Page 13 of One Forbidden Kiss with the Laird (The Cinderella Shepherd Sisters #2)
‘What are you talking about?’ Miss Kingsley said from her position on the ground a little distance away.
‘The view,’ Miss Shepherd said, her voice light and breezy. Callum had to study her carefully to see the evidence that she was as shaken by their encounter as he was.
‘We should start making our descent,’ Callum said, examining the clouds.
He wasn’t overly concerned about the weather, but the clouds were gathering slowly on the horizon.
An impending storm was a good excuse to get Miss Shepherd and Miss Kingsley back to Taigh Blath as quickly as possible.
He might even insist he and Sir William sat down and concluded their negotiations.
Once the wedding date was set perhaps he would stop trying to self-sabotage with the delectable Miss Shepherd and would be able to focus on his bride-to-be.
‘Perhaps I could hold your arm, Lord Leven, the ground is a little uneven underfoot.’
‘It would be easier if you had worn something akin to sensible shoes,’ Miss Shepherd said under her breath.
‘We don’t all have clod-hopping great feet like you,’ Miss Kingsley retorted sharply. ‘You cannot expect a gently bred young woman to own a pair of ugly boots as you do, Selina.’
Callum wondered at the animosity between the two young women.
They were of a similar age and, if Miss Shepherd was a distant relative of the Kingsleys, they had some sort of family connection.
Their dislike of one another ran deep, that much was obvious, it was more than the bickering you sometimes saw between friends and relatives.
‘Let us get down to level ground before any rain comes, otherwise those pretty shoes of yours will be ruined,’ Callum said.
They walked in silence for a few minutes until Miss Shepherd called out from behind, ‘Is this truly your favourite view in the world, Lord Leven?’
‘It is, Miss Shepherd—do you think you could beat it?’
Coming level with him and Miss Kingsley, she took a moment to shade the light from her eyes.
‘It is magnificent,’ she conceded. ‘And you have an advantage over me. You have travelled.’
‘A little. Much of the world is still a mystery to me.’
‘I have been to many of the counties in southern England,’ Miss Kingsley said, straining her neck forward to try to block out Miss Shepherd from the conversation.
‘Many more than I have, then,’ Callum said. ‘The furthest south I have been is Manchester.’
‘You’ve never set foot in London?’
‘No. Never. My father talked about taking me when I was younger, but it never happened.’
‘Surely as an adult…?’ Miss Kingsley asked, her expression stunned.
‘I spent most of my adult life away from home, in the wilds of Canada. When I returned I was in no rush to leave the people and the places I had missed so much.’
She beamed, her eyes alight with joy, seeming much happier than she had on the rest of the walk. ‘You will love London. Many people do not want to leave; even once the Season is over and some people go back to their country estates, it is still the most wonderful city.’
Callum debated whether he needed to say something to Miss Kingsley about where they would live.
As much as he wanted this marriage to go ahead, to finally restore some of his family’s lands, he also had to acknowledge he was taking responsibility for Miss Kingsley along the way.
She would be his wife, his to look after and keep happy.
Starting with a deception would not be ideal.
‘You do understand once we are married we will live here, in Ballachulish.’ His voice was gentle, but even so Miss Kingsley looked as though he had stabbed her in the gut.
‘Well, yes, but…’
He shook his head. ‘We will live here. Of course, you would be free to travel south to visit your parents, your friends, but we would reside here in the Highlands.’
‘Surely you might consider Edinburgh…?’
‘No. This is home, Miss Kingsley and as Earl of Leven I have a responsibility to my people here. I cannot abandon them.’
‘You went to Canada for years.’
‘With the aim of returning with enough funds to start to buy back the land my family lost.’
Miss Kingsley pouted, her brows drawn into a frown.
‘I truly think if you give it a chance you will learn to like it here.’
She let out a little frustrated sigh. ‘Very well,’ she said, her voice hard.
‘I understand. Please do not think this will dampen my enthusiasm for our union, my lord.’ It was the first time she had spoken so openly about their impending engagement and Callum saw there was a determination in her eyes that he had not been aware of before.
Miss Kingsley looked as though she were going to say more, but suddenly gave a little cry of pain, her hand tugging on Callum’s sleeve.
He tensed his arm, reaching to support her with his other hand, but it was too late to save her from the twist of her ankle.
The delicate, unsuitable shoe had slipped a little on the path, caught in a small groove and led to her ankle turning in a way it should not.
