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Getting Davina to submit would be his pleasure.

Davina paced the length of the foyer, chewing the inside of her mouth. Arms folded tightly, her nails bit into her sleeves. The closed study door loomed behind her, silent and imposing. What could her uncle possibly be saying to Broderick? Her thoughts whirled with scenarios, each worse than the last.

What if Uncle Tammus saw through her plan? What if Broderick said something careless—or worse, lost his temper? He seemed capable enough, aye, but she didn’t know him well enough to trust that he’d hold his own against her uncle. And Tammus could be…formidable. He had a way of dismantling a person with nothing more than a look.

Davina clenched her jaw and turned on her heel, her thoughts racing.But Broderick is no ordinary man, is he?She recalled how he’d stood his ground earlier, calm and unflinching. There was a dark intensity about him, a quiet power that made her stomach twist in ways she didn’t dare examine. But what if that same intensity led to a clash? If he and Tammus came to blows, it would ruin everything.

The uncertainty gnawed at her, tangling her thoughts into knots. She was so caught in her frantic pacing she nearly jumpedwhen the front door opened.

Rosselyn startled as well. “Oh, Davina.” Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned to close the door behind her. “What are ye doing just pacing here?” Rosselyn’s gaze shifted to the study door, brows arching. “Good gracious. Is that a suitor in there already?”

“Shush.” Davina cast a wary glance toward the closed door. She couldn’t hear a thing through the thick wood, but for her own peace of mind, she grasped Rosselyn’s arm and tugged her into the Great Hall, closing the doors behind them.

“Nay,” she whispered. “Uncle Tammus is not in there with a suitor.”

Rosselyn tilted her head, curiosity deepening. “Then what has you pacing like a caged beast?”

Davina sighed and slumped onto the bench, her hands wringing together. “He’s in there with Broderick.”

Rosselyn blinked. “Broderick? The fortune teller’s son? Why? Are you considering him as a husband?”

Davina scoffed. “Of course not! I don’t want to marry anyone, let alone him.”

But the words felt hollow, and her mind betrayed her with a fleeting image of Broderick. The thought of having him in her bed on a more permanent basis gave her pause—a flicker of temptation she quickly dismissed. Men always came with expectations, with notions that women had no say in any matter. Passion-filled nights were hardly worth the arrangement.

“I asked him to accompany me when I meet Uncle Tammus’s suitors,” she said, hoping to leave it at that.

Rosselyn’s eyes narrowed, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “Ah, I see. You’re going to use the Gypsy to read their minds?”

Davina stiffened, her cheeks warming. “I just want him to tellme if the men have good intentions,” she defended. “If they’ve a propensity for heavy-handed discipline, I want no part of the union.”

“And if he discovers they’ve a particular dislike for something?” Rosselyn voice dripped with sarcasm. “You wouldn’tdreamof taking advantage of that, would you?”

“Well…perhaps.” Davina shrugged, feigning innocence. “Oh, and we’re telling Uncle Tammus that he’s a shepherd from the village and not that he’s from the Romani caravan.”

“Ah, that reminds me.” Rosselyn reached into her smock pocket and sat beside Davina. “I secured some ointment for yer hands when I was picking up more autumn crocus for yer mother’s rheumatism.”

“Thank you.”

When Davina took the jar and bottle, Rosselyn noticed the new wrappings. “Oh, you tended the wounds yourself?”

“Amice did.” The old Gypsy was the one who told Davina about using careful doses of autumn crocus for her mother’s joint pains while they were in Aberdeen. “That woman is a miracle worker.”

“Aye, she is.” Rosselyn laughed but shook her head. “As for your little plan with Broderick? ’Tis a bit risky. If Tammus finds out, he’ll marry you off to whomever he pleases, and you won’t get a choice.”

“Well, Uncle Tammus won’t find out,” Davina said firmly. “He’s already agreed to let Broderick accompany me, and the first suitor arrives on the morrow.”

Rosselyn arched a brow. “Then what has you so nervous?”

Davina groaned and rose from the bench, pacing again. “I don’t want Broderick to foul this up! You should’ve seen the handshake they shared. I thought they were about to tradeblows. You know how confrontational Uncle Tammus can be.”

Before Rosselyn could reply, Davina heard the creak of hinges and a thump. She peeked through the double doors and spotted Broderick stepping into the foyer, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on her. Her heart gave a strange flutter as those long, powerful legs carried him toward her. The man’s casual stride commanded attention, and her core clenched as she remembered those same legs entwined with hers.Mind your thoughts, girl!she scolded herself.

She opened the door and ushered him into the Great Hall. “Broderick, you remember Rosselyn, my handmaid, don’t you?”

Broderick inclined his head toward Rosselyn, a faint smile playing upon his lips. “Ah, the woman who has my friend Nicabar so infatuated.”

Rosselyn’s eyes lit up with interest. “He talks about me?”