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T hea touched her lips as she remembered kissing Shay in front of this very desk. It hadn’t been until they’d heard Frannie’s footsteps coming closer that Shay had pulled away and went back to his seat leaving her standing there, just as the girl had entered.

Thea was grateful for his fortitude, for if it had been up to her they wouldn’t have stopped in time, and would have been surely caught. Perhaps it was all the potential catastrophes in ballrooms, where Lord Flemming was nearly compromised that had made him more attuned to avoiding such entanglements. But now, days later, she felt the old frustrations return.

In the week since they’d kissed, Shay had fled her drawing room for the castle and not returned. She should have had stacks and stacks of pages waiting for him, but since she’d spent long hours staring out the window at the castle, thinking of their kisses, she’d managed only three additions and even they were likely to be thrown into the fire.

She rubbed her forehead trying to decide what to do. It was obvious to her, that Lord Flemming greatly regretted what they’d done. And it was completely her fault it had happened. She’d been the one curious about kissing. She’d been more than happy to jump to his offer of research.

She also remembered some portion of the kissing had been precipitated by her . Had she really grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down to her waiting lips? She had.

A groan of misery escaped her lips and Frannie came in.

“Are you not feeling well today, miss? I’ve heard you making noises of complaint the last week, but not as often as today. Is whatever ailing you grown worse? Should I fetch the doctor?”

“I assure you I am physically well.” Though she did think she might be sick when she recalled her hoydenish display with the marquess.

“Perhaps some tea would help.”

Thea nodded, even as she knew tea would not help. She thought perhaps the only thing that might truly help would be to leave Cawdor and Nairnshire. When once she’d thought the village the perfect place for her to call home, she now thought it was not far enough away from Shay Buchanan. Perhaps all of Scotland and England would be too close. Maybe she should leave for the continent.

She needed to decide and just go. She didn’t know how long she had before Shay showed up and asked her to leave his home. She could only think the reason he’d not done so already was because the poor man was worried she might attack him yet again.

If she could just stop thinking of him and finish the book. Frannie came in with the tea then and Thea latched onto yet another distraction. But when the tray had been ravaged, Thea sighed, for it surely hadn’t helped at all.

*

In the last week, Shay moved from room to room in the castle noting how much each place lacked the very thing he truly wanted. He’d start his day in the breakfast room, eating alone, and then went off to his study where he reviewed the ledgers that didn’t require daily upkeep, and therefore needed no review.

In the afternoons he’d often end up in the library where he would divide his time between lying on a chaise while reading a Stonecliff novel, and standing by the window staring down at the dower cottage wondering what Thea was doing.

It wasn’t an even split, mind you, as only a few minutes were actually spent reading. He’d often take his noon meal in the library and hope to be lulled to sleep, but his naps had been overtaken by more time spent in thought of Thea.

Eventually, Mrs. Murray would come to tell him supper was ready and he would eat his meal, alone as always, before he would watch the clock until it displayed an hour not too hideously early for sleep, where he would ready for bed only to dream of Thea and the kisses they’d shared.

He’d not realized how lonely his life was until he’d removed himself from the person who had become a very large part of it. What had he done before he’d known her? Surely he must have been content. He’d not remembered it being this agonizingly dull.

In those times of thought, as he was doing today in his study, he vacillated between thinking he was a hero for taking on such a herculean effort as avoiding his deepest temptation, and thinking himself a coward for the exact same reason.

Surely Thea must think he avoided her because he regretted their kisses and that was something entirely untrue. In fact, he only wanted to kiss her more, which was why he needed to keep his distance.

For kissing was a slippery slope and he feared he was not strong enough to keep himself from falling.

When the door opened, he hoped Mrs. Murray was coming to tell him it was noon, but the clock on the mantle only showed a quarter ten.

“M’lord, we’ve a problem,” Mrs. Murray said as she bustled into his study, wringing her hands. It was rare to see the woman so upset.

“What has happened? Lady Thea…?”

Anna winced and came closer, dropping her voice.

“John just put Lord Percival and Lord Billings in the morning room. He’s come for his sister. To return to London with him.”

“He knows she’s here?”

“He says he has it on good authority she is here, for whatever that means.”

