Page 8 of Finding Faith (Seduced in Scotland #2)

“I ’m thinking about returning to London,” Faith announced one evening, nearly a week after returning home from Harris House.

The entire family was sat in the parlor, each in the middle of something as they all turned to gape at her. Graham had been helping Grace find a book on medieval medicines while Hope was embroidering some sort of quilt. Aunt Belle sat at her desk, tending to her correspondence, her manservant Andrews faithfully standing behind her as he always did.

It seemed everyone was surprised by Faith’s sudden proclamation, but she had been toying with the idea of leaving for days. Since learning that Logan was now the owner of Odalisque Reclined , she had been plotting an escape from Scotland. The shame that festered within her heart, particularly after kissing him, was enough to make her want to run away and never return. If only she could be sure Logan would never reveal the painting to anyone. Of course, Faith doubted he’d be so generous and wouldn’t believe him even if he gave her his word. Not after Donovan had so easily broken his promise.

At first, she’d had ideas to steal the painting or, at the very least, ruin it somehow. She had some paints in her room that she could throw on it, but the thought of going to Harris House made her leery. There was no way on God’s green earth that she would ever be able to look Logan in the eye again. Which is why she decided her best choice was to flee.

Forever.

“London?” Aunt Belle said with disdain. “Goodness, my dear, why would you wish to return there?”

Faith held her chin up.

“I’ve always had an idea to return to London and I think now is as good a time as any.”

“But why?” Hope asked, dropping her embroidery to her lap. “It seems rather sudden.”

“Yes, you’ve not mentioned it before now,” Grace added. “Has something happened?”

“No, nothing has happened. And just because I haven’t mentioned it doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it. Which I have. In great detail, actually.”

“But you can’t go alone,” Hope said. “Where would you stay?”

“I could stay with Renee. I’m sure if I write her, I could persuade her to ask her parents to allow me to visit for an extended period of time. And who knows? If I were to meet someone, I might stay forever.”

Faith knew she was being slightly outrageous, wildly tossing out the idea that she might meet a suitor, but then she couldn’t bear staying in Lismore. Not with that painting only an hour’s walk from where she slept. What if Logan hung it in his house where guests might see it? What if his father or sister saw it? Faith could feel herself grow warm with embarrassment. She couldn’t bear it.

She looked around the room, noting the apprehensive glances she was receiving. She must be genuinely shocking them.

“I see no harm in going to London,” Aunt Belle said at last, addressing the rest of the family, though her silver stare held Faith’s. “If our Faith wishes to leave Scotland, we should be supportive of her.”

Faith smiled unevenly, not entirely pleased, while Hope seemed at a loss for words. She turned to her husband, who appeared equally as dumbstruck.

“Er, well, I don’t see why not,” he said, unsure, as Hope stood up, facing Faith.

“You cannot go,” her sister said. “It’s just not feasible.”

“Why not?”

“Because. It’s too far from the rest of us and you can’t beg to stay with friends.”

“Surely she wouldn’t beg,” Aunt Belle interjected. “Would you, dear?”

Faith shook her head, glad to have at least one person’s support.

“No. Absolutely not.”

“It’s still out of the question,” Hope said defiantly, and Faith stood up.

“Who made you matriarch?” she snipped, glad to be starting an argument. If Hope became upset with her, leaving would be easier, and her sister would most likely be happy that she was gone. “You have no right to tell me how to live my life.”

Hope frowned, appearing hurt. Faith bit the inside of her cheek, hating to see her sister distressed, but she needed to be away from this place.

“I don’t want to dictate your life,” Hope said, her tone softening. “I just don’t know why you suddenly wish to return to London. It’s been over a year and I’ve not heard you speak of the city in nearly as much time. We have a home here and we’ve all been very happy—”

“I don’t deny that,” Faith cut in. “But I don’t wish to stay here.”

“Whyever not?”

