Page 69 of To Wed a Wild Scot
Logan came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the hallway. A chambermaid was kneeling on the floor near Juliana’s bedchamber, picking up a few pieces of coal she’d dropped from her scuttle. He’d been so distracted he’d nearly run right over her, and she was staring up at him with wide, frightened eyes.
It wasn’t even dawn, and he’d already terrified two women.
“Is her ladyship inside?” Logan nodded toward the door of the guest bedchamber where Juliana had been staying since she arrived at Castle Kinross.
“No, sir. Mrs. Selkirk says ’er ladyship’s gone back to England. She sent me up ’ere to fetch the coal.”
“Gone to England? What, already?” Was it possible she’d actually gonewithouthim?
No, she wouldn’t do that. Juliana hadn’t gone to such great lengths to secure a husband only to leave him behind now.
The girl shrank back, her eyes wider than ever. Logan drew in a deep breath and forced himself to speak calmly before the chit scurried off like a frightened mouse. “What makes you think her ladyship has left Castle Kinross already?”
“Saw ’er creeping out to the stables a while back,” the girl said, her voice shaking. “She were dressed for travel.”
Logan stared at her, panic tightening his chest. He could only think of one reason Juliana would creep off to the stables alone.
Jesus, was she actually leaving him? His chest grew tighter with every breath as he raced down the stairs, through the door, and into the stable yard. He was about to burst into the stable when he caught sight of Stokes lingering by the doors. “Where is she?”
Stokes’s face darkened when he saw Logan, but he jerked his head toward the open stable doors. “Inside.”
Logan pushed past Stokes and raced into the stables, searching for Juliana in the dim light. He couldn’t have said whether he was relieved or furious, but some powerful emotion was clawing at his throat. He wasn’t sure if it was a plea or a tirade—he only knew it was going to burst free with some violence the moment he saw her. “Juliana?”
“I’m here.”
Her voice came from a far corner of the stables. He stalked toward her, his confused emotions burning their way up his throat to his lips, but as soon as he saw her, they dissolved on his tongue.
She was sitting on a hay bale, her blue riding skirt spread out in a pool around her, holding Fiona in her arms. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“Juliana.” Logan forgot his anger and his panic, forgot their disastrous wedding night, and forgot he’d believed less than a minute earlier that she’d left him. He rushed to her side. “Don’t cry,mobhean.”
“It’s foolish of me, I know.” She dragged her sleeve across her eyes to dry her tears, but they kept falling. “I shouldn’t have taken her from Mr. Robertson. I knew all along I’d have to leave her behind.”
“If you don’t want to leave her, we’ll bring her with us.” The words landed in the dusty air between them, surprising Logan. The last thing he wanted was to share a cramped carriage with a nervous lamb, but he would have promised anything to make Juliana stop crying.
He shook his head, amazed at himself.
“No, we can’t bring her with us. She’ll slow us down, and it isn’t fair to her to drag her all the way to England. I won’t be so silly as that, though I don’t deny I’ll miss her.” Another tear rolled down Juliana’s cheek, and she pressed her face against the lamb’s woolly head. “My father always kept hunting dogs, but I never had a pet of my own.”
I’ll find you another lamb, dozens of them…
The words jumped from Logan’s head to his lips with alarming speed, but before he had a chance to say them Juliana rose, and with a final sniff put Fiona down on top of the hay bale. “I’m sorry, Fiona, but it can’t be helped.” She leaned down and pressed one last kiss on the lamb’s head, then turned to Logan.
“I’ve asked Stokes to ready the carriage for the ride to Inverness. I’m prepared to leave whenever you…” She trailed off, appearing to notice for the first time he was wearing only a shirt and breeches. Her gaze seemed to linger on his bare neck, but she quickly averted her eyes, her cheeks flushing pink. “But perhaps you’re not quite ready to leave yet.”
Logan’s gaze followed that wash of pink color as it swept down her throat, absurdly pleased by it. If a hint of his bare skin could make her blush like that, perhaps all hope wasn’t lost, after all. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
By the time Logan washed, dressed, and returned to the yard, Stokes was mounted, their baggage was secured, and Fitz and Emilia were waiting in the stable yard to bid them goodbye.
“Promise me you’ll stop often to rest, Lina. You won’t be much good to your father if you’re ill when you arrive in Surrey.” Fitz pressed a kiss to one of Juliana’s cheeks, then the other. “There’s one for Grace, as well. You’ll give it to her for me?”
Juliana smiled and squeezed his hands. “Yes, of course.”
Fitz took Logan aside while Juliana and Emilia said their goodbyes. “She’s yours now, Logan,” he murmured, looking at Juliana. “Take care of her.”
After last night Logan wasn’t sure he knew how to take care of a wife, but he nodded.
“Goodbye Logan. I’ll miss you.” Emilia pressed her cheek to his. “Promise me you’ll bring Juliana back for a visit soon.”
