Page 13 of A Wager with the Matchmaker (A Shanahan Match #3)

13

At the firm knocking on the front door, Alannah stepped out of the dining room and into the entryway. Mrs. Shanahan, Zaira, and the boys had been gone for most of the day visiting with family friends but would be home in time for the evening meal.

The other maids had been given the afternoon off to do visiting of their own. Since Alannah had no one to visit—except Torin, which wasn’t an option—she’d stayed behind. She’d almost finished setting the table and needed to hurry back to the kitchen and help with the final preparations for the meal.

But without anyone else there to answer the knocking, Alannah hesitated.

Torin’s warning from two nights ago still rang in her head. “We got word the Farrell gang is planning to do something soon. No matter what happens to me , you need to promise to stay here and not show yourself.”

Torin wouldn’t want her to open the door, would tell her to let the person come back another day. Kiernan would probably say the same thing.

Not that she was talking to Kiernan.

The knocking resounded again, a wee bit louder. What if the person was bringing a message from Torin? Or Kiernan? Or even Mrs. Shanahan letting them know of a change of plans for the evening?

Alannah started down the hallway toward the door.

She’d open it a crack. That would be safe enough, wouldn’t it?

As she reached the door, she stopped and listened. She couldn’t hear anything on the other side except the sounds of summer—the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the buzzing of cicadas.

At the tap of footsteps retreating across the porch, Alannah quickly turned the knob and opened the door enough to see the form of a young woman with a fashionable riding dress and brown hair beneath a lovely hat. A beautiful black horse was tied loosely to the hitching post near the stairway.

It was Shelia. The woman who’d once won Kiernan’s heart. Alannah had seen her on other occasions but had never spoken with her.

Why was she visiting? Too curious to resist, Alannah swung the door wider. “May I help you?”

With one foot upon the top step, the woman halted, then turned. Alannah could understand why Kiernan had been smitten with her. Shelia was lovely in an elegant, refined way with pale skin, a slender face, and a narrow nose.

Her thin brows arched just a little, as though surprised to see Alannah—or anyone—there.

“The Shanahans will be back soon, to be sure.” Alannah waved at one of the wicker chairs in the shade of the veranda. “You’re welcome to have a seat while you wait.”

Shelia hesitated. “Kiernan isn’t yet home?”

“No, Mr. Shanahan is gone most evenings.” Alannah had stayed in her stifling room for the past two nights to avoid him. She’d hoped that would send the message she wasn’t interested in spending any more time with him. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seemed to accept her unspoken message and had sought her out this morning in the kitchen.

She should have known Kiernan wouldn’t be so easily swayed. After all, he believed they were friends for the sake of being friends. He didn’t realize she’d offered friendship as the basis of a match that had been one-sided.

She owed him an explanation. But she wasn’t sure how she would ever be able to face him without burning up with embarrassment while she explained her mistake. She would blame Bellamy.

Shelia stepped back up on the porch. “I’d actually heard Kiernan wasn’t visiting with any of his potential matches tonight, and I was hoping to catch him—well, before the family returns.” Her cheeks flushed at her admission.

Shelia had visited only a couple of nights ago and hadn’t stayed for long. What if she hadn’t come to see the family then either? What if her sole purpose in stopping by on the previous visits had been to see Kiernan?

Something sharp pricked Alannah. The young woman was about to become engaged to Kiernan’s best friend, Liam. The party was coming soon, in about a week. Why would she be seeking Kiernan out privately so close to becoming engaged? Unless she was having second thoughts about marrying Liam and had decided she wanted Kiernan after all.

Alannah couldn’t stop from studying the woman’s face, needing to find the answer—not that it mattered. Alannah wasn’t matched with Kiernan anymore, probably never had been. Besides, with as many visits as Kiernan was having with other women, he’d likely fallen for someone else by now, or at least found a woman who would make him happy.

Ultimately, that’s what really mattered, wasn’t it? He was a good man, and Alannah only wanted him to be happy.

Shelia, on the other hand, had caused him heartache. If she started to take an interest in Kiernan again, what was to prevent her from hurting him more?

Alannah couldn’t let that happen. She shouldn’t have invited Shelia to stay, needed to get her to leave before Kiernan returned. “If you’re hoping to get him back, you’re too late.”

In the process of heading to one of the chairs, Shelia stumbled to a halt.

“He’s already been matched.” The lie slipped from Alannah’s lips before she could stop it.

Shelia’s brows dipped as she studied Alannah. “That’s not what I heard.”

Of course, Shelia probably knew every last detail of Kiernan’s matchmaking efforts from Liam. Even so, Alannah couldn’t let the woman upset Kiernan again, not when he was trying to free himself from the past and move on.

She needed to bow her head in deference and walk away. But another lie fell out anyway. “I heard it right from Bellamy McKenna, the matchmaker, so I did.”

“Oh. I see.”

Alannah finally ducked her chin. Technically, she wasn’t telling a lie. She had heard from Bellamy that Kiernan was to be matched. To her.

Before she could think of anything more to say to send Shelia on her way, the thudding of a horse’s hooves echoed in the silence of the evening. Shelia crossed to the porch railing and peered down the road at the rider drawing near.

Alannah half prayed it wouldn’t be Kiernan, that he would be gone like the previous evenings. But at the sight of his brawny body atop his powerful stallion, her heart gave an extra beat.

He turned onto the gravel lane surrounded on both sides by the towering oak trees. He seemed in a hurry, almost frantic.

Although a part of Alannah wanted to rush off and hide from him as she’d been doing for the past two days, she had the strange sense that something was wrong.

