Well, he’d certainly landed himself in the pickle barrel, hadn’t he? Then he remembered. “I have a business meeting tomorrow with Lord Mount Stuart. I am afraid it will last for hours.”
She lowered her lashes, but not before he caught a flash of anger. When she raised her head, though, there was no sign of it. “I have a better idea. Since no one conducts business on a Saturday, we could go for a carriage ride in Hyde Park.”
He smiled. “I am afraid I do not have a carriage. Only my horse.”
She smiled, too. “That is not a problem. I will send my father’s landau to collect you. Shall we say two of the clock?”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to becollected, but he couldn’t think of a polite way to refuse without having her complain to her parents that he was a rude Highland barbarian, which was the last thing he wanted. He nodded, a bit stiffly, his smile still in place.
“Two o’clock will be fine.”
“Wonderful!” She gave him a seductive look. “I look forward to it.”
He managed to keep the smile plastered on his face as she left to fill the rest of her dance card, then he dropped it completely as he turned and caught a glimpse of the man who’d just arrived.
Gavin Campbell. Nephew of the Duke of Argyll and son of the man who’d been awarded five hundred hectares of MacGregor lands around Strae Castle just a few years ago.
What in hell ishedoing in London?
Chapter Five
“Who would have thought Louisa knewexactlythe right person to divert my brother’s interest?” Fiona asked Lorelei as the two of them sipped punch at the far end of Almack’s ballroom.
“Hmmm.” Lorelei took another swallow so she wouldn’t have to answer.
“And we could have saved ourselves from trying to plot how to introduce them so Melissa would be attracted,” Fiona went on. “I ken my brothers are good-looking, but Alasdair is going to gloat about her reaction to him for sure.”
“Hmmm,” Lorelei said again. She was finding it hard to think of anything pleasant to say. Medusa—Melissa—Talbot was practically throwing herself at Alasdair. She was going to cause a scandal if she weren’t careful. And where was her mother? She didn’t accompany her daughter? No wonder she was nearly acting like a wanton.
“Is that all ye can say?” Fiona gave her a curious look. “Ye are nae jealous, are ye?”
“Jealous? Of course not.” Lorelei set her cup down. “Why should I be?”
“I ken my brother flirted with ye in Scotland—”
“And I flirted with him, too.” Lorelei forced a laugh that sounded a little brittle even to her. “The practice is quite common, even more so in London.”
“I ken.” Fiona tilted her head. “This is what we wanted, nae? To keep my brother occupied so we could go on our adventures?”
“It is.” It was exactly what she wanted, only Lorelei hadn’t anticipated being miffed that it had happened so easily. It just proved Alasdair had not been serious in Scotland. It was simply lighthearted banter he’d offered so enticingly. Actually, she should begladthat it was so obvious. Now she wouldn’t have to feel guilty over her plotting with Fiona. Which they certainly hadn’t needed to do. Med—Melissa—would probably cling to him like a barnacle to a pier piling all night.
“Well, the music is about to start. I think we should start smiling prettily if we want to get our dance cards filled.”
“I suppose ye are right.”
Fiona didn’t sound overly pleased at the idea. Lorelei had explained to her last week that the young men always watched for a signal to approach, since none of them wanted to be rebuffed. She’d snorted at that and said it sounded like cowardice. A Scot wouldn’t have any such hesitation if he saw a lass he favored. Lorelei smiled at her now. “At least we do not have to flutter our eyelashes.”
That brought a near frown. “I am nae going to flutter anything. Not even a handkerchief. If a man is nae brave enough…” She paused and squinted slightly as she looked past Lorelei to the entrance. “Is that Gavin Campbell who just came in? I wonder what he’s doing here? Alasdair will nae be pleased.”
Lorelei turned to look at the tall, broad-shouldered man who had just entered. The lighting from the overhead chandelier caught the sun streaks in his chestnut hair and for a moment, the effect almost looked like a halo. But Gavin Campbell was no angel, unless he was a fallen one like Lucifer.
The first time she’d met him, he’d been summoned by Ian to Strae Castle because someone had reived MacGregor sheep and the Campbells were the closest neighbors. While Gavin had claimed innocence—the sheep had never been found—he’d taken a slight fancy to Lorelei’s sister Emily, which had infuriated Ian to no end. Not that the MacGregors needed a reason to be irritated. Campbells had been given much of their lands throughout the past decades.
“I wonder if Alasdair saw him come in.”
Fiona grimaced. “He did.”
Lorelei wasn’t so sure, since…Melissahad been holding his attention, not that she was going to mention that. “I am sure they will both be civil.”
