trim, set it to rights across the tops of her breasts!
And she still smiled at him.
“Give me strength,” Calum said, to God and to himself. “I do not believe what I see.”
“There, dear one,” Struan said. “You are as close to your demure self as is possible at this moment.” With a final, capable brushing at her skirts over her thighs, he stood and faced Calum again. “Perhaps we should go outside to continue this discussion,” he said.
“You shall not,” Justine said firmly. “If you leave this room, I go with you.”
She was quite unlike herself. “Kindly remember that I am the head of the household,” Calum told her. “In matters of your welfare, I must decide what is best.”
“Piffle.”
He gaped. “Has he fed you strong drink? Is that it? You are drunk, my lady?”
“Sin's ears!
You, dear brother, are a turnip head.”
“Good Lord. Obviously you are not yourself. Struan, I will have the truth now. Explain exactly what passed between yourself and my sister while you were alone.”
“We comforted each other,” Struan said quietly and Calum could not help but notice how weary his friend appeared. “I encountered Justine at Kirkcaldy and persuaded her to offer me solace. I needed someone I could trust. I trust Justine, Calum, just as I trust you.”
Calum swallowed. He could not allow old loyalties to sway him from duty. “And what, pray, was the exact form of this comfort and solace?”
“Not what you think,” Struan said, very low, inclining his head significantly in Justine's direction.
“So you say,” Calum said, but the leaden ball of anger began to lift from his heart. “What proof do you offer?”
Suddenly Struan's old, wicked smile split wide over his white teeth. Dimples drove into his beard-stubbled cheeks. “What proof should you like me to offer?” he asked softly. “Might it not be a trifle difficult to offer any at all?”
Calum glowered but could not stop his lips from twitching. “You say, then, that you expect me to believe my sister's virtue is intact?”
One of Struan's dark brows rose. “I do indeed.”
“Then I shall remove her at once, before more damage can be done to her reputation, and return her to her rightful place.”
“You will do no such thing!”
At the sound of Justine's sharp announcement, both men swiveled toward her.
“You, Calum, may think what you will. I am here and shall remain. I intend to do as I wish.”
“Justine, you forget yourself. You—”
“On the contrary. I have finally remembered myself. I have finally noted that if I am not exceedingly careful I shall end my days without ever having counted for a single matter of importance. Pah on that, I say. Piffle, I repeat.”
“You are a woman of high moral character. Virtuous—”
“Virtuous be … Virtue be
discarded.
I am a new woman about to emerge from the foolishness of my past. I have things to do, brother. Things destined to change the future of other woman. And I choose to do them here.”
Women. Calum looked at Justine as if to say he would never, ever, understand the creatures. “I managed to dissuade Grandmama from accompanying me by assuring her you would return with me.”
“I do not belong to Grandmama. Let her find another servant.”
Calum could not believe what he heard, but he rather liked parts of this newly confident Justine. “I shall be happy to help you establish a more satisfactory relationship with Grandmama, my dear. But we should leave at once.”
“That will not be possible.”
“Dearest Justine. Your virtue is—”
“I will say it again. I throw my virtue away. Virtue be gone. Virtue be tossed to any passing wind. Virtue, I want no part of your bonds from this day forth.”
Calum looked to Struan. “Now I think I must truly question the
comfort
you sought in Justine,” he said. “Did you? …”
Struan narrowed his eyes but did not respond.
To Justine Calum said, “Did he? …”
Justine frowned.
“Did you,
And she still smiled at him.
“Give me strength,” Calum said, to God and to himself. “I do not believe what I see.”
“There, dear one,” Struan said. “You are as close to your demure self as is possible at this moment.” With a final, capable brushing at her skirts over her thighs, he stood and faced Calum again. “Perhaps we should go outside to continue this discussion,” he said.
“You shall not,” Justine said firmly. “If you leave this room, I go with you.”
She was quite unlike herself. “Kindly remember that I am the head of the household,” Calum told her. “In matters of your welfare, I must decide what is best.”
“Piffle.”
He gaped. “Has he fed you strong drink? Is that it? You are drunk, my lady?”
“Sin's ears!
You, dear brother, are a turnip head.”
“Good Lord. Obviously you are not yourself. Struan, I will have the truth now. Explain exactly what passed between yourself and my sister while you were alone.”
“We comforted each other,” Struan said quietly and Calum could not help but notice how weary his friend appeared. “I encountered Justine at Kirkcaldy and persuaded her to offer me solace. I needed someone I could trust. I trust Justine, Calum, just as I trust you.”
Calum swallowed. He could not allow old loyalties to sway him from duty. “And what, pray, was the exact form of this comfort and solace?”
“Not what you think,” Struan said, very low, inclining his head significantly in Justine's direction.
“So you say,” Calum said, but the leaden ball of anger began to lift from his heart. “What proof do you offer?”
Suddenly Struan's old, wicked smile split wide over his white teeth. Dimples drove into his beard-stubbled cheeks. “What proof should you like me to offer?” he asked softly. “Might it not be a trifle difficult to offer any at all?”
Calum glowered but could not stop his lips from twitching. “You say, then, that you expect me to believe my sister's virtue is intact?”
One of Struan's dark brows rose. “I do indeed.”
“Then I shall remove her at once, before more damage can be done to her reputation, and return her to her rightful place.”
“You will do no such thing!”
At the sound of Justine's sharp announcement, both men swiveled toward her.
“You, Calum, may think what you will. I am here and shall remain. I intend to do as I wish.”
“Justine, you forget yourself. You—”
“On the contrary. I have finally remembered myself. I have finally noted that if I am not exceedingly careful I shall end my days without ever having counted for a single matter of importance. Pah on that, I say. Piffle, I repeat.”
“You are a woman of high moral character. Virtuous—”
“Virtuous be … Virtue be
discarded.
I am a new woman about to emerge from the foolishness of my past. I have things to do, brother. Things destined to change the future of other woman. And I choose to do them here.”
Women. Calum looked at Justine as if to say he would never, ever, understand the creatures. “I managed to dissuade Grandmama from accompanying me by assuring her you would return with me.”
“I do not belong to Grandmama. Let her find another servant.”
Calum could not believe what he heard, but he rather liked parts of this newly confident Justine. “I shall be happy to help you establish a more satisfactory relationship with Grandmama, my dear. But we should leave at once.”
“That will not be possible.”
“Dearest Justine. Your virtue is—”
“I will say it again. I throw my virtue away. Virtue be gone. Virtue be tossed to any passing wind. Virtue, I want no part of your bonds from this day forth.”
Calum looked to Struan. “Now I think I must truly question the
comfort
you sought in Justine,” he said. “Did you? …”
Struan narrowed his eyes but did not respond.
To Justine Calum said, “Did he? …”
Justine frowned.
“Did you,
Similar Books