Besides if she left now, Shelia would have him all to herself. The young gentlewoman would discover Alannah’s lies and then realize something was going on, at least suspect that Alannah had feelings for Kiernan.

Because she did have feelings for him. There was no sense in denying the truth.

As Kiernan drew closer, the glare in his eyes and the hard set to his jaw were intimidating. His gaze swept past Shelia and landed upon Alannah with an intensity that nearly took her breath away.

He seemed to see only her. Even as he reined in his horse and started to dismount, his dark blue eyes stayed riveted to her.

She quickly backed up, her legs suddenly trembling. As much as she wanted to save Kiernan from Shelia, she couldn’t face him. Not yet.

She fumbled to make it through the doorway.

“Alannah, wait.” Kiernan was already bounding up the stairs.

“Kiernan.” Shelia moved to the top of the stairway, almost as if she was attempting to intercept him.

Alannah quickly closed the door and leaned against it.

“Alannah, please,” Kiernan called out again, his footsteps stopping on the stairs.

“I wanted to see you privately, Kiernan,” Shelia said. “We need to talk.”

“Not now.” His tone held a note of irritation.

“Please? Just for a minute? I’ve been waiting all day.”

A second of silence passed.

Alannah pressed her hand to her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart. She willed Kiernan to say no, to rush past Shelia, to come after her instead.

“What is it?” Kiernan asked more politely.

Another moment of quiet passed, and Alannah could picture Shelia moving nearer to Kiernan on the top step above him, eye to eye, mouth to mouth. If she was desperate enough to have Kiernan back, maybe she would attempt to kiss him.

“I’ve been thinking about us recently.” This time when she spoke her voice was decidedly seductive. “And I miss you.”

Alannah pinched her eyes closed. How could he resist Shelia now? Why would he want to?

“You have a fiancé. You shouldn’t think about me anymore.”

“I cannot help myself.”

“You have to remain faithful to Liam. He loves you.”

“What if I made a mistake? What if I would be happier with you instead?”

What was Shelia saying? That she wanted to call off her almost-engagement to Liam and reunite with Kiernan?

He was silent again, this time longer.

Anger simmered inside Alannah. Why couldn’t Shelia be satisfied with Liam? Did she think her happiness was more important than anything else, including Kiernan’s? She obviously hadn’t cared about how he would feel when she’d rejected him for Liam in the first place.

Kiernan cleared his throat. “There is no more you and me, Shelia. It’s you and Liam now.”

Heavy footsteps veered toward the door.

Was he done with Shelia? Was he coming into the house?

Alannah’s eyes flew open, and she sprang away from the door, both relief and panic mounting inside.

“I know you still want me.” Shelia’s comment came out certain, almost arrogant.

The footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and Kiernan spoke just outside the door. “I once thought I did. But I don’t anymore.”

Had he fallen for one of the women he’d been seeing? Was that why he didn’t feel anything for Shelia now?

The knob on the other side of the door rattled.

Alannah took another step back.

“Then what your maid said is true?” Shelia persisted. “Bellamy McKenna found you a match?”

Alannah sucked in a sharp breath. Kiernan would learn she’d lied and wonder why. How would she explain herself to him? She would only add to the list of embarrassing misunderstandings.

The turning knob stilled.

Had he heard her sharp intake? She cupped her hand over her mouth—obviously too late.

A strange, charged silence filled the air.

What had she done now? She’d put Kiernan into an awkward situation where he would look foolish if he denied the match. She should have kept quiet with Shelia instead of letting her jealousy get the better of her. Because that’s what it was. She was jealous of Shelia having the right to Kiernan in a way a maid would never have.

“Alannah’s right,” Kiernan said softly. “Bellamy has someone picked out for me.”

Alannah startled. Kiernan was agreeing with her? Why?

“Who?” Shelia’s tone turned demanding.

“I’d rather not say.”

“The news will come out soon enough. You may as well tell me.”

“You’ll have to wait until I decide to make it public.”

Shelia released a scoffing laugh. “I’m not blind, Kiernan.”

He didn’t respond.

“I know your attraction when I see it, and you’re clearly attracted to your new maid.”

Alannah drew in another breath, this one covered by her hand, thankfully. Of course she’d sensed Kiernan’s desire from time to time, but to have Shelia state it so bluntly made the situation more mortifying.

“Or,” Shelia continued, “maybe she’s your newest distraction—”

“Don’t talk about her that way.”

“Once you finish with her, don’t come crawling back to me. This is it.”

“I agree.” Kiernan’s voice contained a hard edge. “This is it. Go home to Liam and stay faithful to him.”

Alannah was frozen in place in the middle of the entryway. Cook would be wondering what was taking her so long. But she couldn’t make her feet move.

After another moment of tense silence, Shelia’s footsteps tapped down the stairs. At the jangle of a stirrup, it was clear the young woman was mounting and readying to leave.

“Good-bye, Kiernan,” she spoke stiffly a few seconds later, likely in her saddle. “I hope you don’t regret not choosing me.”

The hoofbeats began to clop away, slow at first and then steadier until at last they faded down the lane away from the house.

As the door handle turned, Alannah spun and started toward the dining room, her heart thudding with the need to hide from Kiernan. Not only had she made incorrect assumptions about them over the past couple of weeks, but she didn’t want him to discover that she’d been standing in the hallway listening to his conversation with Shelia.

The door opened behind her. “Alannah, wait,” Kiernan called.

She kept going, racing into the dining room. She reached for the door and swung it shut.

But he was quickly on her heels and stuck his boot into the doorway, keeping the door from closing all the way.

She pressed her whole body against it.

“Talk to me.”

“No, Kiernan.”

“Tell me why you’re avoiding me.”