To Kiss a Highland Rose (Kiss the Wallflower #6) - Tamara Gill Page 0,1

casting a grin over her shoulder as she walked off.

"Good evening, Lady Elizabeth."

The deep, English baritone sent a kaleidoscope of emotions to soar through her. Without looking at his face, she knew the man would be devilishly handsome, could curl her toes in her silk slippers.

"Do I know ye, my lord? I do not believe we've been introduced."

"That's because we have not. I'm Sebastian Denholm, Lord Hastings. It's a pleasure to have your acquaintance, my lady," he said, bowing before her with more deference than was needed.

The English earl everyone one was talking about this Season here in Edinburgh. A rakehell from London, rumored to be carousing in Scotland for new skirts to lift. Or so it was said.

"And ye know who I am? How is that so, my lord?"

He leaned conspiringly close. "Doesn't everyone know who you are?"

Elizabeth started at his reply, knowing too well what he hinted. It was no secret in the society they graced that she was known to be unlucky in love. Two years ago, she had set off for London to enjoy another Season. Her brother happily settled, she had stupidly thought she too might find such companionship.

How wrong she had been. In London, one by one, her friends had married around her. They were courted and whisked down the aisle before she had time to change her gown. Not her, however. She had been the good-luck charm for those looking to wed. Lucky Lizzie people started to term her.

Unlucky more like.

"I beg yer pardon, but I do not understand yer meaning." She would not let him throw her disastrous past Season in her face. No matter how handsome he may be.

"I remember you from town. London deemed you a good-luck charm for debutantes looking to marry. I see you have not been caught by such inducement yet, my lady."

Heat suffused her face. So he had heard of her. She'd fought hard to forget the many young women who befriended her so they could find husbands. It was the oddest situation and one reason she was attending this year's Season in Scotland. Even so, it did not look like she could escape those who attended from southern locales and who remembered. "How gentlemanly of ye to remind me of the title. Is that why you're speaking to me now? Do you hope that your nearness to me will equate to ye falling in love and marrying?"

He grinned down at her. "On the contrary. I have no interest in marriage to any of these chits."

Elizabeth fought to close her mouth, sure she was gaping at him. Did he mean that being by her rendered him safe? Was she so inept at finding a husband that the gentlemen now thought her a secure woman to be around, so long as other women did not hover close by? How absurd! Not to mention humiliating.

She turned, facing him. "Let me assure ye, my lord, that being by me does not make ye safe from marriage. I'm sure since I'm Lucky Lizzie, the charm would also work on the men who flock to my side. Ye would be no different."

"Do many men flock to your side, my lady? Or am I the only one?"

She narrowed her eyes on him, unsure where his questions were leading, if at all anywhere. Why was he near her if he was not interested? He seemed to be playing with words and her to an extent. She did not like it. "Ye are beside me, are ye not? I'm certain you will not be the last to grace my side this evening."

"I sought you out not to tease you, my lady, and I do apologize for bringing up your London Season. I merely wished to introduce myself and inform you of some news that I'm sure you will be well aware of soon enough."

"Really? What is this news ye wish for me to know?" Vaguely she remembered his lordship from town, a rake who enjoyed the demimonde and widows more than the debutantes. Handsome as sin, rich and wealthy like many of her acquaintance, but always the same. Men who looked for the next thrill, the next piece of skirt they could hoist. Not marriageable by any length. No matter what anyone said, rakes did not make the best husbands.

"You inherited Halligale, I understand."

"I did," she replied, saying nothing further. Her brother had gifted it not long after his marriage to Miss Sophie Grant. He had wanted her to have a home close to