Page 26 of A Bride for the Wicked Highlander (Daring a Highland Laird #2)
O scar would have ridden ten thousand miles and back to see that look on Maddie’s face, the glow of someone who had just been granted their fondest wish. She radiated a happiness he hadn’t seen in her before, her cheeks pink with joy, her eyes so bright they were beyond mesmerizing.
And nay more poutin’ over me sneakin’ off yesterday. He kept that part to himself, not wanting to ruin the moment by making her scowl again.
“We must begin at once,” Maddie said, clapping her hands together. “I have entire books filled with all I have been studying. A personal compendium that I—Oh, no! Most of my work is still at Horndean! I only have what I took to St. Andrews, which is barely a third!”
She turned to Oscar in dismay.
Across the room, Mr. Fallow wandered over to a large assortment of trunks and cases, which had come with him from Edinburgh. Had he been less laden down, requiring a carriage for the journey to Castle Muir, they might have arrived earlier.
“While you await the remainder of your personal collection, perhaps you might like to peruse mine?” the tutor said.
“I have almost everythin’ you could want: natural history, natural theology, philosophy, the sciences, astronomy, history, architecture, botany, even some tomes on economics if that should be of interest.”
Oscar laughed to ease the mood. “I might borrow them meself.”
With a breath, Maddie seemed to relax. “I have been studying the works of Buffon and Lamarck, with a little Cuvier. I relish the efforts of Sir Joseph Banks and rather envy Francis Masson.” She paused. “I do believe he is a Scotsman.”
“Indeed, I met him several times when I was a student myself, visitin’ Kew,” Mr. Fallow said, eliciting a stifled squeal from Maddie that made Oscar just the tiniest bit jealous. “Last I heard, he was roamin’ the Continent, collecting specimens for Sir Joseph.”
Maddie nodded eagerly. “Yes! Goodness, what a life to have, wandering hither and thither in beautiful, far-off places with the sole purpose of collecting plants. I can’t think of a happier existence.”
Well, that’s charmin’ of ye. Oscar considered saying so aloud, but the beaming grin upon her face and that fire in her eyes was enough to hold his tongue. He wouldn’t be like Simon Barclay; he wouldn’t douse the flame of her passions and her very being just to make himself feel better.
The tutor barked a laugh, casting a discreet look toward Oscar. “She is as enthusiastic and knowledgeable as you said. Indeed, she rather reminds me of my eldest daughter.” He returned his attention back to Maddie. “So, it is botany, zoology, and naturalism that interests you the most?”
“I am keen and willing to learn just about anything,” Maddie replied. “But, yes, I would say they are my primary interests. My personal collections will attest to that, once I can have the rest of them sent here.”
Oscar cleared his throat. “Would yer friend at Horndean ken where they are?”
“You’re quite right, I must write to Lilian at once,” Maddie replied, nodding effusively. “She has the key to the trunk where I keep them.”
Oscar smiled. “I’ll speak to Grace while ye get acquainted with Mr. Fallow. She can send a letter on yer behalf, so ye dinnae have to distract yerself.”
She looked at him then as if he’d handed her the moon; rather, some rare species of mushroom that no one had ever seen before.
A look so intense with passionate gratitude that if he’d asked her to beg in that moment, he knew she would have.
She would have given him anything... which was precisely why he needed to remove himself from the room.
Seeing her like this, bursting with joy, smiling more than she’d smiled since she arrived—and knowing it was because of him—was a thrill more powerful than anything he’d experienced.
She was the sun, and he couldn’t help but stare directly into the blaze of her.
He would blind himself with desire if he stayed a moment longer.
“I’ll leave ye to it,” he said, dipping his head to his wife and her tutor.
As he was about to depart, Maddie caught hold of his arm, turning him around.
“Thank you,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you, with all of my heart.”
She hugged him so tightly he couldn’t breathe.
Before he could even think of holding her in return, she stepped back, her eyes wide with the shock of what she had just done.
He nodded in response to her thanks, and tried very hard not to think of her body pressed against him, as he fought down the surge of longing that swept through his veins. Another test of his threadbare self-discipline. “It’s just what I promised, lass. Enjoy yerself.”
With that, he left.
It had been hours and Oscar’s mind was beginning to fray at the seams. He’d expected Maddie to at least emerge for luncheon, but that had come and gone with no sign of her. Now, it was almost time for dinner, and still she was in that study with that chuckling tutor.
There’s nay danger in it. He has a wife, he has daughters, and he seemed very fond of ‘em.
Indeed, that was another reason they’d arrived back to Castle Muir later than Oscar had anticipated: Mr. Fallow had spent almost an hour saying farewell to his wife and daughters, despite the fact that he would see them in a matter of days.
That had been the agreement, that Mr. Fallow would spend half the week at Castle Muir, and half the week in Edinburgh with his family.
Otherwise, Maddie probably could have had her education finished in a year, rather than two.
“What are ye doin’, Braither?”
Oscar turned to find Ryder leaning against the doorway of his study. “Eh?”
“Ye’re just standin’ there,” Ryder replied, gesturing at him. “Are ye waitin’ for somethin’?”
Oscar shook his head as if trying to get a fly off his face. “A man cannae just stand in his own study?”
“Aye, I suppose ye can. It’s just strange is all,” Ryder said with a shrug.
“I thought we might venture out to Lady Isle tomorrow, if ye havenae got aught else to do. Now that it’s ours, we shouldnae waste any time puttin’ soldiers and defenses in place.
