Page 23 of The Highlander’s Unexpected Wife

She glanced toward the room, then whispered, “Thank you, sir.”

He nodded. Cameron counted to twenty, then gave her an encouraging smile. They started forward again and, when they reached the room, she stopped, knocked, then stepped inside. The man standing before the hearth turned, a half filled tumbler in hand. Tall, though not quite as tall as Cameron, with dark eyes. His coat was impeccably tailored and his boots shown to a high polish. He looked past Mrs. Cummings at Cameron and frowned.

“Forgive me, sir, but this is Viscount Weston here to see you.”

“What the devil?” he muttered. “Did you let him in? I am not receiving guests today.”

“Mrs. Cummings did not admit me,” Cameron said. “As a matter of fact, your butler turned me away. But as this meeting is of utmost importance, I took liberty and used the rear entrance.”

The man’s frown deepened. “You climbed over the wall into my garden?”

Cameron shrugged. He’d point out that the gardens did not belong to Henry Hamilton, but the situation was already tense. The investigation Cameron had conducted into Lady Alison’s family told him that the townhouse had gone to Alison after her parents’ deaths. They had adopted Henry—Lady Hamilton’s sister’s son—when his parents died fifteen years ago. Hamilton’s wife died nine months ago, leaving him in poverty when her estate went to her only child from her first marriage. He received a meager monthly stipend from Alison’s parents, but had no other money to speak of. Lady Alison, on the other hand, was an heiress to the sum of seven thousand pounds a year.

“I did send a note that I would call at three,” Cameron said.

Hamilton’s eyes shifted to Mrs. Cummings, who stood rooted to the spot. “That will be all, Mrs. Cummings.”

She curtsied and hurried from the room.

Hamilton finished the drink, then set the empty glass on the mantle. “I feel certain your father informed you that Alison will not marry you. You need not sacrifice yourself by marrying her.”

“It is no sacrifice, at all,” Cameron said. “I am delighted to be betrothed to Lady Alison.”

“You are not engaged,” Hamilton said.

“All of Inverness thinks otherwise,” Cameron said. “Myself included.” Hamilton started to reply, but Cameron said, “Does this Robert Thomson know about the scandal surrounding Lady Alison and I?”

“I have written him of the matter,” Hamilton said.

“He is at sea, I take it?”

“He is.”

Then it will take some time for your letter to reach him. In fact, he may return home before he receives the letter.”

“I cannot see how that matters,” Hamilton said.

“But you must,” Cameron said. “No man wants to return home to discover that his future bride was found in another man’s bedchamber.”

“Robert loves and trusts Alison,” he replied. “He will believe her when she tells him there is nothing to the rumors.”

“Rumors?” Cameron lifted a brow. “It isn’t a rumor. Lady Alison was in my bedchambers and her dress was torn.”

Hamilton’s eyes narrowed. “Then perhaps I should make a dawn appointment with you.”

Cameron laughed. “Why? I have agreed to marry her—as I should.”

“Sir, I assure you, you need not concern yourself about Alison. She is determined to marry Robert.”

“You and I both know Mister Thomson will not marry her when he learns that she was with me at two in the morning. As her guardian, it is your duty to ensure that she makes the right choices.”

“You need not remind me of my duty,” he snapped. “Not only has Alison assured me that her visit with you was innocent, her uncle has also told me what happened. He was there—”

“If you are referring to Lennox, he arrived long after Alison and I had our visit,” Cameron said.

Hamilton studied him. “Am I to infer that you plan to spread the rumor Alison and you are conducting an affair?”

He laughed again. “It isn’t necessary that I spread any rumors. You do not seem to comprehend the situation.”