The Wallflower's Wicked Wager (The Wallflower Wins Book 2) Read online

  In the Highlands, as laird, he had many people to look after, the mending of crofter’s houses to be seen to, livestock to be assessed. Vast acreage of forests that needed to be conserved and cultivated.

  It was not possible to spend all his time in Edinburgh. And he was glad of it.

  One day he would have to go to London again.

  He nearly shuddered at the idea, but in London he might actually be able to make some true headway in improving the lives of the people of his land.

  That would be a good thing indeed, but he didn’t particularly care for the idea of going to the south.

  He had not liked it there and the people there had not particularly liked him. The men had viewed him with a great deal of suspicion and the ladies had viewed him as something to conquer. He didn’t mind being conquered. It could be quite fun really, but he hadn’t liked seeming like a specimen in the zoological exhibit to be gawked at.

  They viewed him as some barbarian.

  Wherever he went, they kept asking him if he could do a Highland fling. He was very tempted to fling the lot of them at the wall.

  No, he’d find a good Scottish lass if he was ever to marry and be happy in the Highlands.

  And he would never marry for less than love.

  For he knew if he did not, his future would be a disaster of unhappiness. He’d never have mistresses. He knew that he wasn’t that sort of fellow. Once he made a vow, he’d stick to it.

  It was the sort of thing that had guided his entire life.

  Loyalty.

  He didn’t mind other people breaking their vows.

  That was up to them.

  But he would not break the vow that he had made.

  So, as he rode his horse up the glen and caught sight of the castle, he drew in a deep breath of relief at long last.

  He would protect this place. No matter what it took. And it did take a great deal of negotiation. Most of all, he wished to keep the army and other English people largely out of the glens of Scotland, so they could not cause more damage than they already had.

  That would be his lifelong endeavor.

  Some people thought he was nothing but a rake and pleasure-seeker.

  It was the furthest thing from the truth.

  The truth was he spent a great deal of time working at keeping his people safe from the English and the work was rather depressing. Therefore, he spent a good deal of time seeking pleasure to recover from the depressing nature of his work.

  It was a conundrum indeed, but here at least he’d be able to see the open skies, the wild hills, and the perfect salt water. He couldn’t wait to throw himself into the sea loch.

  As a matter of fact, it seemed like the ideal thing to do on such a perfect June day.

  Gideon guided his stallion down to a cove that he knew was particularly isolated. One he’d gone to since he was a small boy.

  Easily, he dismounted from his steed, gave the fellow a good pat on the neck, and tied his rein to a nearby tree branch.

  Gideon gazed upon the shimmering sea loch and could barely contain his happiness at the anticipation of plunging into the cold water.

  Few people knew the delights of it.

  They were all too horrified by the idea, too delicate, but he had learned as a child that the most wonderful thing for the soul was the cold water.

  It purified one.

  It brought life when there was sorrow.

  And so, full to the brim with anticipation, he pulled off his coat and waistcoat, removed his linen shirt, yanked off his boots, and then pulled down his tightly tailored breeches until he was naked as the day he was born.

  For one moment, he let the northern sun bathe him and tilted his head back, drinking in the sensation and the freedom of it all.

  Then, without thinking another jot, he thundered into the water.

  The foamy salt water splashed his skin like a thousand needles, and he delighted at the feel of the icy waves crashing over his skin.

  It hurt like bloody hell for a single moment and then he took long deeps breaths.

  Peace flooded him.

  It was perfection as he rolled onto his back, drifted, and looked up at the sky.

  Gideon spotted an eagle soaring overhead.

  Why, we wondered, did he ever feel the need to leave?

  He knew why. He’d been born to a certain position. And that position meant he had work to do that was away from his castle on occasion. It was necessary that he intervene in the great workings of men to assure that his tiny corner of the world stayed well.

  But that did not mean that he did not miss this pleasure a great deal. For this was the pinnacle of all pleasures.

  Gideon swam for several moments, enjoying the frigid embrace, knowing that others would gasp and cry and rush for the shore. But he took long strokes going up the loch and back towards where’d left his clothes.

  Completely invigorated, he knew it was time to go in.

  Gideon neared the shore and stood, allowing his feet to touch the pebbles below. A smile tilted his lips as he began to stride forward.

  Just as he was knee deep, he heard the laughter of small boys and knew immediately that his nephews were at hand.

  Gideon grinned. He adored the imps.

  They were holy terrors of the best sort and he loved everything about them.

  He wished that he could have spent more time with them, but, no, he wasn’t going to think about that.

  He wasn’t going to think about the pain of his sister’s passing or that horrible moment when she and her husband had died and he had been left the guardians of the boys. Or how he had known that he would never be able to quite allow himself to get too close to them because he did not wish them to have to suffer the loss of another family member.

  After all, it seemed that all the family members of his particular clan were fated to meet early ends.

  Now, he knew that he had to maintain some kind of distance, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t adore them. And so when he saw them scampering over the heather and running towards him, tearing their own clothes off at full tilt to run into the water, he laughed a booming laugh. But then he heard it.