“Good God,” Shay muttered as he jumped up from his desk. He worried for the MacLains if Stephen had hurt them in any way, Thea would be horrified. “I must move her somewhere safe.”

“Aye. That’s why John put them in the morning room. So ye might sneak out the back and ride to the cottage without being seen.”

“The man is brilliant.”

“It was my idea,” she complained.

“Then you are the brilliant one, he is only to be praised for listening to you.” Shay grabbed up his coat and tugged it on. “You keep them busy until I return.”

“Aye. I plan to tell them you are out for a ride, which will be the truth as Gordy is bringing your horse around now. Go. Save her from the fate her lout of a brother has planned for the lass.”

With a nod, Shay rushed from the room. As Mrs. Murray had said, Gordy was just bringing Phantom to the back of the house as Shay exited through the servants’ doors.

“Thank ye, Gordy.” Shay mounted and nudged his horse into action the quicker to get to Thea. As he rode, he tried to think of someplace she could go that her brother would not find her.

She’d wanted to buy a home close by, but that wouldn’t work now. Not when her brother knew she’d come here. And where could she go with no horse? It would take her some time to hire a carriage for a long ride. And she didn’t have extra time.

By the time he dismounted and ran into the house he’d considered and disregarded at least a dozen possible escape routes. Stepping into her drawing room he expected to see her quill scrawling across the pages, but her head was resting on her arm and her eyes were closed.

“She worked late into the night and fell asleep there. I didn’t have the heart to wake her,” Frannie said quietly by his side. “She’s not been feeling well.”

“What is wrong with her?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. She only says she’s physically well, for whatever that means.”

Shay thought he knew well enough what she meant. That in body she was fine, but in heart she ached. Just as he did.

“Well, she must wake now. Her brother has come for her.”

Frannie gasped and he realized his mistake. In addition to his vile plans for his sister, Stephen Rockledge had ruined Frannie when he’d come to stay the year before. He’d wooed the lass into thinking he loved her only to get what he wanted and then left the girl.

Shay felt responsible for having such a monster as a guest, though he’d not been a guest as much as a leech for the two months he’d stayed on at Cawdor.

“I’ll not allow anyone to hurt ye, Frannie. If you need to go home to the village until he’s gone, I will see to Miss Thea. I fear she will need to leave anyway. Go on,” he said and the girl hurried out of the room.

“What’s wrong?” Thea asked, her sleepy eyes blinking owlishly.

There was no time to settle the news lightly.

“Your brother has arrived at the castle. He knows you’re here and has come to take you back to London.”

She looked around at the piles of paper on the desk, tables, and even on the settee. It would take her some time to pack her things.

“You need to leave, immediately,” he said. “Don’t worry. I’ll pack up your things and send them on to you wherever you go.”

“That’s just it, I don’t know where to go. The fact that Stephen knows I’m here means he’s likely compromised Mr. MacLain. No doubt he threatened the man in some way. I’ll not be able to have him send me any funds from my accounts, let alone help me purchase a home. And I haven’t the funds yet, because I’ve not been able to finish…”

Her shoulders slumped as her skin went pale. He wanted to go to her, pull her close and tell her everything would be all right, but he’d not lie to her.

“I’ll give you the money. My horse is outside. You can ride to the next village and rent a room until I send the lout back to London and come for you.” It was the best plan he’d come up with, but it was Shay who wasn’t certain it would work. Stephen was desperate and desperate people rarely gave up when they had a way out of their predicament. Sending Thea away alone meant Shay wouldn’t be able to protect her when Stephen found her.

Thea shook her head. “I can’t keep running from him and putting other people in danger.” She glanced over at the door where they heard Frannie in the other room.

After letting out a deep breath, Thea stood taller. “Please burn all the pages when I’m gone. If I must face such a grim fate, at least I don’t want my brother to attempt to finish the book to get the money. At least my name will remain unsullied.” She shrugged. “Well, the name I used anyway.”

“No.” He shook his head. He may have failed to come up with a good plan thus far, but at least it was better than giving up completely. He needed to save her. But if he refused to give her up to Stephen now, he would only return with the constable and Shay would be forced to turn her over to the rotter because Stephen was her guardian.

Unless…

An idea came to him. One so absurd it might just work.