Page 33 of Reckless Desire

“Harm me?” She realized what he meant and looked at him. “Nae, he did not. He intended to marry me.”

Lord Newhall’s mouth thinned. “So we guessed.”

“Why would he do that? I have no title or money.”

He shrugged. “I would guess that he believes your connection with Sir Stirling means you are a person of importance.”

“That is ridiculous. My connection to Sir Stirling is simply that he and Lady Chastity are very kind.”

He gave a slow nod. “Stirling will not be kind in this matter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come, we should go. The sun will set soon. We both need a change of clothes and a fire.” He started walking parallel to the bank.

Kenna hurried to keep up with him. “What do you mean, Sir Stirling will not be kind in this matter?”

“Hensley kidnapped you, Miss Ramsay. That will land him in prison.”

“Prison? I don’t think so.”

“Kidnapping is against the law.”

He passed left of a tree, she to the right, and they came together again past the tree. “The law seldom works in the favor of women like me.”

He looked sharply at her. “Women like you? The law is supposed to be blind.”

He sounded truly offended. “But it isn’t blind. I am nobody. Lord Hensley will say I misunderstood him and”—she shrugged—“that will be that.”

“Hardly. Stirling and I will see to it that he is thrown into prison.”

She was surprised at the grim set of his mouth. “Why do you care so much?”

He looked sharply at her. “Should I not care when a man forcibly takes a woman from the bosom of her friends?”

Bosom of her friends?

“It is very kind of you to care,” she said.

“Even though I almost drowned you?”

She couldn’t suppress a smile. “You must admit, it is true.”

“Aye,” he replied, but she noted none of the amusement in his voice she’d hoped for.

The man was one large contradiction. One moment he was laughing, another he was kissing her, then the next he was saying he wanted to leave her company. He’d even said her lack of breeding was obvious. If he thought so little of her, why come in search of her? He’d said that he cared because she’d been kidnapped, but there was something—

Good Lord, was it possible? Nae. Still, he behaved very strangely. Men in love—or men who fancied themselves in love—did very silly things. She recalled Joseph Dunbar, two years ago. He told her he worshipped the ground she walked on and begged her to marry him. He made himself a fool a dozen times over in an effort to convince her to marry him. Of course, the infatuation vanished when he laid eyes on Fenella Graham. Petite, fair-haired and as malleable a female as was ever born. They were now married with one son and another child on the way.

Kenna cast Lord Newhall a sideways glance. His gaze never wavered from the forest ahead. They reached a fallen tree and he veered right. She followed him around the tree and they continued in silence. If he really believed himself to be in love with her, perhaps he would suffice for the scandal she needed. Unlike Mister Davis, he certainly seemed inclined toward actions that would get them into trouble.

A thought occurred. Her being kidnapped and alone with Lord Hensley, then being alone with Lord Newhall, would surely cause a terrible scandal. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to do anything more. Aye, there was no doubt. Even back home on Skye, if a woman spent hours alone with a man, the couple were forced to marry. She stumbled.

Lord Newhall’s head snapped toward her. “Are you growing tired, Miss Ramsay?”

“Of course not,” she retorted.

He frowned.