Page 17 of Forever My Lass

“Eileen has brought you dinner.”

An encouraging smile tipped the girl’s mouth, but the moment Madeline pushed herself upright in bed, the maid gasped in obvious horror. Startled, she looked at the younger woman, whose cheeks were bright red, and Madeline shook her head in confusion.

“I’m certain Miss Whitworth has a bed jacket in her trunk, Eileen.”

Lord Glenburnie’s statement was a veiled command, and the maid hastily darted toward a tall chifforobe. Seconds later, the young woman retrieved a feminine jacket with lace edging on the sleeves and neckline. Eileen scurried back to the bedside, her face still bright with color. Muttering something beneath her breath, she urged Madeline to put the jacket on.

Madeline gave the maid a dubious look as she pushed her arms through the sleeves. Her gaze flitted toward Lord Glenburnie. He was observing the incident with an unreadable expression, but she could have sworn she saw amusement flickering in his blue eyes, as well as something else that made her breath hitch.

When Eileen was satisfied Madeline was suitably covered, the maid sighed with obvious relief. Pink color still flaring in her cheeks, the maid bobbed her head in an approving manner.

“There now, Miss. That’s much better.”

“Thank you,” Madeline said as she bit back a smile. If Eileen thought this high-necked, long-sleeved nightgown was too revealing, the woman would faint at Madeline’s normal nightwear. The young woman smiled with satisfaction as she set a bed tray in front of Madeline, then adjusted the legs to ensure it was stable.

“That will be all, Eileen. You may return for the tray later.” As her host met his servant’s gaze, the maid frowned as if she meant to argue. When her employer narrowed his eyes at her, Eileen flushed again.

“Aye, me lord. I will leave the door open so I can hear Miss Whitworth call out if she needs anything else.”

“An excellent idea,” he said as his mouth thinned with irritation. “However, as my guest, Miss Whitworth’s reputation is quite safe.”

Cheeks bright red once more, the maid fled the room, and Madeline barely managed to not laugh out loud. She knew it wasn’t right to laugh at the young woman’s embarrassment, but it was difficult not to when her nightgown was far from revealing. Madeline’s gaze shifted back to Lord Glenburnie to find him eyeing her with an arched eyebrow. Now it was her turn for her cheeks to grow hot beneath his penetrating gaze.

“I’m sorry. I’m not used to… I mean, I don’t think about what I’m wearing when I’m at home.”

“Given this morning’s events and your subsequent injuries, it would surprise me to discover otherwise.”

The irony in his voice made her cheeks burn hotter, and she wasn’t sure if he was simply making an observation or censuring her. He crossed the floor to a chair pressed against the wall and easily lifted it with one hand to carry it to the side of her bed. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he went commando under his kilt.

Madeline swallowed hard at the thought. That kind of curiosity was almost as insane as believing she was in the past. But her decision to view things from a factual, scientific viewpoint, forced her to consider every possibility that she was in the past. Especially when, as illogical and fantastical as the idea was, everything pointed in that direction. The realization immediately threw questions at her like darts flying toward a dart board. How in God’s name had she been thrown back to 1896? How had she been on the Destiny’s Dream one minute only to wind up in the water and under a different ship altogether? A shipwreck she was surprised she’d survived.

Maybe she hadn’t. Her stomach lurched at the thought. But if she hadn’t survived the capsizing of the Destiny’s Dream, how had she landed in the past? Then again, what if she was in a deep sleep? She’d heard patients’ stories of near-death experiences, where they’d visited another dimension. Now, she really was going off the deep end. She might not know how she’d arrived here, but she was certain she wasn’t asleep. All of it was too real and tangible to be a dream.

As Lord Glenburnie sat down in the chair, Madeline breathed in the masculine scent of pine, musk, and the outdoors. No, she was definitely not asleep. The man confirmed that in spades. Dark-blue eyes studied Madeline intently for a long moment.

The intensity and assessment of his gaze sent a frisson skimming across the surface of her skin. Heart pounding, her mouth went dry as an image of the man kissing her flitted through her mind. The mental picture tightened every one of her muscles and constricted her lungs until it was almost difficult to breathe, while her brain gleefully fired off several more arousing images.

Desperate to ease the growing tension in her body, she fought to form a coherent sentence and break the silence between them. Lord, not even when she’d first met Martin had she experienced such an awkward, tongue-tied emotion.

“I’ve been…been a lot of trouble, and I’m…I’m sorry.” Madeline stumbled over her words as she succeeded in pushing her fantasies aside by staring down at her dinner.

“I’ll nae deny things have been…interesting, since I pulled you out of the water.” The wry comment made Madeline glance at him to see a small smile of amusement on his sensual mouth.

Earlier today in his study, before her mad dash down to the sea, his accent had been softer and more refined. Now, although his voice still had a polished edge to it, there was more than just a hint of the Scottish accent in the dark, silky sound. With just a few seductive words, all this man had to do was crook his finger and whatever woman he wanted would come running.

Without any doubt, she fell into that category of women. Everything about this man made her want to break every rule in the book and then some. Another arousing image flitted through her head, and she batted it away in her struggle to regain control of her senses. Refusing to give in to all the delicious fantasies tumbling over one another in her head, Madeline focused on the fact that he’d probably found her a troublesome guest. One corner of her mouth twisted in a wry grimace.

“I’m happy to help.”

At the soft note of sarcasm in her voice, he laughed. It was a pleasant sound. Her brain instantly threw out an image of him laughing as he hovered over her just before kissing her. Madeline scowled at him, uncertain whether it was because he might be laughing at her or to destroy the fantasies filling her head. He folded his arms across his chest, a smile still curving his sensual lips. Another fantasy flitted through her head, and she batted it into oblivion.

“I’m beginning to think you might have Scottish blood in you, Madeline. That glare is worthy of the best Highland lass.” The teasing observation earned him another glare, and he laughed again.

“Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are, Lord Glenburnie?” She glowered at him, not enjoying the sensation of being forced to be so formal while he wasn’t. “And this title thing isn’t working for me. What’s your real name?”

“My real name?” He didn’t answer her for a moment, and she saw a glint of devilment in his eyes. She didn’t know why, but something about his expression said he was thinking it might be amusing not to answer her question. He smiled again. “Iain Fraser, Baron of Glenburnie.”

It was a good, strong name. It suited him. He arched an eyebrow at her, and his mouth twitched as if he wanted to laugh again. Determined not to give him any other ammunition to tease her with, Madeline focused her gaze on the plate of food in front of her. Silence fell between them for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.