  Female laughter.

  Gideon froze and not from the cold of the water.

  Before he could throw himself back into the water to hide his nakedness, something he was usually quite proud of, a young woman dashed over the heather and came to an immediate stop at the side of the loch.

  She spotted him, her skirts swinging about her legs at her rapid halt.

  Her eyes widened.

  Her cheeks, which were pale, blazed red and her jaw dropped.

  The boys were already splashing into the water like puppies.

  But he? He was caught.

  Her eyes formed perfect rounds, but she did not look away.

  With her astounded look, she suddenly assessed him from the top of his head to. . .

  Yes, the minx’s shocked eyes were locked upon his cock.

  His brain seemed to function again, and he sat down immediately into the water, lest he stun her further.

  She gaped at him before she shouted, “Boys!”

  “It’s Uncle Gideon, Miss Helena!” Alistair exclaimed.

  Anything else the boys seemed to say was lost in their enthusiastic splashing.

  Gideon at last cleared his throat. “Excuse me, young woman, would you mind turning about? For your modesty, if not for mine.”

  She stood still for several seconds.

  “So I can get out,” he all but roared, though he had no idea why he was suddenly off foot. He was most used to being naked. But being naked before her. . . Well, he didn’t know exactly what he was feeling.

  Clearly stunned, she blinked slowly before she blushed a bright cherry red. “Yes. Yes, of course. Do forgive me. We were not expecting to come upon your company.”

  “That’s rather obvious,” he drawled. “Don’t apologize. No one was expecting me today. So there’s no blame at all to
be given. If anything, you must forgive me for the surprise.”

  She laughed, and though it was a trifle nervous, it was a deep, lovely sound. Slowly, she turned away from him. “Oh, you are absolutely forgiven. This is your land after all. Surely you’re allowed to be naked upon it.”

  Naked upon it, he thought to himself. What an interesting thing to say.

  “You don’t look like a governess, you know,” he said to her back as he stood up and began walking towards the shore where his clothes waited.

  “What does a governess look like?” she asked.

  “Old,” he replied as he wrestled his shirt back on. “Stern,” he added. “Immoveable.”

  “Oh dear,” she sighed. “Have you only known governesses in the last stages of their lives?”

  That gave him pause as he pulled on his breeches. “I really haven’t given it a good deal of thought.”

  As he struggled with his boots, he nearly tripped over. Late bloody stages indeed. She certainly wasn’t in a late stage. She was as fresh and full of zest as they came. The young woman had set him quite off his usual steady path.

  And bloody hell, she was young.

  He expected the governess to be, well, at least in her forties and completely on the shelf.

  A governess should be as captivating as a prune.

  This young lady was none of those things.

  “I beg your pardon?” he finally said. “What is your name?”

  “You hired me, Laird MacAlister.” A playful smile turned her lips.

  He arched a brow.

  “Miss Helena Highbury at your service,” she said with a curtsy.

  “She’s absolutely lovely, Uncle!” Alistair called over the water.

  “You did a very good job this time,” Hamish added.

  “Thank you, I had her on good recommendation.” He tugged on his coat and shoved his damp hair back from his face. “You may turn around now, Miss Highbury. I am decent.”

  His clothes were stuck to his body because he was damp. But at least the most important parts of him were covered. She turned slowly back to him.

  Her eyes danced with amusement, not embarrassment, as he expected.

  “My goodness,” she began. “You’re very brave to go swimming in the loch. It is rather cold.”

  He shrugged lightly. “I have been swimming in the loch my entire life. I even go swimming in the winter.”

  “Do you?” she asked, breathless.

  “It is most invigorating,” he explained.

  “And you like to be so invigorated?” she asked, gazing at the loch and then at him as if he was trifle mad.

  He laughed at that. “Who doesn’t?”

  She frowned. “Well, young ladies are often not encouraged to be invigorated, but of course my young charges like it quite a good deal.”

  “Yes.” The boys looked as happy as he could recall seeing them in some time. “They seem to like you.”

  “I like them,” she replied honestly. “They are a handful, and we enjoy each other quite a good deal.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He studied her. “I didn’t think that someone of your years would be able to manage them.”

  She tsked. “Oh, I think it’s the opposite. You see? I like to make merry and to have a good deal of fun. But I also know they need a steady hand. We have very few arguments.” She waved at the boys. “Isn’t that correct, boys?”

  “Correct!” Hamish called just before he dove under the water.

  “Do you often bring them swimming?” he asked.

  “They do it almost every day,” she informed.

  “You take them to the loch to swim every day?” he queried, his stomach tightening.

  “Oh yes,” she replied happily.

  “But you don’t go in?” he asked, feeling concerned. What would happen if there was an emergency?

  “No,” she stated.

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” he asked, trying to keep his tone even.

  She shook her head. “Why?”

  “What if something were to happen?” he asked, thinking suddenly of the quick tragedy that could steal one away. As it had his sister and his father.

