Page 63 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“I quite liked the gold evening gown. I’m surprised you did not purchase it. You do want to be sure you have enough clothes.”

“The day is young.” Grace took a sip of tea, then said, “I wonder that you’re not chiding me for spending too much money, or were you being delicate?”

Eve shrugged. “Lord Rushton gave you leave to spend all you like.”

“Us,” Grace corrected. “He gave us leave to spend all we like.”

“I made purchases,” Eve said.

“Two dresses, a few underclothes and a nightgown.”

“I do not plan to be long in Scotland.”

“Neither do I, but a man in his position expects to spend money.” Grace laughed. “I imagine he would think me quite strange if I chose to be frugal. Such a trait is not to be commended in a marchioness.”

Eve watched a passing coach on the quiet street beyond where Oscar sat with the driver atop the seat of their carriage. When she was fifteen, and had gone riding with a visiting cousin on a day much like today—well, a sunny day like today. No other day in her life had been like today or the previous three days. Her horse had thrown her, knocking her unconscious, and her cousin had raced home for help.

Her parents weren’t home, but Oscar reached her, and he carried her the quarter mile home. That wasn’t the first scrape he’d pulled her out of, nor was it the last. He’d practically grown up in her household and had proven a good friend throughout the years, a bit of the older brother she never had. He certainly watched over her more closely than many brothers did. So why had he become the rat who was siding with the man who could ruin her life?

“Eve.”

Eve broke from her thoughts.

“Where is your mind today?” Grace asked.

“My mind is on Lord Rushton. He may expect to spend money, but we both know he is accustomed to spending money on women with no intention of marrying them. Can you really want to marry a man who admits he would make a terrible husband and has sworn to attend to his pleasures as he always has despite his marriage?”

“That is what most men do,” Grace replied.

“Not quite. Most men don’t abandon their wives in the Scottish Highlands, and a decent man is discreet.” Though she’d wondered what was decent about marrying one woman and regularly bedding another. “Lord Rushton will not curb the behavior that places his name in the gossip sheets on par with George IV.”

Grace giggled. “Thank the powers above that Lord Rushton is not so…homely.”

Eve paused in taking another sip of tea. “I have never known you to care about such things.”

“You never asked.”

She had a point. Eve drank the tea, then put the cup back on the saucer and picked up the small plate of sweet goods. She took a piece of shortbread and extended the plate toward Grace. She took a piece and Eve set the plate back down.

“His is very rich and very handsome,” Eve said. “And he will one day be the Marquess of Rushton. But he does come with one very big drawback.”

“Only one?” Grace asked.

“You think he has more?” she asked, surprised.

Grace laughed. “He is a man. Of course he has more. He has many drawbacks.”

“Such as?”

“He thinks he is always right.”

At least Grace had listed his faults with the most important first.

“He drinks a lot.”

Eve startled. She hadn’t heard that and wouldn’t have thought that to be one of his defects. “How much?”

Grace gave an impatient shake of her head. “Not so much he would beat his wife.”