“Ladies, ladies,” Aunt Belle said, waving a bejeweled hand above her head as if to settle them down. “There is no need to argue. If Faith wishes to go to London, then she may go, of course. We will not hamper her desires. And I will accompany her.” Faith gave Hope a self-satisfactory grin. “In three months’ time.”

Faith’s smile faltered as she glanced at Aunt Belle.

“Three months?”

“At least, my dear, at least. While London may be the crown jewel of high society, Glasgow has quite a vibrant atmosphere itself. Not to mention, that I am patron to at least a dozen charities and societies that require my attendance, particularly because I was unable to do so last year with my illness.”

Faith began to chew the inside of her cheek.

“But the London season will be over by then.”

“A fine time to go, in my opinion,” Aunt Belle said, standing up. Andrews took a step forward, but she waved him off. “That way the crowds have all gone and one might enjoy the city quietly. Unless there was some specific person you wished to see, my dear?”

Faith shook her head.

“No, not particularly—”

“Good. Then we will leave the first of August,” Aunt Belle said. “As for now, I will retire. I’m afraid I’ve stayed up far too late. Good night, all.”

A murmur of good nights followed Aunt Belle as she left, leaving Faith and the others in tense silence. Once Aunt Belle was well and gone, Hope took several steps toward Faith.

“I do not know what brought this desire to move to London, but it’s not the greatest of timing.”

“Why not?”

Though Hope didn’t speak, she gave Grace a peculiar glance, which made Faith somewhat uneasy. She was about to ask what was going on when Grace spoke.

“Because we are throwing Aunt Belle a surprise birthday party.”

“We are?” Graham asked.

“You are?” Faith asked.

Hope appeared frozen, as if the information was new to her as well before she began nodding her head enthusiastically.

“Yes, of course,” she said, though it didn’t sound convincing. “Aunt Belle will be seventy-six this year, and that is a milestone.”

“Is it?” Graham asked, frowning.

“Of course,” Hope said quickly, giving her husband an unusual look. “And it’s just a little shocking that you would want to leave in the middle of that.”

“Well, I didn’t know there was going to be a party. Had you told me about it, I might have waited until afterwards. Besides, Aunt Belle said we shan’t leave until August.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Grace said to Hope. She moved away from the bookshelf and reached for Faith’s hand as they sat on the sofa. “I guess we just assumed you would be here to help.”

“Well, I will be, won’t I?” Faith said.

“What I mean to say is, we’re just surprised, that’s all. You’ve not mentioned London in such a long time, and I guess Hope and I assumed that you no longer wanted to return.”

That was true. Though Faith had once been desperate to return to London, her desire had waned since coming to live in Scotland, and in more recent days, she hadn’t much thought about returning.

She began fretting about what it would be like to run into Logan again.

Faith tried not to display her turmoil, but she was sure her anxiety was painted all over her face. She tried to push it away. She simply needed to avoid him for the next several weeks, and she would be able to, hopefully, leave this country and never see him again.

“It matters little,” Faith said, trying to focus on something, anything that would distract her from Logan. She turned her head to see Hope and sighed. “So, tell me. What is to be involved in this birthday celebration?”

Hope looked slightly panicked and gave Grace another pleading look. Grace cleared her throat, drawing Faith’s attention once more.

“Well, we were just about to send out invitations. Tomorrow,” she added hastily, her eyes flickering to Hope again. “Which is why we all must go to Glencoe tomorrow. You will come, of course. We’ve several things to settle. Flowers, food stores, decorations, and fireworks.”

“Fireworks?” Graham repeated.

“Of course. Seventy-six is a very important birthday.”

“But is it?” Graham asked again, confused.

“Yes,” Hope said firmly to her husband, who smirked at her tone.

“Very well then,” Faith said, looking at Hope again. “But isn’t her birthday only a few weeks away?”

“Yes, which is precisely why we must stary organizing immediately,” Grace said, going to her knees before the small table that sat before the sofa. “Hope? Bring me a sheet from Aunt Belle’s desk. We will start with making a list.”

