Regency Proposal. Ann Lethbridge

The thought of returning home made her feel the way an escaped prisoner must feel about the return to prison. A prison of her own making. Which didn’t make a bit of sense, not when she was about to marry the man she had chosen for herself. She held out his kilt. ‘You will want this.’

      He used one of the ropes to tie it, then rested it across the horse’s withers. ‘We’ll mount up outside.’ He picked up a bucket and emptied it on the fire. Choking smoke filled the cave.

      Selina coughed and rubbed at her streaming eyes. ‘You idiot. Couldn’t you wait until we had left?’

      He chuckled. The next moment, he was behind her, lifting her onto the horse. ‘We need to make haste, now.’ He jerked on the bridle and led the big black into the tunnel, holding a torch up so they could see ahead of them. They climbed upwards through the narrow space. Sometimes, when the surf was quiet, she could hear running water—what was left of the stream that had carved its way through the rock and out to the sea, no doubt. And then they were out in the cold night air.

      He doused the torch, tossed it over the cliff and continued leading the horse, back towards the road.

      She clung on to the stallion’s mane and prayed they would make it home in time.

      A good few yards from the keep’s entrance, Selina directed him across country. ‘There is an outcropping of rock on the back side of the hill,’ she murmured quietly.

      ‘I know it.’ Why had he never suspected it might hide an entrance? As lads, his brothers would have been delighted. The thought of the trouble they might have caused made him shudder.

      They needed to hurry. Dawn was already changing the eastern sky from black to grey. Beau shied as a figure rose out of the heather. Ian jerked the horse to a stand.

      ‘Angus,’ Selina cried.

      ‘Shh,’ Angus hissed. ‘What by all that is holy are you thinking, Ian Gilvry?’

      ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.

      Ian had a sinking feeling in his gut. Who else knew to expect Lady Selina?

      Angus shot a glance up at the keep. ‘Do you think I don’t know every nook and cranny of my master’s house, my lady? So it is true.’

      ‘What are you insinuating, Mr McIver?’

      Never had Ian heard her sound so haughty. So much like the stuck-up noblewoman Andrew had described on his return from London.

      ‘What is happening, Angus?’ Ian asked, jumping clear of Beau.

      ‘That young lady has been missed from her bed and her fiancé is crying foul, that is what is happening.’

      ‘Fiancé?’ His gut slipped sideways. He glared up at Lady Selina. Had she been playing some sort of game with him back there in the cave, the sort of flirtation engaged in by ladies of the ton, according to what Andrew had told him?

      ‘Nothing has been formally announced,’ she said, sounding defensive. She slipped down off the horse and stood at his side.

      ‘It may not be official,’ Angus said, ‘but he is verra angry. Threatening to ruin your reputation and that of your father. Interfering in official business makes you an accomplice under the law.’

      ‘He can’t know for certain,’ she said heatedly. ‘No one saw me.’

      Ian had the feeling she had her fingers crossed when she said the last. ‘Did someone see her?’

      ‘I’m no privy to that information. I do know that young Dunstan is beside himself with anger. No doubt he expected a bit of glory out of tonight’s affair. Instead …’

      She winced. ‘Father knows I knew what was planned for tonight and he thinks I betrayed him.’

      ‘Well, you did, didn’t you?’ Angus muttered, his deep voice turning into a low growl of frustration. ‘Lady Albright is in tears, speaking of ruin and disgrace. Your father …’ He shook his head.

      Ian stiffened, but for all the anger he felt, he had to acknowledge that if word of her escapade got out Lady Selina would be ruined. Helping a Gilvry escape the gaugers would not be seen as heroic by her people. They also might ponder why she had helped him, and not to her credit.

      ‘I’ll just have to face the music,’ Lady Selina said in a small breathless voice. ‘It is no one’s business what I was doing tonight and so I will tell him. Father will forgive me, eventually.’

      ‘I advise against such a step,’ Angus said, his voice as dry as dust. ‘That young man won’t be satisfied until you admit where you were tonight and give evidence against the Laird. If he persuades your father he is right, you’ll have a hard task standing up to them.’

      Ian’s fists clenched at the thought of her being bullied.

      ‘And once they have what they want,’ McIver continued, ‘the Laird will be convicted.’

      ‘But what else can I do?’ she said.

      He gave her a sharp look. ‘According to that maid of yours, it wouldn’t be the first time you’d gone off on a whim in the middle of the night. All you have to do is disappear for a while and turn up somewhere else safe and sound.’

      ‘So Mary has been gossiping, has she?’ she said icily.

      ‘Mary is worried out of her wits that she will get the blame.’

      Lady Selina’s shoulders sagged. She shook her head. ‘Surely, Father would not blame a servant for my actions? Besides, he knows I don’t do that sort of thing any more.’

      ‘Who’s to say what maggot gets into a woman’s head?’ Angus said. ‘There has to be somewhere you could go, some friend you could visit who could vouch for your whereabouts?’

      She turned to Ian, her face full of worry. ‘There is Alice. Lady Hawkhurst as she is now. Hawkhurst is a formidable man. He might be able to convince them I left before all this occurred. Father would listen to him.’

      ‘You’ll have to be careful,’ McIver warned. ‘They’ll be searching the glens for you both by morning.’

      Ian stared at McIver. ‘Are you proposing I escort her there?’

      ‘Aye. Unless you have a better idea.’

      A curse sprang to his lips; he swallowed it. ‘Perhaps if you bat your beautiful eyes at them, Lady Selina, and tell them you were out for a walk, they’ll believe you.’

      ‘I’m willing to give it a try,’ she said with a defiant little toss of her head.

      ‘Laird, if I might have a word with you in private?’ Angus said. He looked up at Lady Selina. ‘Clan business, you ken, my lady.’

      ‘I suppose you are afraid I will tell them your secrets,’ she said. ‘Well, I’m not so poor spirited. However, speak privately if you must.’ She walked a few steps away.

      Ian drew closer to Angus. ‘What is it, man? More bad news?’

      ‘It depends on your point of view.’ Angus gripped his arm hard. ‘I ought to beat you to within an inch of your life for involving her in your doings.’

      Anger rising in his craw, Ian stepped toe to toe with the man. McIver was big, but Ian was taller and fitter. He clenched his fists and pitched his voice low. ‘Speak your piece, man.’

      ‘Marry the lass.’

      The words hit him like a punch to the jaw. Words would not form for a moment or two. More shocking yet was the deep sense of longing filling his chest, as if some hitherto-unrecognised hope had been forced to the surface. No doubt the wrong part of his anatomy doing the thinking. ‘Are you mad? She’s Albright’s daughter.’

      The child of his family’s enemy. That was why he’d driven her off all those years ago, when he realised he was in danger of losing himself in her