Page 44 of To Wed a Wild Scot
Logan’s gaze jerked to her face. “No.”
“You mean to say, then, that you wouldn’t have taken my letters for any reason other than to protect your clan?”
“I—yes. That’s what I mean to say.” He hadn’t had to say it, though, because again, she’d said it for him. Logan stared at her, amazed. He’d expected her to defend her father, and instead she’d defendedhim. He would have said he couldn’t be more shocked than he was at that moment, but then she said something that made his mouth drop open.
“If it had been Grace’s welfare at stake, I would have done the same thing. We’re not so different, Mr. Blair.”
That startled a smile out of him. “No. Odd, isn’t it?”
Her lips quirked. “Very.”
They fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence after that, but as soon as they arrived at Castle Kinross, their peace was shattered.
Fitz must have been watching for them, because he was waiting in the entryway when they entered, his arms folded over his chest and his lips pressed into a thin, angry line. Emilia was there as well, looking anxious.
“Where,” Fitz began, his voice colder than Logan had ever heard it. “Where thedevildid you two spend last night, Logan?”
“Fitzwilliam!” Emilia cried, shocked at the curse.
Fitz didn’t reply. His gaze remained locked on Logan, his eyes like blue ice. “Logan?”
Logan was as anxious to have the explanation out as Fitz was. “We rode out to Robertson’s farm. By the time we left it was too late to make it back here, so we spent the night at Widow Macaulay’s.”
“Widow Macaulay’s?” Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, that sounds perfectly respectable, so—”
“Why is Lina wearing that dress? It doesn’t even fit her!” Fitz turned to Emilia. “Didn’t you tell me she was wearing your riding habit when she left yesterday?”
Emilia shot Juliana an apologetic look. “Well yes, but—”
“Well, Logan? If it’s as simple as you claim, why was Lina obliged to change clothes? It looks like she’s wearing one of Widow Macaulay’s gowns!”
Fitz was glaring at Logan, but before he could say a word in reply Juliana marched up to Fitz and poked her finger into his chest. “That’s because Iamwearing one of her gowns. And I beg your pardon,Your Grace, but kindly stop speaking of me as if I’m not here.”
Logan smothered a grin. Lady Juliana hardly reached Fitz’s shoulder, but that didn’t stop her from scowling fiercely up at him.
Fitz blinked down at her. “You don’t understand, Lina. Logan should never have taken you to Robertson’s farm to begin with. He’s risked your reputation—”
“My reputation! Oh, for pity’s sake! What does that matter now? And Logan didn’ttakeme anywhere. I followed him to the Robertsons’ farm, and then I fell into Ruthven Burn, and Mr. Robertson gave me the lamb I rescued, and we ended up at Widow Macaulay’s for the night, and if you don’t believe me, then you can go to the stables and see Fiona for yourself!”
No one said a word after this outburst. Fitz and Emilia were gaping at Juliana, and Logan, who couldn’t make much sense of her tale despite having witnessed the entire thing, was trying not to laugh.
The silence stretched on until at last Fitz cleared his throat. “I want to speak to Logan alone. Emilia, will you please take Lina upstairs? Logan, I’ll attend you in the library in five minutes.”
With that, Fitz turned on his heel and strode away.
Logan looked at Juliana. “That went well. See? I told you we’d manage him.”
Her eyebrows shot up, but then she caught his grin and a smile curved her lips. “You did say that, didn’t you?”
She didn’t have a chance to say any more, because Emilia took her by the hand and dragged her up the stairs. Logan watched them go, then wandered off to the library, threw himself into a chair before the fire, and rested his muddy boots on the ottoman.
He already knew what Fitz was going to say to him. He could hear the words in his head as clearly as if he were reading them aloud from a page.
Stolen letters…ruined reputation…an honorable man would…
The worst of it was, it was all true. Juliana wouldn’t be in this mess if he hadn’t taken her letters, and that made him guilty of everything else that followed.
Then there was the child, Grace, to consider. He was fond of children. Fonder than he was of adults, truth be told. He’d noticed the way Juliana’s eyes lit up whenever she spoke of Grace, and he didn’t like to think of the child being sent off to live with a scoundrel because of something he’d done.