  She gave him a long, firm look. “I am perfectly capable of swimming. If something did happen, I would dash in to save them. Luckily, as I ascertained before we began our daily outings, the three boys are excellent swimmers. I’m sure you already know because you taught them to swim.”

  Gideon paused. “Yes, I did,” he admitted.

  He hesitated and took her in anew. From the top of her rather unpresuming head to the prim nature of her gown, to the boots peeping out from her skirt, she was not at all the sort of woman he ever would’ve hired to watch the boys.

  And yet they seemed terribly happy. It seemed that fortune had stepped in when he had not been able to choose correctly in the past. For indeed, all the previous governesses had proved a disaster.

  She was exactly the opposite of what he’d imagined necessary. Yet here she stood taking care of three boys who looked absolutely full of happiness.

  Something Gideon hadn’t observed in quite some time.

  A strange wave of relief and even gratitude towards the young woman, who was far prettier than she should have been, swept over him.

  Oh, it was true, she had a plain face, but her eyes were a remarkable shade of gray. They peered at him like steely rocks from a craggy head. Like rocks that he had seen on the Isle of Skye, rocks that were ancient and could speak to one as if they could create reverberations in one’s soul.

  Devil take it.

  What a horribly poetic fancy that was.

  He was not usually given to such flights, but here he was comparing her to the ancient ones.

  What had overcome him?

  Her soft brown hair was braided in soft coils about her face, and he found that her hair was really a rather shockingly beautiful thing.

  It gleamed in the sun, and while her countenance was not particularly admirable, she had a way of looking at him that set him on edge.

  He found himself wondering what the devil she was about to say next, and he found that he quite liked it.

  “So you hail from the south?” he asked, not knowing what to say next.

  “Indeed I do. I’m from Cornwall, as the boys know.” She folded her slender hands before her. “They do enjoy my stories very much about the wild happenings there.”

  “Aha.” He shifted on his boots, not quite certain what he was feeling in regard to her. “Yes, I’m sure you tell very good bedtime stories.”

  Her lips twitched at that.

  Mischief danced in her eyes.

  Bloody hell, he thought to himself, she was no prim, proper, austere woman.

  It seemed that she had an imagination in her head, and he wondered if that was a good thing or a bad. For his three nephews, he realized it was a good thing indeed. They needed someone like her who could lead them in a merry dance but also keep them safe and spin stories about their heads, letting them have visions of something else than memories of their parents when the night came.

  He gave a nod. “I should head back to the castle, see my mother, and ensure that all is going well.”

  “Oh, your mother does ensure that everything goes well every day,” she said brightly. “She is a remarkable person.”

  “You two get along?” he queried.

  “She is a wonderful employer, and I am very grateful to work for someone who cares so much about my needs. She takes very good care, I think, of everyone within her reach.”

  He smiled at that. It was true.

  His mother was a remarkable woman, and she did take care of everyone within her reach, and her heart had nearly been broken the day his father died, and then again when his sister died.

  Still, his mother had managed to hold herself together for those left behind.

  “I shall leave you to it then,” he said, shoving a hand through his tangled hair. “But you should join me for dinner this evening. We s
hall converse about your life, what led you to become a governess, and what brought you to the Highlands.”

  She cocked her head to the side and leaned towards him, her eyes sparkling. “You brought me to the Highlands, sir. It is as simple an answer as that.”

  His breath caught in his throat. My god, she was like a mischievous sprite out here by the loch.

  “Nothing is ever simple, Miss Highbury,” he countered. “There are always tales to tell, as you should know, coming from Cornwall.”

  Her eyes seemed to narrow, her brow furrowed ever so slightly, and he wondered if he had touched a nerve.

  Was there something in her past she did not wish him to know? It seemed impossible, given her rather plain state of affairs, but still waters did run deep, as they said.

  Gideon crossed over the rocky shore to his stallion. Gently, he unwound the reins and then guided the animal carefully away from her.

  Without a backward glance, though it took considerable effort, he left the boys and the governess to have a good day.

  She was not at all what he had expected.

  It was important that he push her from his mind.

  No, he would not be giving thoughts to the governess. That would be a disaster.

  Besides, she was not at all his type. There was nothing particularly beautiful about her, nothing particularly compelling, no woman’s art that might seduce him.

  To even think that he might give consideration to her as a woman was absurd. She was a governess.

  And yet, the tilt of her mischievous lips? They had spoken to him in a way that little had in many years, and then there had been those steely gray eyes.

  Damnation.

  He had been spending far too much time reading poetry as of late.

  He was going to have to take up the sciences again, which was one of his particular likes, in any case.

  Yes, a good reading of an astronomy tome would put his mind in the right place, and he would remember that governesses were not to be considered for kissing. Much to his horror, he realized that was exactly what he had been considering.

  He had been considering what her mischievous lips would feel like underneath his.

  Gideon closed his eyes.

  He did not think of virgins or unmarried young ladies in such ways. That was beyond the pale.

  So, after a stern warning to himself, he swung himself up onto his stallion and rode hard and fast back to the castle.