe how well he adapts to the pressures of theton.You know how unpleasant their nefarious ways can be.”
“He is not a stray dog being taught to heel, Gracie.” While Merry didn’t mind being the center of her sisters’ attention, she didn’t want them joining forces to pick apart Duncan’s behavior. “I like Duncan. Leave him alone.”
“Shelikeshim.” Serendipity swept a pointed look across her sisters. “We shall leave her be. Agreed, sisters?”
