Legend Of The Highland Dragon by Isabel Cooper

stepped into the drawing room. MacAlasdair was lounging in one of the chairs by the fire, folding the day’s paper in a leisurely manner, his long legs stretched out before him. He stood up and looked her over slowly, as if confirming her reality and the fact that he’d have to deal with her.
    “Good morning, sir,” she said, with as much cool politeness as she’d ever used for three short words.
    There was equal caution in the golden eyes that met hers, but Lord MacAlasdair spoke more smoothly. “And a good morning to you as well, Miss Seymour. You may go, Polly.” As the maid left, he indicated one of the chairs. “Have a seat. You seem to be well enough.”
    “One adjusts,” said Mina, which she supposed was the truth. Her lack of hysterics had surprised her a little. She was glad that he probably didn’t know anything about the light in her room. “Besides, if those things come back, I’d guess I wouldn’t be the first they’d go after. Not from what you said.”
    “You wouldn’t,” said MacAlasdair, “and they’ll not. Not for a few weeks yet. You canna’ summon manes save in the dark of the moon, and that’s past. Now that I’ve sent them back where they come from, Ward will have to wait a fair bit to play that trick again—though I’m sure he can lay his hands on other tools.”
    “Nothing like starting your day with a bit of good cheer, I suppose,” said Mina.
    “I’ll take what cheer I can,” said MacAlasdair. “Especially if it means not having manes tearing through my house. You can have your breakfast with me from now on,” he added. “It would be sensible for me to give a secretary the day’s instructions then.”
    It wasn’t a gracious offer, and the first response that rose to Mina’s lips was a stiff I know my place, sir, thank you all the same . But she checked it, remembering the stares and the stilted conversation over breakfast. She didn’t know her place, not in this house. Or rather, her place was betwixt and between in a way it had never been with Professor Carter, who had only the one housekeeper and ate in his study without looking up from his latest book more often than not. Here, MacAlasdair at least knew her real situation better than the servants.
    He was trying, too. And it wasn’t as if their circumstances were entirely his fault.
    “I’d be glad to,” said Mina. “Will you actually have instructions for me?”
    “Perhaps,” said MacAlasdair, startled. “Nothing immediate comes to mind. I’m in the habit of handling my affairs personally.”
    That was possibly the least surprising thing Mina had seen or heard since she’d crossed MacAlasdair’s threshold. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying as much.
    “Today,” MacAlasdair continued, “we’ll go and retrieve whatever belongings you need. Whenever you’re ready: my own plans are far from set.”
    It took a moment for Mina to realize what he was saying. When she did, she couldn’t help laughing. “ We won’t do any such thing, thank you.”
    MacAlasdair raised dark eyebrows. “Pardon?”
    “I live in a lodging house, my lord. A female lodging house.”
    “Ah. And they won’t—”
    “Not hardly,” Mina said. “No men. Not even wealthy men with titles. Maybe especially not wealthy men with titles,” she added, and saw MacAlasdair look away. Ha.
    “I’ll wait for you outside, then,” he said after a moment.
    “You’ll wait for me in the tea shop,” said Mina. “There’s one on the corner. If I suddenly can’t walk safely from there to my flat and back in the middle of the day, neither of us has any business staying in this city.”
    “You’ll not talk to anyone on the way.”
    It wasn’t a question, and Mina narrowed her eyes. “I won’t be rude to anyone I know, but I’ll be quick—and I’ve been looking after myself for a few years now. I gave you my word on your secrets, if that’s what you’re getting at, so you’ll just have to trust a little bit