What are you up to? his gaze seemed to ask.
‘Protecting her from the blackguards and rakes.’ Dalton gave a mischievous smile to ease the tension. ‘Though some might put me in that category.’
The laird replied, ‘If you bother her, Camford, I’ll skin your hide and leave it for the crows.’ Although his words were teasing, there was a note of warning in them.
Dalton only shrugged as if he didn’t care. Lady Regina knew he would never harm her, and he would not make demands of her.
She was still pale, and Locharr cleared his throat. ‘I suppose that wasna a very polite thing to say. I beg your pardon, Lady Regina.’
Before she could answer, their hostess, the Duchess of Worthingstone, arrived. Dalton and Locharr both bowed in greeting to Her Grace while Lady Regina sank into a deep curtsy.
‘Are you enjoying yourself?’ Her Grace asked the laird. Dalton knew that Locharr was staying with the duchess and duke within their household. The ball had been arranged to give him the chance to see Lady Regina again.
‘I’ve only just arrived, but I am, aye,’ Locharr agreed. It was clear that the laird was trying to adapt to his surroundings, but he appeared uncertain. He glanced at Dalton as if wondering what to do now.
‘Good.’ The duchess smiled. ‘There is someone I’ve been wanting you to meet. Forgive me, Lady Regina, but I must steal the laird away for just a moment.’
‘It’s no trouble at all,’ Lady Regina murmured. In fact, she seemed rather relieved by it.
The laird bowed to her and said, ‘I will only be a moment.’ Then he turned back to Dalton. ‘You should ask the lady to dance.’
He already had, but he recognised the look of discomfort on Regina’s face. It was as if all the attention overwhelmed her, and she was eager to be away from everyone’s notice.
As soon as the laird had gone, she murmured, ‘Thank you, but I still don’t wish to dance,’ she murmured. She opened her fan, as if the ballroom had suddenly become unbearably hot. Though she tried to mask it, she appeared miserable. Dalton refused to stand back and ignore her.
‘Are you all right, Lady Regina?’ Dalton kept his voice calm and quiet. He wanted her to know that he was still her friend, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. But though she tried to smile, he could see through her mask of emotions.
‘I am fine,’ she remarked.
He didn’t believe that at all. ‘Liar,’ he said beneath his breath. ‘You’d rather be anywhere than here.’
She jerked to surprise. ‘Why would you say that?’
He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘You’d rather be sitting on a stone bench in the morning sunlight, with a puppy in your lap.’
At that, her frozen expression seemed to thaw a little. ‘Wouldn’t everyone prefer that?’
‘I think so, yes.’ He offered her his arm. ‘Are you certain you don’t want to dance?’
‘Very certain. I would rather watch from the shadows.’
‘No matter how hard you try, you will never be a wallflower, Lady Regina,’ he said quietly. ‘There is not a man here who doesn’t notice you.’
Or desire you, he thought.
It wasn’t only her beauty that attracted notice—it was her vulnerability and shyness. While some thought it was hauteur, he knew better. And he would try any means of making her smile.
‘I’ll go and bring you lemonade, if you’d like.’
‘I don’t like lemonade at all,’ she admitted. ‘I find it too sour.’
‘Then perhaps something else to drink,’ he offered. Before she could refuse, he bowed and took his leave. As he walked towards the refreshment table, he paused and saw the duchess returning from another room. She had brought Lachlan to meet another guest, and Dalton’s curiosity was aroused. He waited until Her Grace was gone, and then slipped into the narrow hallway. It seemed that the laird was meeting with someone in the music room, and he took a few cautious steps closer. Soon, he overheard the voice of a woman.
‘You have to go back, Locharr.’ The woman’s voice held yearning, as if she didn’t truly want the laird to leave.
‘I ken that.’ But Lachlan’s voice held a gentleness that caught Dalton’s attention. The laird genuinely cared about this woman, and he sounded as if he had no desire to leave.
A sudden flare caught him with the realisation that the duchess had brought this woman to Locharr in secret, because she did not want anyone else to see her. Who was she? And why was the laird speaking as if he held affection towards her?
‘Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be, Lachlan,’ the woman said. There was no doubting the emotion in her voice. And though Dalton wanted to know who she was, he didn’t dare show his face. Instead, he remained hidden from view and waited until the laird emerged from the room. Locharr didn’t see him, but the expression on his face was of a man who was grimly accepting his duty.
It sounded as if the laird didn’t want to marry Lady Regina. Yet, this conversation was a farewell, not a secret liaison. And for a brief moment, Dalton sympathised with his friend.
For he knew exactly what it was to love a woman he couldn’t have.
Chapter Three
It was early in the morning when Regina rose. She’d been unable to sleep, worrying about the laird. Though Locharr had been nothing but kind, he was indeed a large man. The thought of sharing a marital bed with him was terrifying, despite trying to convince herself that he would be gentle.
I cannot do it, she thought. He would crush her with his weight, bringing back the vicious memories.
There was no sense in trying to push back the fear, so she abandoned all thoughts of going back to sleep. With the help of her maid, she donned a long-sleeved blue morning gown with a high waist, embroidered with green leaves along the hem. Nell had suggested a
