what ye’re going to get are two very different things, Miss Marsh.”
“I will not have you giving me orders. Leave the environs of my rooms immediately.”
The handle on the door shook as he tested it. “Ye’ll open the door.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Miss Marsh, I’m warning ye. I must inspect yer rooms. Let me in or I shall break down this door.”
Fury exploded inside her. She wasn’t about to yell at him from inside her room like a cowering ninny. She wanted to yell at him face-to-face.
She turned the key in the lock and flung open the door. “How dare you speak to me in so impudent a manner ! I will not—”
The words died in her mouth as he shouldered his way past her into the bedroom. Her mouth fell open, appalled at his insolence. She crossed her arms over
her chest. “I hate to seem discourteous, but … actually, I don’t. Get out!”
“By God, yer mouth alone is enough to keep assassins at bay.”
She pursed her lips. “And you are becoming increasingly underfoot.”
He cast a hard look at Quinny, who quaked in a corner. “Who’s this?”
Serena stepped beside the maid. Next to Mr. Slayter, Quinny looked like a child. “Quinny serves as lady’s companion to me.”
“Ye’ll have no more need of a companion. Ye’ve got me now.”
She stuck her nose in the air. “It is highly improper for a lady to entertain gentlemen unchaperoned.”
“Miss Marsh, ye’re no’ entertaining me. If ye want to entertain me, ye’ll have to do a damn sight more than strut ’round like a persnickety dowager queen.” He turned to Quinny. “What’s yer name?”
“Caointiorn, sir,” she replied meekly.
“Ye can go now, Caointiorn,” he told her softly. “I’ll be mustering the servants below stairs in an hour’s time. Please be there when I do.”
“Quinny, don’t you dare move!” Serena told her.
“Mr. Slayter, no one dismisses my servants but me. I’ll thank you to remember your place.”
Quinny’s tremulous voice warbled behind her. “A’m sairy, miss. A feel no weel. A hae tae gang noo.” She darted from the room so fast, Serena only caught a glimpse of her shadow upon the floor.
Serena sighed in frustration. Some chaperone Quinny turned out to be. It was yet another thing she should have brought with her into this backward country.
“Oh, hurry up and do what you must,” she huffed.
“There are important things that require my attention.”
He suppressed a smile and began an examination of her rooms. “Such as?”
“I’m planning my next column for the Town Crier. ” She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know if you know this, but I am a writer of some note. Have you heard of the ‘Rage Page’?”
He cocked his head. “That’s yers, then?”
She was pleasantly astonished. “You’ve heard of it?”
His green eyes shone. “No.”
She rolled her eyes. “That hardly surprises me. Nothing of any importance happens here in the Highlands.”
He chuckled as he scrutinized the windows. “Nothing? Do ye even know why yer father is here?”
Her back stiffened imperiously. “I’m perfectly attuned to the necessity of my father’s mission, thank you. You don’t need to lecture me on world events. I meant that culturally, Scotland leaves much to be desired. I’ve been here long enough to know that there is no need of a Society column in this country.”
He opened the doors on her wardrobe, which equaled his height. “Mayhap it’s because we’ve gossips aplenty without the need for another. Even a ‘writer of note.’”
Serena walked over to her bed and sat down. His back was turned, and she stole a lingering glance at him. His black-clad figure dominated the room, filling its space. He had a most imposing physique, and briefly she wondered what such a man looked like without such second-rate clothes on. She stared at him for a few moments as he examined the corners of her room.
“Well?”
“Aye, quite well, thank ye.”
She ground her teeth.
“I will not have you giving me orders. Leave the environs of my rooms immediately.”
The handle on the door shook as he tested it. “Ye’ll open the door.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Miss Marsh, I’m warning ye. I must inspect yer rooms. Let me in or I shall break down this door.”
Fury exploded inside her. She wasn’t about to yell at him from inside her room like a cowering ninny. She wanted to yell at him face-to-face.
She turned the key in the lock and flung open the door. “How dare you speak to me in so impudent a manner ! I will not—”
The words died in her mouth as he shouldered his way past her into the bedroom. Her mouth fell open, appalled at his insolence. She crossed her arms over
her chest. “I hate to seem discourteous, but … actually, I don’t. Get out!”
“By God, yer mouth alone is enough to keep assassins at bay.”
She pursed her lips. “And you are becoming increasingly underfoot.”
He cast a hard look at Quinny, who quaked in a corner. “Who’s this?”
Serena stepped beside the maid. Next to Mr. Slayter, Quinny looked like a child. “Quinny serves as lady’s companion to me.”
“Ye’ll have no more need of a companion. Ye’ve got me now.”
She stuck her nose in the air. “It is highly improper for a lady to entertain gentlemen unchaperoned.”
“Miss Marsh, ye’re no’ entertaining me. If ye want to entertain me, ye’ll have to do a damn sight more than strut ’round like a persnickety dowager queen.” He turned to Quinny. “What’s yer name?”
“Caointiorn, sir,” she replied meekly.
“Ye can go now, Caointiorn,” he told her softly. “I’ll be mustering the servants below stairs in an hour’s time. Please be there when I do.”
“Quinny, don’t you dare move!” Serena told her.
“Mr. Slayter, no one dismisses my servants but me. I’ll thank you to remember your place.”
Quinny’s tremulous voice warbled behind her. “A’m sairy, miss. A feel no weel. A hae tae gang noo.” She darted from the room so fast, Serena only caught a glimpse of her shadow upon the floor.
Serena sighed in frustration. Some chaperone Quinny turned out to be. It was yet another thing she should have brought with her into this backward country.
“Oh, hurry up and do what you must,” she huffed.
“There are important things that require my attention.”
He suppressed a smile and began an examination of her rooms. “Such as?”
“I’m planning my next column for the Town Crier. ” She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know if you know this, but I am a writer of some note. Have you heard of the ‘Rage Page’?”
He cocked his head. “That’s yers, then?”
She was pleasantly astonished. “You’ve heard of it?”
His green eyes shone. “No.”
She rolled her eyes. “That hardly surprises me. Nothing of any importance happens here in the Highlands.”
He chuckled as he scrutinized the windows. “Nothing? Do ye even know why yer father is here?”
Her back stiffened imperiously. “I’m perfectly attuned to the necessity of my father’s mission, thank you. You don’t need to lecture me on world events. I meant that culturally, Scotland leaves much to be desired. I’ve been here long enough to know that there is no need of a Society column in this country.”
He opened the doors on her wardrobe, which equaled his height. “Mayhap it’s because we’ve gossips aplenty without the need for another. Even a ‘writer of note.’”
Serena walked over to her bed and sat down. His back was turned, and she stole a lingering glance at him. His black-clad figure dominated the room, filling its space. He had a most imposing physique, and briefly she wondered what such a man looked like without such second-rate clothes on. She stared at him for a few moments as he examined the corners of her room.
“Well?”
“Aye, quite well, thank ye.”
She ground her teeth.
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