Irving had looked disgusted that Blair should even speak to her, let alone be so close to her. When she had looked up into her betrothed’s eyes and seen the disgust there, she knew that she could never marry him. Not that she’d planned to anyway, but now it was even more solidified in her mind.
I could never marry a man such as that, full of such self-importance.
He reminded her slightly of her father, and if her married life was going to be just as bad as her life growing up in her family home, full of rules made by men who expected her to obey them, then she wanted no part in it.
The anger she’d seen in Blair’s eyes after Irving had spoken to him had frightened her as well. Blair looked almost murderous, and for some reason that she could not identify, she was embarrassed to be seen in the same room with Irving, let alone be presented as his fiancée.
Dear Lord, what a mess.She’d sat back down, but after the meal, she was desperate to get outside and breathe in air that Irving was not breathing. Now that she stood in the cold garden,she sucked in a breath, closing her eyes as the chill of it made her tremble. But it was better than anger.
Knowing that Blair was behind her, she didn’t walk too fast, but she could tell that he was giving her space. It warmed her heart, and she put a hand to the spot where it ached. How could someone want another so badly, but they did not want them in return? That, along with her forced betrothal, made Ada want to scream at the moon.
Hearing hushed voices at the far side of the garden, she opened her eyes and looked for the source of the sound. When she couldn’t see the people right away, she walked a little further down the path and then backed up against a bush when she noticed Irving speaking to one of the maids. She covered her mouth to keep back a gasp, fearing that she was about to see him attempt a flirtatious interaction or perhaps worse.
But instead, the two of them stood a distance apart, and under the torchlight, the maid looked a little confused when Irving handed her something. She shook her head, and when Ada squinted her eyes, she thought that the maid looked as though she’d been crying. Breathing in, Ada worried that Irving had done something bad to the lass to make her look so, but she couldn’t be sure from such a distance.
The thing he handed her was white, and despite her squinting, she couldn’t tell what it was. When the girl shook her head yet again and stepped backward, Ada strode forward, making her presence known, for she couldn’t stay away any longer. Shewould help her if she could. But as she approached, the maid took the small thing into her hands.
Irving turned to Ada when he heard her footsteps, and without blinking, he smiled. “Och, there ye are, Lady Ada. I was just comin’ tae fetch ye so that we could return tae yer father.”
“What are ye doin’ with Jane?” she asked, motioning to the young woman.
“I was just helpin’ the lass. I heard her cryin’ out here when I came tae fetch ye, and so I handed her a handkerchief. I am a gentleman after all.” He grinned again, and Ada looked at Jane, who did look as though she’d been crying.
But was he the source of it?
“Is that true, Jane?” Ada asked, looking to the young girl and feeling her body tense by the second. There was something unpleasant about staying next to Irving, and she couldn’t shake the feeling off.
“Aye, Lady Ada,” she said, holding up the handkerchief between her fingers and then dabbing her eyes.
Ada frowned. The maid seemed almost at ease now. But what had she seen? Had she made something up in her mind because she wished very much to dislike the man her father had betrothed her to?
“Very well. Ye may go now, Jane. Let me ken if there is somethin’ I can dae tae help.”
“Thank ye, Lady Ada,” the lass said hurriedly, curtsying quickly before she scampered off. Ada then turned to Irving who was watching her curiously.
“Dae ye often go wanderin’ off on yer own, lass?” he asked, a little curl to the edge of his lips, but in his eyes, she did not sense humor.
“Why should it matter tae ye? It is me home after all, and I ken its every in and out.”
He nodded. “That sounds very reasonable.” He took a step closer, and biting her lip to keep from gasping, Ada stepped back slightly.
The uneasiness crawled on her skin, making her heart race faster and her palms sweat. It was not the same lovely uneasiness she felt when in Blair’s presence but rather one that made her think of dark and dangerous things.
“So, how come yer guard, Blair if I’m nae mistaken, is nae walkin’ with ye around? Should nae he be followin’ yer tracks, makin’ sure yer sound and safe?”
“I am nae prisoner, me laird. A walk in the gardens is nae so dangerous.”Unless I have someone watching me steps like yedo.Ada didn’t want to admit that most probably Blair was going to come any second now, which calmed her to no end.
“How long has he worked for yer family?”
“A few years now,” she said with a frown, wondering why he should care about such a thing.
“I see. And so yer father kens him well. Dae ye?”
Ada’s brows knit together. “Why must ye ask such things? He is the guard assigned tae me because of me father and his constant worry for me protection. Why should ye care about him at all?”
“Well, it is somethin’ that a betrothed would ask about a man who is by yer side at every moment.” Somehow, his smile grew even larger, and one brow lifted as his gaze raked over his face. “It is unusual, then, I suppose, that I should find meself alone with ye now.” His hand reached out to brush a finger along the inside of her arm. Ada shivered and moved her arm out of the way.
“I think it is time tae return inside, dae ye nae?” she asked.