Page 18 of One Forbidden Kiss with the Laird (The Cinderella Shepherd Sisters #2)

‘D on’t gawp, you look like a fish,’ Catherine said as she gave Selina a scornful look.

‘This isn’t the first dance I have been to.’

‘I hardly think your provincial little gatherings in the local assembly rooms can be compared to a celebration such as this.’

Selina didn’t like to point that this was nothing more than a provincial gathering in a local assembly room.

Sir William had agreed to a very generous budget and Lady Kingsley and Catherine had spent the best part of the week bargaining and cajoling the locals into providing everything that was needed for a ball despite it being held in the small village hall in Ballachulish.

The result was the aesthetic of a grand ball, but in a tiny, rustic space.

‘Try not to embarrass yourself tonight,’ Catherine continued. ‘Wait to be introduced before speaking to people. If anyone deigns to ask you to dance, then accept graciously…’ she paused, giving Selina an assessing look ‘…or perhaps it is better if you decline graciously.’

‘I’m not going to embarrass myself or you,’ Selina said, wishing she could slip away into the gathering crowd already.

‘This is important,’ Catherine said forcefully.

‘You may not care if I marry Lord Leven, but I am determined this match will be settled in the coming few days. I will be married and I will be a countess—’ she lowered her voice so no one but Selina could hear ‘—even if it means I’m a countess of a horrible little place like this. ’

The room was already hot with the press of bodies inside.

One of the housemaids, a local girl who had been hired to work for the Kingsleys while they were at Loch View Lodge, had told Selina that there hadn’t been a dance in Ballachulish for well over a decade.

It was a small community and many of the young people had left to find opportunities for work elsewhere.

There was not much in the way of high Society and the housemaid had been excited to tell Selina that half the village had been invited to make up numbers.

The young women were wearing their best church dresses and the men their smartly pressed kilts.

‘I think Ballachulish is a delightful village,’ Selina said.

Catherine snorted, earning her an admonishing look from Lady Kingsley.

‘Selina, step back,’ Lady Kingsley said sharply. ‘No one needs to see you. This is Catherine’s moment.’

Selina rolled her eyes and stepped back.

The last few days had been pure misery while she was stuck indoors with the Kingsleys.

The doctor who had visited after she had contracted a chill had advised she stay inside even after her fever broke and she began to feel stronger.

It had meant countless hours spent wandering Loch View Lodge, trying to avoid any of the Kingsleys, but all too often she had been forced into their company.

Thankfully no one had protested to her slipping away when Lord Leven came to visit and no one had questioned why.

When Sir William had asked if she had maintained her end of their bargain in helping to show Catherine’s good side she had merely replied that Lord Leven was eager to proceed with the marriage.

It was not a lie and her father seemed satisfied with the outcome.

Surreptitiously she eyed the crowd, hating how her pulse quickened when Lord Leven stepped forward to greet them.

She was surprised to see him in trousers, one of the only men there without a kilt.

His eyes sought her out, but she steadfastly refused to meet them and once he was distracted by Catherine she went to step away, surprised when her father caught her arm.

‘Lord Leven was asking after you yesterday. Remember our agreement. Talk to him tonight, make him see he must agree to my terms.’

Selina nodded, not daring to pull her arm away, but hating how she felt used by him.

It was impossible to imagine how she could ever have believed that one day he might come to care for her.

Sir William was a cold-hearted man and Selina wasn’t even sure he loved his legitimate daughter.

He certainly didn’t appear to consider Catherine’s feelings about the marriage—she didn’t think the young woman had been consulted once.

Luckily Catherine seemed as determined as her father to marry Lord Leven, her ambitions allowing her to overlook all the downsides of the match as long as she ended up titled.

There was no way her father was ever going to see Selina as anything more than an inconvenience, a dirty little secret that he had to keep close by to ensure she did not jeopardise his chance of climbing higher in the Society he wanted to be a part of so much.

Instead of disappearing into the crowd as she’d planned, Selina stepped forward, flashing her widest smile at Lord Leven. After a few seconds her cheeks hurt at the unnatural expression and she wondered if it looked more like a grimace than anything else.

‘Lord Leven, I wanted to thank you for coming to my rescue last week,’ she said.

He inclined his head, narrowing his eyes. For a whole week she had avoided him, disappearing to her room whenever he came to visit. He would wonder why she was keen to speak to him now.

