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Chapter Ten
Ivy
Ivy peered around the corner, her heart beating hard and her stomach churning wildly. She had seen Fin go into the physician’s office a little while ago and was waiting for him to come out again. Her cheeks flushed with warmth as she thought about how bold and cheeky she was being. Stalking a man was entirely out of character for her.
And yet, there was something about the big Scotsman that intrigued her enough to act like a giggling, besotted girl. It was true that he was a big, strong, handsome man. But there was more to it than that. Ivy was not a woman who was given to fawning over a man because of the way he looked. She did not consider herself a vain or shallow woman. And although she certainly found Fin to be very physically attractive, there was something else about him she found compelling.
The man tried to downplay it, but he had a quick and nimble mind. He was far cleverer than he let on, seeming to prefer letting people believe he was dim. But Ivy saw through that. She had seen the keen intelligence in his eyes. He had a fast mind and a quick wit that appealed to Ivy in ways physical attractiveness could not.
As a result of all that, Ivy found herself curious about the man. Intrigued by him. She had thought about him most of the night before, thinking him somewhat mysterious and compelling. And she wanted to know more about him.
“What are you doing, Ivy?”
Ivy stood up straight and whipped her head around quickly, eyes wide, her heart lurching inside of her. Castor strode down the hall toward her, a curious and somewhat cross expression on his face. She felt her face grow hot as her stomach roiled.
“Who are you spying on?” he demanded as he peered around the corner.
Ivy cleared her throat and tried to gather herself and reclaim some semblance of her dignity. She raised her chin and gave her brother a frosty-eyed stare.
“I am not spying on anybody,” she said.
“You look like you were spying on somebody,” he remarked. “I have spied on people before, and it looked remarkably like what you are doing.”
“Well, you are wrong, Brother,” she said. “I am waiting for the Scotsman. I saw him go into the physician’s office a short time ago.”
Castor’s eyes immediately narrowed as he looked at her, suspicion written upon his features.
“Why are you waiting for him?”
“I wanted to know of the Duke’s condition,” she replied. “I also wanted to ask after Gillian to see if he had received any news.”
The lie came so easily to her lips that Ivy knew she should be ashamed. But instead, she felt a hint of pride that she had been so quick on her feet. She did not like lying and usually found it abhorrent. But in certain cases - such as when her brother was prying into her affairs - it could be useful.
“I see,” he said. “So why are you lurking here around the corner instead of just waiting outside the door like a normal, non-crazy person?”
“I… did not want to overwhelm him right away.”
“So, you thought you would ambush him?”
Ivy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, arching her eyebrow at him. “Do you not have anything better to do with your time than pester me?”
“Actually, no, I do not,” he said with a grin. “Not at the moment, at any rate.”
“Well, I suggest you find something to do then.”
Castor gave her a sly smile. “Hoping to have a little quality time alone with the Scotsman, are we?”
His tone was suggestive, and if her face grew any warmer, Ivy half-feared it would burst into flames. She did not want her brother - or anybody for that matter - thinking she wanted to spend time alone with Fin. She simply found him intriguing, and she was curious about him. That was all it was. A curiosity simply because there was more to the man than met the eye.
“As much as your devious little mind would wish to conjure something inappropriate, that is not the case,” she said.
“Then what is it, Sister?”
“It is not your concern, Brother,” she replied, her tone imperious. “Do I need to invent a reason for wishing to speak to people outside your presence?”
He shrugged, his grin lascivious. “Of course not. It is just curious when the person you are wishing to speak to is a large, handsome Scotsman.”
“Oh, you hush your mouth,” Ivy said but could not stop the laughter that burst from her throat. “You are an awful human being, Castor Welton.”
