The Highlander Is All That (Untamed Highlanders #4)(77)

Her sisters, fortunately provided just that with their non-stop chatter as they prepared.

“Aren’t you going to the Darlington party?” Mary asked Anne at one point.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Anne said.

“You’d better change. That frock will never do,” Victoria announced.

“I will, but there’s no rush.”

“You want to look your best.”

Anne chuckled. “I’m not hunting for a husband.”

“You have Bower now,” Victoria said. “How lovely. I’ve always liked him.”

“Me too.” Anne’s smile was brilliant. “A pity he’s not coming tonight.”

“No?” Mary frowned. “I was hoping to have a dance with him.”

“He claims he has too much work to do.” Anne rolled her eyes. “But I suspect he simply dislikes fancy parties.”

“Will you miss all the parties? When you move to Scotland?” Victoria asked.

“I don’t think so. I’ve never been fond of them.”

“You’ve always been happier with your nose in a book.” Mary grinned. “I heard there is an extensive library at Bowermadden.”

Anne sighed. “I am so very happy. Especially because you are both coming to live in Scotland too.” This last bit, she said to Mary and Victoria.

Elizabeth, feeling somewhat put out, huffed.

Victoria sat on the bed beside her and patted her back. “You can come too, Elizabeth. That is, if you and Hamish cannot work things out.”

“Of course they will work things out.” How could Anne be so certain? Did she have the cloud of a beautiful, accommodating, open-armed widow hanging over her head?

“They have to work things out,” Mary said. Unfortunately, she said it in a tone that captured everyone’s attention.

Victoria’s brow wrinkled. “Whatever do you mean?”

For her part, Anne simply turned and stared at Elizabeth. And Anne, being Anne, did not take long to catch on. Her face paled and her mouth dropped open. “No,” she breathed.

Elizabeth rolled over and covered her face with her arm.

Victoria frowned. “No, what?” And when no one answered her, “What? What is going on?”

“You can’t tell her,” Elizabeth said. “She couldn’t keep a secret if the future of the British Empire depended on it.”

“Of course I can keep a secret.” Victoria put out a lip. “Why doesn’t anyone ever tell me anything?”

“Because you cannot keep a secret,” Anne said gently. “We all know it’s true. You are far too impulsive.”

Mary huffed a sigh. “We will just have to push Hamish to propose.”

Oh, God. How humiliating. “You most certainly will not. If he doesn’t love me enough to defy the duke, I don’t want him.”

“Do you hear what you’re saying?” Anne said on a laugh.

Elizabeth lurched up and glared at Anne. “You defied the duke.”

“This isn’t about the duke, is it, darling?”

“I have no idea what you mean.”

“What do you mean?” Victoria wailed. And when Anne didn’t respond, “Why doesn’t anyone ever tell me anything?”

Anne sat next to Elizabeth and gently combed back her hair with her fingers. “I think it’s about the widow Dunn, isn’t it?”

Elizabeth couldn’t respond, other than with a sob.

Victoria’s expression puckered. “But he said he didn’t love the widow. He said he loved Elizabeth.”

“I know.” Anne sighed. “But I think he has to say more than that, doesn’t he? He broke your heart.”

Oh, Anne. She always understood. Elizabeth sat up and wrapped her arms around her. “Am I being silly? Wanting more?”

“Not in the least.” Anne pulled back and met Elizabeth’s gaze with a fierce frown. “He needs to grovel . . . at least a little.”

“Oh, definitely,” Mary said gleefully.

Victoria frowned. “But don’t make him grovel too much.”

“Of course not. But an apology, at least, I think. For not telling you sooner?”

That would be lovely.

Ah, her sisters always made her feel better. She would miss them so much when they left.

“There. And in the meantime, while we wait for Mr. Robb to come to his senses and grovel, let’s prepare for a lovely evening with the Earl and Countess of Darlington. Shall we?”

“Yes.”

“And I want you to be sure to find the most handsome man in the room and dance with him. That will give Hamish something to think about, won’t it?”

The vision of Hamish watching her dance with another man and gnashing his teeth in jealousy was gratifying indeed.

And, childish or not, she needed it at the moment.

It was a glorious thought.

What a shame he did not attend the party.

Like Bower, he cried off, saying he had far too much work to do which was, in Elizabeth’s opinion, a bald-faced, cowardly lie.

Still, she vowed to find the most handsome man in the room nonetheless and dance him silly, whether he wanted it or not.

*

That night, Hamish prowled around Sinclair House like a little boy lost.