When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After #3)(60)

He stopped pacing and approached her. He put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his intense blue gaze. “I am wearing a cravat and cuff links at the godforsaken Beetle Ball. Does this not count as going to trouble for you?”

“But . . . that’s not for me. Not really.”

“Maddie, mo chridhe.” His grip on her arms softened to a caress, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Like hell it isn’t.”

Her heart swelled in her chest. If he kissed her right now . . .

If he could love her . . .

Perhaps nothing else would matter.

Losing work was a disappointment. Maddie wanted that encyclopedia post. Even more than that, she wanted to be recognized for her illustrations. Lord Varleigh’s snub had settled in the pit of her stomach like a bitter, queasy lump.

But the prospect of losing Logan tore at her heart.

In a strange, illogical way, he’d been a fixture in her life since she was sixteen years old. And despite all her best attempts not to, she’d come to care for him—-the real, imperfect Logan. The man who set her body aflame with incendiary kisses and infuriated her with his arrogant presumptions and pushed her to emerge from her icy, frozen cocoon.

She’d fallen in love with him.

“I suppose it doesna matter,” he said. “All you have to do is go tell him we’re not marrying.”

Maddie swallowed hard. “I’m not certain I can do that.”

She wasn’t certain she wanted to do that.

He glanced over her shoulder at the ballroom. “I think they’re going into supper. It isna so crowded anymore.”

“It’s not the crowds. Logan, please. Let’s just go home.”

“Then we’ll just go out there and find this Mr. Dorning ourselves,” he said. “To the devil with Varleigh. You needn’t be afraid of him. I’ll tell everyone the truth.”

“Just take me home,” she said. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“No. I’m not going to let you hide behind me again.”

“What if I’m not hiding behind you?” She put her hand in his. “What if I’m choosing you instead?”

He stared down at her. “Maddie, I—-”

Tap--tap.

Tap--tap--tap.

They turned, seeking the origin of the frantic tapping noise. A familiar face was pressed to the library windowpane.

“Rabbie?” she said in disbelief.

He nodded and mouthed a word: Open.

And then another: Hurry.

Logan cursed and hurried to the window, pushing it open and extending a hand to help Rabbie through.

Once inside, Rabbie straightened and plucked bits of greenery from his sleeves. “There you two are.”

“What the devil are you doing?”

“They wouldna let me in the front. I’ve been peeking in every window, looking for you. Narrowly escaped a thrashing from a pair of footmen.”

“What’s happened?” Logan demanded. “Is it Grant?”

“No, no. Grant’s fine. It’s the lobster.”

Maddie gasped. “She’s molting?”

Rabbie pulled a face. “Och, no. Well, I canna be certain. Not exactly.”

Logan knew that look on his soldier’s face. It didn’t bode well.

“Tell us at once,” he said. “The full truth.”

“The lobster’s gone missing. She escaped.”



Chapter Twenty

They left the ball at once.

Logan offered to go ahead home on his own. “You needn’t leave with me,” he told her. “You should stay and meet Mr. Dorning. Rabbie can see you back to Lannair afterward.”

Maddie wouldn’t hear of it. “I can’t do this without you. And if Fluffy’s missing, I have to help search. She’s more than just an assignment. You know that. She’s a pet.”

Logan led the way outside, ordering their carriage with a brisk command. Since Rabbie’s horse was spent, he would have to ride with them. In the coach, the journey would take . . . Logan did a few mental calculations . . . four hours to return to Lannair. If they were lucky.

Which meant Logan had four hours to pass before he could be of any practical use in easing the worried look on Madeline’s face.

And he was going to spend every minute of them scolding Rabbie.

While the coach was brought around, Logan grabbed him by the coat front. “You had one task.”

Rabbie swallowed hard. “I know.”

“Watch the lobster.” Logan gave Rabbie a little shake. “That was the only duty I gave you. How could you manage to muck that up?”

“Well, you see. I was watching her in the studio. But ’tis a mite uncanny up there, ye ken?”

Yes, Logan knew. The place made his skin crawl too, but that was no excuse.

“So I put her in a bucket and brought ‘er downstairs while the lads and I played cards. Someone must have kicked it over. Next I looked, she was gone.”

The sheer idiocy of the entire scenario left Logan speechless. Their coach was brought around, and he helped Maddie in first before joining her.

“Not to worry,” Rabbie said, climbing in. “By the time we get back, the other lads will have already found her. How far can a lobster travel under her own power, anyway?”