‘Sit down,’ he said, leading her over to a small rock.
Carefully he pressed at her ankle, grimacing as she winced.
This was no ploy of a cunning debutante to excuse a little close contact, no wily way to seduce him.
Already he could feel her ankle swelling—soon the pressure from the extra fluid would make it even more difficult for her to walk and the pain would only get worse.
‘Is she badly injured?’ Miss Shepherd said, dropping to her knees beside him.
‘As though you care,’ Miss Kingsley said, tears flowing on to her cheeks.
‘I wouldn’t ever wish you harm, Catherine.’
Miss Kingsley did not reply and after a moment Callum stood. It was too far back to Taigh Blath for him to carry Miss Kingsley all the way, but he could hardly leave the two young women on the exposed hillside while he went to get some help.
‘Can you walk?’ Miss Shepherd asked.
He offered Miss Kingsley his arm and pulled her up to her feet, but she cried out as soon as she had to put any weight through the left ankle and after a moment he let her sink back down to the rock.
‘Let me carry you down the hill,’ he said, cursing himself for allowing her up here in such dainty footwear.
‘I do not wish to be a burden,’ Miss Kingsley said.
‘Not at all.’ He slipped his jacket off and rolled up his shirtsleeves. There was no point in remaining fully dressed when there was no one else around to see. ‘Would you mind, Miss Shepherd?’ He handed the jacket to Miss Shepherd who accepted it, concern etched on her face.
‘Will you be able to carry her all the way?’ Miss Shepherd said, peering down the path in front of them.
‘Why do you always have to be so rude, Selina?’ Miss Kingsley snapped. ‘I am hardly a giant of a woman.’
‘I wasn’t commenting on your size.’
‘You were insulting Lord Leven’s strength, then?’
Miss Shepherd breathed deeply and for a minute it seemed as though she was going to be able to take command of herself and leave Miss Kingsley’s jibes without response. Or perhaps not.
‘Miss Shepherd,’ he said quickly as he saw her open her mouth again. ‘Perhaps you could walk on ahead and see if there is anyone passing on the road below. If you continue straight you will come upon it with no issue.’
It was unlikely there would be anyone on the small road, but he did not want to deal with an argument between the two young women while he needed all his strength carrying Miss Kingsley down the hill.
Trying not to think about the distance between them and Taigh Blath, instead he focused on lifting Miss Kingsley into his arms and then putting one foot in front of the other.
Carrying her in this fashion was strangely intimate and he found himself wishing he was walking with Miss Shepherd in his arms.
* * *
It was a relief five minutes later when he heard the distant but definite sound of hooves on the road ahead and after another few seconds a rider came into view. Suppressing a groan of relief, he carefully set Miss Kingsley down before straightening and stretching out his back.
As he got closer, the figure became recognisable as Thomas Bruce, a man he had known since childhood.
They were a few years apart in age, but he knew Bruce well both from before he had left for Canada and since he had returned and counted him among his closest friends.
Callum frowned as he realised Miss Shepherd was seated behind him on the horse, her slender arms wrapped around Bruce’s waist, holding on just above the waistband of his kilt.
Despite being the one to send her to find help, he felt a spike of jealousy.
Ignoring it, he turned back to Miss Kingsley.
‘It looks as though Miss Shepherd was successful in her mission.’
‘I hear there is a damsel in distress in need of my help,’ Bruce called, his accent thick and pure Highlands.
‘I am here, eager and ready to assist.’ He vaulted down from the horse and turned to help Miss Shepherd down.
Callum dug his fingernails into his hand to stop himself for surging forward and barging the other man out of the way.
‘This is Miss Kingsley…’ Callum began by way of introduction.
‘Ah, yes, the English lass you’re due to marry. Pleasure to meet you.’
‘Miss Kingsley, this is Mr Bruce.’
Miss Kingsley looked a little taken aback by the gruff effusiveness coming from the big bear of a man and merely smiled weakly.
‘I hear you’ve hurt your ankle and need to get back to Taigh Blath.’
‘Taigh Blath?’
‘Loch View Lodge,’ Callum said smoothly, ignoring Bruce’s frown.
None of the locals acknowledged the change in name of the old estate and they found it difficult to accept Sir William as the man who owned the land they lived on.
Highland hospitality was second to none, but only in the right circumstance.
‘Your wish is my command, my little lady,’ Bruce said, eyeing up Miss Kingsley and then leading his horse closer. ‘Can you climb up or shall I throw you over Bessie’s back?’