Page 41 of To Wed a Wild Scot
“Humph. Why does she look like she’s been trampled by a herd o’ sheep?”
Logan sighed. They weren’t going to get through the door until Widow Macaulay was satisfied. “We went out to the Robertsons’ to search for some missing sheep. Lady Juliana fell into Ruthven Burn when she rescued a lamb. She’s too cold and exhausted to make it back to the castle, but we couldn’t stay at the Robertsons’.”
“No. Not with that rascal Dougal Robertson there.” Widow Macaulay regarded Juliana with shrewd gray eyes for a moment, then jerked her chin toward the hallway behind her. “All right. Bring ’er in. Can she walk?”
Lady Juliana scowled up at Logan. “Of course, I can.”
She tried to wriggle free again, but Logan’s arms tightened around her. “Better not risk it. She fell when she tried to dismount.”
“Take ’er to the back bedchamber. I’ll fetch her a drink and some dry clothes.”
Widow Macaulay disappeared around a corner, muttering to herself, and Logan made his way to the back of the house. When they reached the bedchamber, he laid Lady Juliana down carefully on the bed.
She glanced up at him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I, ah—I thank you for your…solicitousness, Mr. Blair.”
Logan frowned down at her. “There’s no need for you to be embarrassed,mo bhean uasal. You’re exhausted, and your limbs are stiff from being so long in the saddle. I’ve seen burly farmers experience the same.”
Her brows rose, as if the last thing she’d expected was for him to make excuses for her.
“You’re not used to such a hard ride as we had today,” he added, when she remained silent.
“Well, I confess it was a bit more strenuous than a jaunt through Hyde Park.” She stole another glance at him. Her face relaxed a little when she saw he wasn’t laughing at her.
“There’s no shame in accepting help, Lady Juliana.”
She snorted. “No, but you’re hardly one to deliver that particular lecture, Mr. Blair.”
Logan thought of the many times he’d refused Fitz’s help since his brother came to Castle Kinross. “No, maybe not.”
“Stubborn.” She let out a long sigh. “We have that in common.”
She went quiet, but before Logan could withdraw from the room she surprised him by saying, “I’m afraid if I ask for help too often, I’ll forget how to help myself. It wouldn’t be so surprising, really. I was raised to be decorative, not useful.”
Logan stared down at her, too astounded to say a word.Decorative?Is that all she thought she was? He’d never known a more determined, independent woman in his life. He’d also never known a more obstinate, willful, maddening one, but one thing Lady Juliana Bernard wasnotwas useless.
He sat on the edge of the bed, careful to keep a respectable distance between them. “You rode for hours today—a good part of it after taking a swim in Ruthven Burn. You saved Fiona, and made the three Robertson boys your devoted slaves. Would you have believed you could do all that before today?”
She shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. “No. None of it. I wouldn’t have believed myself capable of journeying to Scotland to coerce a reluctant gentleman into becoming my husband, either.”
His lips twitched. “You don’t need me anymore, you know. Any one of the Robertson brothers is yours for the asking.”
She laughed. “What nonsense.”
“No. Dougal in particular is smitten. Your daring rescue of Fiona sealed his fate.” He was quiet for a moment, studying her face. “What made you do it? You must have realized how dangerous it was. It’s a miracle you and Fiona didn’t both end up at the bottom of the burn.”
“Yes, I suppose so. I didn’t really think about that at the time, though. She was cold and frightened, and…crying, and she’d watched her poor mama drown. I couldn’t just leave her there to die. I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t at least tried to help her.”
“Maoth-chridheach,” he murmured. “Tenderhearted, just as Dougal said.”
She seemed not to know what to say to that, but her gaze met his. Both of them were quiet, the tension building between them as they stared at each other without speaking. The silence grew heavy with expectation until Logan, almost without knowing he did it, leaned toward her.
As he drew closer her green eyes darkened, and her lips parted…
He didn’t leap upon her, or take her mouth hard, as if he had every right to it. No, he took his time, his mouth drawing closer to hers so gradually he was made achingly aware of how badly he wanted her kiss long before his lips touched hers.
But when they did…when they did…
A sigh unlike any he’d ever heard before left Juliana’s lips. Her mouth was so warm, her lips softer than he ever could have imagined. He kissed her carefully, his lips gentle and teasing until she opened her mouth under his.