“Perhaps I should leave you three alone then. I wouldn’t want to get in your way,” Graham said, walking behind Hope. He leaned close to her ear. “Tomorrow, noon?”

The blush that came to Hope’s cheeks made Faith discreetly glance away. Though Graham and Hope had been left alone during the early months of their marriage to do whatever it was newlyweds did, it seemed the return of Faith, Grace, and Aunt Belle had caused a bit of claustrophobia for the couple, who had taken to visiting the old hunting lodge at the northern edge of the property once a week to allow them some privacy.

But Hope apparently would not let him leave so quickly.

“Stop that,” she whispered, apparently embarrassed that he would be so brazen as to mention something everyone knew about. “And you can’t leave. You know everyone of importance within a hundred miles. You can help us make the invitation list.”

“I suggest you write my uncle. Laird McTavish knows everyone.”

“It’ll be too late before he responds. We must have these done and sent out tomorrow.” Hope gave him a pleading glance, and of course, Graham sighed and came forward.

“Very well. Are you ready, Grace?”

“Yes,” she said, studiously crouched over her paper as Graham began to list off a dozen names, all families and friends that Aunt Belle had grown close to during her thirty-year residence at Lismore Hall.

Faith was suspicious of the whole matter, but she couldn’t deny her love for her aunt and was privately glad to have such an event to celebrate the woman whom Faith had come to view as a surrogate grandmother. And in her heart of hearts, she had to admit that she felt rather more fondness for Aunt Belle than she had for their actual grandmother, Belle’s sister. Where Grandmother Alice had always tried to dissuade Faith from being too impractical, or too consumed by her own interests, Aunt Belle had nurtured Faith’s choices.

She understood that she and Aunt Belle had shared an independent streak, and while she was happy to celebrate someone who had lived life on her own terms, Faith wondered if she was as brave as her elderly great-aunt had always been.

“—Logan Harris, of course, as well as his father and sister,” Graham said.

“What?” Faith said suddenly, causing Grace to stop.

“What is it?” she asked, looking down at her list. “Did we already add them?”

“No,” Faith said, leaning forward. “But Lo—ah, Mr. Harris doesn’t like us. Why would we invite him?”

Hope’s brow lifted incredulously.

“Faith Sharpe, what manners you have. Of course, we will invite the Harris family.”

“I’m not say to exclude his father or Arabella, but Lo—I mean, Mr. Harris,” she said slowly, as if to chastise herself, “has never liked us. And he’s very loud about his dislike for the English.” When no one spoke, she sighed. “I just don’t see why we should bring him here if he’s going to do nothing but drink our wine and complain about us and the guest of honor.”

Grace’s mouth tightened and shifted slightly as it did when she was conflicted. Graham appeared confused while Hope came forward.

“Mr. Harris might not have always gone out of his way to be pleasant, but he has always been perfectly courteous at least to Grace and me,” she said. “Not to mention his friendship with Graham. And Aunt Belle has always spoken very fondly of him.” She paused before adding. “And I should think, after he was so accommodating during your bout of sickness, that you two might have come to an understanding.”

Instantly, Faith stood up.

“What understanding? I assure you; Mr. Harris and I have no understanding.” Everyone stared at her, confused at her overreaction. Faith exhaled, suddenly aware of how foolish she was being. “Very well. Invite whomever, but I think I will follow Aunt Belle and retire. I’m not feeling myself.”

“I hope you are not having a relapse,” Grace said, concerned.

“I’m sure she is fine. Simply tired. Aren’t you, Faith?” Hope asked.

Though she could explain it, Faith knew Hope was giving her an exit. She tried to smile but failed and left the room. She heard Graham say something along the lines of that he was not particularly interested in hearing the family dissect her behavior, causing a surge of gratefulness toward her brother-in-law to shoot through her.

At that moment, all she wanted to do was to fall into her bed and sleep away her misery.