‘I am pleased to see you fully recovered, Miss Shepherd.’

‘I cannot wait for the dancing later this evening,’ Catherine said as Selina came to stand beside her, her shoulders rising up as if she were readying for a fight.

‘I was just about to go and fetch Miss Kingsley a glass of lemonade,’ he said, motioning to a table set to one side of the room. ‘Perhaps you would like a glass.’

‘Wonderful,’ Selina said, linking her hand through his arm even though he had not offered it to her. ‘I shall come with you.’

‘Selina,’ Catherine said, displeasure evident on her face.

‘Do not fear, I will return Lord Leven to you in time for your dance.’

For a moment Lord Leven did not move, surprised by her sudden assertiveness and her willingness to talk to him after a week of avoiding him. Selina had to pull on his arm to get him to step away.

‘You are talking to me, then,’ Lord Leven murmured, his voice sending an involuntary shiver down Selina’s spine. She silently cursed her own foolishness, wondering how her subconscious could still desire Lord Leven after the horrific rejection she had suffered at his hands.

‘Barely,’ Selina said, the rictus smile still fixed on her face. ‘But you are my ticket home and I have decided I will do anything to get away from the Kingsleys.’

‘And that involves pretending to talk to me?’

She sighed, turning to him, the irritation swirling inside her. She hated that her eyes lingered on his lips, remembering how it had felt when he had kissed her and her body swayed closer to his, wanting one elusive touch.

‘Sir William wants you to marry Catherine and he will do anything to get an advantage over you so you accept his terms. That includes using me to sing Catherine’s praises, despite me really thinking she is akin to a demon sent from hell itself.’

‘You would not be my choice of advocate for her,’ Lord Leven murmured.

‘Luckily I do not have to do anything because you want to marry Catherine as much as Sir William wants you to marry her. So I can be here pretending to talk to you about Catherine Kingsley, then one day soon you will ask for her hand in marriage and everyone will think I helped the proposal go ahead. I get my ticket home and never have to set eyes on the Kingsleys or you ever again.’

‘A foolproof plan.’

‘It is,’ Selina said, reaching out for a glass of lemonade and taking a huge gulp. The liquid was sharp, much sharper than she had anticipated and it caught in the back of her throat, making her cough.

Lord Leven took the glass from her and set it down on the table.

‘Steady.’

Selina caught her breath and picked up the glass again, looking Lord Leven in the eye as she took another gulp.

‘Now we pretend to talk for a few minutes and then you return to Miss Kingsley and are effusive towards her. You can mention something complimentary I said about her.’

‘Perhaps the observation she is like a demon sent from hell.’

‘This is not a laughing matter, my lord.’

Lord Leven schooled his face into a serious expression. ‘What shall we pretend to talk about?’

Selina sighed. ‘I do not care.’

‘Perhaps the wonders of astronomy and the recent alignment of the planets? Or the trials and tribulations of James Cook on his adventure around the globe.’

Selina turned to him, desperately trying to control herself. ‘You might find this amusing, my lord, but I do not.’

He puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. ‘Perhaps a dance would help.’

‘It would not.’

‘No, no, no,’ he said, taking the glass of lemonade from her hand again. ‘I think this is the best idea.’

‘I said no.’ She wrenched her arm away from him and then remembered herself. The room was crowded, but people’s eyes would be on them. Lord Leven was an important man in Ballachulish.

He shrugged. ‘What about a walk around the perimeter of the ballroom? It might look a little more natural than us standing here with you glaring at me.’

‘I’m not glaring.’

For a moment he bent his knees so his eyes were level with hers. ‘I have received many a glare in my time and you, Miss Shepherd, are glaring.’

She let out a little, irritated huff and turned away, struggling to keep control. Once she felt some of the anger melt away she turned back. ‘Perhaps I am,’ she said, a little calmer, ‘but I think I have good reason to glare, do you not agree?’

Lord Leven suddenly turned serious.

‘Of course,’ he murmured. ‘I want to apologise again for my behaviour last week. It was unforgivable.’

Selina closed her eyes. She did not want his apology. All she wanted was to get far from here and never have to see Lord Leven again.

They fell silent, standing together awkwardly until Selina caught Lady Kingsley craning her neck and looking in their direction.