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His eyebrows went up in an incredulous tilt. “Lass, I pulled your pretty arseoutof that furnace. Those two idiots were about to launch into a shrieking fit of hysterics. Well done, by the way. I was impressed by your tactics.”
“Yes, I managed the situation quite skillfully. Every person in the room witnessed that ridiculous scene. One only has to look around to see the evidence.”
So far, Donella had done her best to pretend she wasn’t the target of avid interest. And no doubt more than a few of the guests had also heard the ugly remarks about her mother and what she’d said in return.
Logan made a point of scanning the room, letting his iron gaze linger on anyone who seemed a little too curious. Predictably, most of the guests hastily glanced away or struck up a loud conversation with their companions.
Enjoying the protection of an irate Kendrick male did occasionally have its advantages.
Logan returned his attention to her. “Dinna fash yerself, lass. No one will pay a mite of attention to those two twits.”
It was her turn to be incredulous. “You did hear what they were saying, did you not?”
Now that he’d finished terrifying the room, Logan’s gaze had once more turned warm and so kind that it brought a sudden sting of tears to her eyes. Because underneath her rage and contempt for those who would gossip with such callous disregard, lurked an endless pool of hurt and shame.
And when Logan finally found out the truth . . .
Donella pressed a hand to her lips to choke back a small sob.
“Och, lass,” he murmured. “You’ll not be having a bout of hysterics in the buffet room. Edie would kill me if I let that happen.”
A flare of irritation snuffed out her incipient tears. “Since when did you ever see me fall into hysterics, Mr. Kendrick? When we were set upon by kidnappers, perchance?”
He rose from the bench and extended a hand. “That’s my girl. Now let’s get a wee dram to settle you down. We definitely need to talk about this little episode.”
“You said that on purpose,” she grumbled.
“It worked, didn’t it? Now don’t make me stand here looking like a booby while you make up your mind.”
“Very well, but only because we’d both look like boobies and generate even more gossip.”
“Actually, I think we’ve cornered the market on gossip.”
Given the rise in chatter as he led her from the room, there was little doubt of that.
“I don’t suppose you could encourage the twins to do something outrageous?” she hopefully asked. “Something truly stupid that would draw attention away from us.”
“Alec and Edie wouldn’t be too happy if I did. The twins destroyed quite a bit of furniture at one of their Hogmanay parties a few years ago. Took Graeme and Grant months to pay off the damages.”
“That’s awful.” She paused. “Do you think they would do it again if I asked them?”
He steered her toward a knot of soberly clad gentlemen. “You needn’t worry about anything, Donella. I promise.”
He was wrong about that. But since he was now exchanging greetings with the men who were obviously business acquaintances, she held her peace.
Besides, she wasn’t exactly burning to reveal her gruesome family secrets, and especially not to him.
“If you’d like to speak with your friends, I won’t mind,” she said as he moved them along. “I can go find Eden.”
He threw her an amused glance. “That is a pathetic attempt to avoid the matter at hand, sweetheart.”
She scowled. “You really are immensely irritating.”
“Years of practice.”
Donella was so busy muttering under her breath, it took a moment to realize he’d led her into the quiet cross-corridor along the back of Breadie Manor. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the library. Alec keeps his best whisky there, and it’s quiet, so we can talk.”
