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“Aye, I might too,” Ryder agreed.
With that, the two men tipped their heads to Felix and walked away, leaving him alone on the perimeter of the ballroom. No guests approached to fill the absence, sparking an odd sensation in Felix’s chest: a pang of envy. Angus and Ryder adored their wives and were unendingly loyal, willing to do anything to see their women happy. Meanwhile, Felix could not even fathom that sort of affection. Sometimes, he wondered if he was broken, missing the part of the heart that made people love one another with such selflessness and intensity.
I wouldnae want the trouble of it,he told himself, but the hint of envy lingered for a while longer.
“Is that him? It must be him.” A hushed voice disturbed his thoughts. “He’s the only one nae wearin’ a mask.”
A second voice joined in the conversation. “It must be on purpose, so we can make good view of him. Och, he’s a delight, is he nae? I thought the rumors were exaggeratin’, but he’s as handsome as they say!”
“Pretend ye’ve tripped in front of him,” a third voice urged. “That’ll get him talkin’ to us.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Felix saw a group of four young ladies nearby. They were dressed almost as dramatically as his sisters, in cascading gowns of silk and lace that had likely impoverished their fathers. Their gaudy masks hid their faces, as was the purpose of a mask, but he could tell they were very inebriated. For one thing, they did not seem to realize how loudly they were talking.
“My faither was goin’ to make an introduction,” the fourth woman, more sober than the others, protested. “We cannae justspeakto him!”
The first woman who had spoken snorted. “We’ve got mouths, do we nae? Aye, we can speak to him. I must ken if the rumors are true.” She giggled. “The greatest lover in Scotland, they call him. I would find out for myself.”
“Kira, take heed of yerself!” the sober lady scolded. “Ye’ll be ruined!”
“Och, let him ruin me.”
Uncomfortable with their lewd conversation, though well aware of where the gossip came from, Felix decided he needed another drink. He had been supping ale to pace himself, but as the din of the celebrations grew and the boldness of the ladies grew with it, he knew he required something stronger. There was a potent jar of spiced wine in the kitchens that would serve the purpose, while allowing him a moment away from the crowds to gather himself.
As the ladies began to squabble, Felix made his escape, slipping out of a nearby side door and into the hallway beyond. Yet, there were more guests loitering out there, blocking his way and making him wish he had worn a mask, after all. It might have allowed him to blend into the crowd unnoticed. Perhaps, that was why his sisters had suggested a masquerade instead of an ordinary ball.
I believe I have been very foolish,he cursed inwardly. Of course, Meredith would have done what she could to make him more comfortable, now he would have to bear the consequences of his stubbornness.
“Laird Moore, what a splendid gatherin’!” a voice called to him, but he pretended he had not heard.
“Laird Moore, might ye pause here for a moment? I’d like ye to meet my daughter,” said another.
“Laird Moore, Laird Moore, Laird Moore!” the cry rang in Felix’s ears from every angle.
He knew it would appear rude to those who were calling for his attention, but he could not think of that now. He needed air. He needed wine. And he needed both immediately.
Seconds from breaking into a sprint to get away from it all, he rounded the corner that would lead him to the kitchens. In his rush and with a wall restricting his view, he did not see the person coming in the opposite direction until it was too late.
A body collided with him. He flinched at the impact, his athletic build keeping him from stumbling. The same could not be said for the one who had walked into him. He saw startled eyes widen behind a mask, and a reddened mouth stretch into a horrified “O”. Pale arms flailed, sending a tendril of dark red wine forward from a quaich.
The wine hit Felix in a spray, splashing his face and seeping into the saffron of his shirt. He blinked in surprise, more shocked by the splatter than having someone bump into him.
At the same moment, the clumsy fool grabbed at a side table for purchase. She caught the edge, but the jolt as she hauled herself upright set a vase wobbling. All Felix could do was stare as the vase tipped off the side and shattered on the ground, skittering fragments across the flagstones. The sound caught the attention of a few guests, but they quickly went back to their conversations.
“If ye cannae stomach yer wine, ye shouldnae have any. Watch where ye’re wanderin’,” Felix muttered with a roll of his eyes. It had not even been two hours since the gathering had begun, and he was already tired of drunken women making fools of themselves in his Castle.
Marching past the woman, half noting the shine of bronze-toned hair that fell in luscious curls, he contemplated going directly to his tower once he had the jar of spiced wine in his possession. For him, the gathering was over.
“I would apologize for upendin’ my wine on ye, whoever ye are, but a brute like ye doesnae deserve a word of sympathy from these lips!” The surprising rebuke stopped Felix in his tracks.
Slowly, he turned around, wondering who dared to speak to him that way. He was the Laird, after all, not “whoever ye are”. The woman panted hard, her gown straining against dramatic curves, her bosom heaving.
And now,everyonewas looking.
CHAPTER3
“Brute?”the man said, his brown eyes narrowing.
Edwina Young had already had a trying evening, and she was not prepared to accept the arrogance of another supposed gentleman. Indeed, this was the final straw after a series of mishaps: her carriage breaking a wheel, her original gown being muddied beyond salvation as she had helped to free the wheel, her lodgings being rat infested, and every single man overlooking her in the ballroom.
