Page 27 of The Highlander Is All That

“I really shouldna.”

“Is it true what they say?” she asked. To his horror, her hand skimmed up under his kilt.

Holy God!

He lurched away just before she discovered the family jewels and skittered to the door, but she cornered him there, pressing him against the wall with her slight body. “I’ve always found savages entrancing.”

“Um, have you?” He set his hands on her shoulders and attempted to gently detangle.

“Oh, yes.” She went on her toes and pressed her lips to his chin, but only because he jerked his head up just in time.

“Lady Jersey, please. I need to find Lady Elizabeth.”

“Of course you do, but first—”

A knock on the door cut her off.

Hamish nearly fainted in relief. He was saved. Thank God.

“Hallo?” A familiar warble.

“It’s Lady Esmeralda,” he whispered, at once swamped with horror and delight.

“Hush. She will go away.”

The knocking came again, underscoring the fact that she, indeed, would not go away. For the first time, Hamish was ever so grateful for her stubbornness.

“She may need me,” he said, firmly pressing the patroness away.

“I do need you,” Lady Jersey said on a pout.

“My apologies,” Hamish said, taking a moment to straighten his kilt before opening the door.

To his mortification, Lady Esmeralda was not alone. Lady Anne stood at her side with a sour look on her face. She glanced from Lady Jersey to Hamish and frowned. “I thought you were to stay at the doors,” she said acidly.

“We were looking for Lady Elizabeth,” Lady Jersey said. She sent a sympathetic smile to Esmeralda. “She’s gone missing.”

“She’s in the ladies’ retiring room,” Anne said. “She has a megrim.”

“Those do seem to be going around,” Lady Esmeralda said with a sniff. “I suppose we should leave. With your permission, of course, Lady Jersey.”

Lady Jersey crossed her arms over her bosom and huffed a sigh. “Well, all right. But I do expect to see you again soon, young man.”

Hamish swallowed and proffered a small bow. “I’m sure you will, Lady Jersey.”

“Very well. Shall we go?” Esmeralda said, practically pushing him down the hall and away from her friend. “What was all that about?” she hissed once they were out of earshot.

Anne sniffed. “What do you think it was about?”

Hamish frowned at her, and then at Lady Esmeralda. “Apparently Lady Jersey has a secret fondness for Scotsmen.”

“Well, of course. Why do you think I insisted you come tonight? To Almack’s, for pity’s sake?”

Hamish stopped “I doona appreciate being dangled like a bauble.”

Esmeralda patted him on the chest. “But what a lovely bauble you are.”

“That woman wanted to eat me alive.”