I ken that Pirate Laird doesnae sail these parts much, but we dinnae want him hearin’ that there’s nay one watchin’ over the island. ”
For a long time, taking back that island had been at the very top of Oscar’s list of priorities as Laird of Muir. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to feel even the smallest bit of enthusiasm, not with his head buzzing with thoughts of Maddie and what she might be doing in that study with her tutor.
I shouldnae have chosen someone so young.
He realized with some belated and maddening epiphany that he’d essentially just placed Maddie and her perfect man alone in a room together, and he had closed the door.
With a woman as beautiful and intelligent and remarkable as her, would it really matter to Mr. Fallow that he was married? Who could resist such an opportunity?
“I cannae discuss it now,” he said tersely. “I’ll speak to ye at dinner.”
He strode out with such determination that Ryder had to leap to get out of his way, but if Ryder thought there was something amiss, he had the common sense not to follow. Oscar didn’t lose his temper often, but his brother knew better than to be near to him when he did.
Oscar thundered down the hallways, hardly noticing the servants who darted out of his path, until he came to the door of Maddie’s private study.
He frowned, a little soothed to find that the door wasn’t closed but stood partially ajar.
Wide enough that the two people inside would think twice about doing anything improper.
Ye’re goin’ to upset her if ye go stormin’ in there. Ye’ll undo all the good ye’ve done, his mind warned him, making him pause for a moment.
He took a few breaths, gathering himself. He would not be Simon Barclay, and he certainly would not be his father, so possessive and obsessive that his wife couldn’t even instruct a male servant to fetch water without flying into a jealous rage.
Feeling calmer, he pushed through the door without knocking. It was his castle, after all; he didn’t need to knock.
“I thought I’d come and remind me wife that she cannae eat learnin’,” he said by way of greeting, his mind further calmed by the sight of Maddie and Mr. Fallow.
She sat on one side of the oak desk, while Mr. Fallow sat on the other, an enormous pile of books open between them. Maddie was hunched over a short stack of paper, scribbling furiously with one hand while she turned the page of the nearest book with the other.
The tutor rose to his feet, bending his head in a respectful bow. “My Laird, Her Ladyship had luncheon sent to us,” he said. “She was loath to leave her studies to dine properly. She has... dedication in abundance.”
“Just one more minute!” Maddie said, raising her quill in place of her finger.
Mr. Fallow laughed softly, a sound that rattled down Oscar’s spine. “She has been sayin’ that for the past hour, My Laird. I assumed you’d be takin’ your dinner soon, and I wouldn’t mind restin’ after the long day I’ve had.”
“Almost done,” Maddie interjected, her head still bowed over her pages. She hadn’t looked up once.
Oscar observed the lock of hair that curled downward, coiling across the paper undisturbed.
A frown furrowed her smooth brow, her teeth grazing her lip in concentration.
His heart began to beat to a livelier rhythm, doubting he’d ever seen her look more attractive than she did at that moment, fully immersed in her passion.
And ye would have ruined it if ye’d come chargin’ in.
He was glad he’d tempered himself, and, indeed, there seemed to be nothing untoward going on.
If anything, Mr. Fallow seemed more drawn by the temptation of his guest chambers, where he could put his head on a pillow after traveling through the night to get here.
“And... I’m done!” Maddie set down her quill and put her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I just had to write down this part about toads or I won’t remember it.”
Oscar mustered a smirk. “I’m pleased to discover that yer husband is now less compellin’ to ye than a toad.”
“Nonsense,” she replied, beaming. “You are at least as compelling as a common toad.”
Some might have taken that as an insult, but Oscar had just seen the intensity with which she’d focused on that particular amphibian. From her, it was high praise indeed.
“Thank you, Mr. Fallow,” she said, scraping back her chair. “I realize I’ve likely been too enthusiastic today, and that I’ve probably exhausted you, but I will be more bearable once I’ve accepted that this is real. And I will probably be more bearable once you’ve slept, too.”
The tutor laughed, waving a dismissive hand.
“Not at all, my lady. I’ve appreciated your enthusiasm, and will undoubtedly appreciate it more tomorrow when, indeed, I’ve had the chance to rest.” He turned serious for a moment, extending his hand to her.
“You are every bit the gifted student that I was promised you were. You are far ahead of many of your male peers in your understandin’ and your theories, and certainly more determined.
You ought to be proud of yourself, my lady. ”
With a shy smile that immediately raised Oscar’s hackles, Maddie took the tutor’s hand. “And you are everything I could have hoped for, with your gracious attitude and your wonderful opinions on how we ladies should be just as educated as our male peers. I look forward to our two years together.”
He was still holding her hand, his smile a little too friendly for Oscar’s liking.
Yer spectacles might as well be foggin’ up.
Oscar cleared his throat, and the tutor turned to look at him. In an instant, he dropped Maddie’s hand as if it were white-hot, prompting her gaze to drift toward her husband. She raised an eyebrow at Oscar, as if to say, Really?
He shrugged his shoulders, his mood darkening as she rolled her eyes at him.
“What time shall I see you tomorrow?” she said, focusing entirely on the tutor. “I am eager to resume our work, but not so eager that I would summon you out of bed at dawn.”
Mr. Fallow hesitated. “Shall we say ten o’clock?”
“I am already looking forward to it immensely, Mr. Fallow, and thank you again for agreeing to this,” Maddie replied, with a radiant smile that fueled the fire in Oscar’s veins, boiling his blood.
So much so that, with fists clenched and teeth gritted, he had no choice but to step out of the room before he said or did something he would undoubtedly regret.