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“Well, I suppose if there are more Scots here than English, we could consider it a Scottish party.” He laughed. “I am most grateful to have been invited.”
Elizabeth could feel Liam’s finger slide against the back of her elbow as he passed by without a word, walking in with Angus. She saw him turn around and wink at her, and she blushed like a young girl. Inside, the party was lovelier than she’d anticipated, with decorations, lights, and food piled high atop the long buffet tables. Where had the General acquired so much food in so short a time?
As she looked around at the other guests, Julia leaned in, “Have you seen John yet?”
She shook her head, “No, not yet. But I fear that I do not yet know how to tell him what I feel.”
Charlotte placed a hand on her arm. “He will be sad, but it will not be the end of him. You will find the words when the time comes. Focus on finding Liam.”
Elizabeth nodded, and Charlotte was soon whisked away by Angus to speak to someone, and Julia was pulled away by General Andrews to discuss her current health. Elizabeth looked around for Liam, and as she turned around, she could see him laughing and speaking to Fergus and a few other men, pints of ale in their hands.
She was nervous, for the more time she lingered in the hall, the more time it gave John to find her and press her for an answer. She hoped he might not dare to speak to her on the subject with so many others around. Grasping a glass of wine in hand, she turned to the doorway to see with a heavy heart that John had entered with his men, greeted kindly by the General, and welcomed heartily into the room.
As if he had known exactly where she was, John approached her with a smile. “Lady Elizabeth, ye look marvelous, as bonny as ever.”
“Thank you, John. As do you. I see you have come with many of your men and some women?”
“Aye, there are relatives of mine. I thought perhaps ‘twould be more acceptable tae have more women amongst the party.”
Elizabeth laughed lightly. “You are quite right. I am certain the ladies will be much obliged to you.” There was a moment of silence between them, and Elizabeth wished to fill it with something unconnected to the proposal. “Will you stay the night or return this evening?”
John shifted on his feet but kept his blue eyes locked to hers. “That depends on a few things.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but blush. It appeared that everything was intricately connected.
“I see.”
A man came to John’s side to whisper to him. He turned to Elizabeth. “Excuse me, my Lady, I must go. But I will return soon, and I hope we can speak more.” He stared at her for a long moment before he turned away.
Elizabeth nodded, relieved to be free of him for a moment. She was anxious to meet Liam. She could not fully enjoy herself at the party until all was settled between them, and she wandered around, wringing her hands with anticipation until she heard the clock strike the hour of six, and she closed her eyes with relief. All of her acquaintances were currently busy in conversation, and she had purposefully not engaged herself.
Thankfully with the large gathering, she knew that no one would be very suspicious about her departure, and she could slip away easily. She could no longer see Liam among the party, and she assumed he had already left to get there before her to ensure that he would be there to meet her amongst the trees.
She slipped out the doorway, wrapping her cloak around her again to stave off the slight chill in the air. The soldiers standing sentry at the open door did nothing to prevent her from running into the side woods. Luckily, the lights from the Fort were enough to partially guide her path, but she knew that she would be grateful for the secretiveness of the darkness. A little further into the trees, she could spy the light of a sole torch, and she rushed to it, assuming it was Liam there waiting for her.
Her heart was pumping rapidly. Her future was right there before her. All she wanted to do was jump into Liam’s arms and tell him that she loved him dearly and that she wanted to be with him forever, even though she would arrive at the marriage penniless, having broken her mother’s promise. She could see his shape come into view, and she was about to call out to him as she moved quickly through the trees, but her cloak caught on a few branches, and she had to bend down to loosen it.
When she looked up again, she felt like she had been stabbed through the heart as she spied the voluptuous figure of Brea lean up and kiss Liam on the mouth. Liam kissed her back.
* * *
Liam waited impatiently in the forest, holding his torch high. He looked around for a place to position the torch, for he wanted his hands free when he saw Elizabeth. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that he wanted her forever if only she would have him. He found an old stump with a hole in the middle, and he pushed the torch inside, turning around to face the dark woods, hoping for her speedy arrival.
He could hear footsteps, and he knew by their lightness that they belonged to a woman. His smile grew. This was the moment where their future could be decided. He had finally been able to give himself to a woman wholeheartedly. His mother would be proud. And what Mrs. MacLean would think of him once he gave her the news! If Elizabeth accepted, of course, but he couldn’t linger on his negative thoughts now. He wanted only to tell Elizabeth just how ardently he loved her and wished her to marry him and stay with him forever.
He turned to face the footsteps, watching for the lovely face of Elizabeth to emerge in the sphere of the bright torch. He kept smiling until he saw dark hair and a set of large breasts that he had memorized by heart. “Brea.” His voice was cold, and his expression stony.
Brea smiled slowly, staring up at him. She had dressed well for the occasion, just as she might dress for one of her customers. “Liam. I am happy ye have come.”
She clasped her hands in front of her, and Liam looked around worriedly. Where was Elizabeth? What if she saw him with Brea and thought all the wrong things? “What are ye doing here? I am tae meet someone.”
Brea chuckled. “Of course, I know that Liam MacLean, for I am the one who penned the letter!”
The breath left his chest in one rapid motion. He stared at her angrily. “Ye?”
She nodded, the grin remaining plastered on her face. “It was rather clever, do ye nae think?”
Liam crossed his arms. “Why in the bloody Hell would ye want tae meet me? We have spoken enough already. What else could ye have tae say tae me? And why pretend tae be Elizabeth?”
