What would the countess say to see him now? He’d thought of her from time to time in London, as he had risen in reputation. She’d given him something that had taken him years to identify: confidence. He knew how to handle himself in a great many situations, all because of the Countess of Burfield.
Because of her, he wasn’t intimidated by a title or a man’s birthright. Instead, he was impressed by a man who was determined in the face of obstacles.
A sound caused him to look up. Jennifer was descending the stairs, her eyes not veering from his face. She was even more beautiful than she’d been in his dreams. Her green eyes were sparkling at him and a small smile curved her pink lips. The dress, an emerald green, revealed her curves and matched the color of her eyes perfectly.
He moved to the bottom of the stairs, holding out his hand.
She placed hers in it and smiled up at him.
“You dressed for dinner,” she said.
He had changed into a black suit and white shirt.
“As did you. I like your dress.”
He brought her hand to his mouth and gently kissed her fingers.
“What a shame no one else can see you as I do. You should live in Edinburgh, and reign over a literary salon. People from all over Scotland and England would come to see just you.”
“You’ve learned flattery, Gordon.”
“No, only to speak the truth.”
He walked beside her to the small dining room only a short distance from the kitchen. Until that first dinner with Lauren, he’d never taken a meal with Jennifer there. They’d eaten together at the loch, mostly sandwiches she’d made for him, or whatever treats Cook had given them. Never here at the Hall.
One of the footmen helped her with her chair, a task he wanted to do. If his hand slipped and grazed her upper arm, he would be able to measure if his touch gave her goose bumps. Perhaps he might even bend and brush away the hair at the nape of her neck and kiss her exposed skin.
It seemed to Gordon that there were entirely too many people in this small dining room, all of them pleasant, smiling, and essentially intrusive. Finally, after the first course, Jennifer dismissed them with a smile and they were alone.
“How is Lauren?” he asked.
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “I haven’t the slightest idea. The midwife says that everything is proceeding as it should be, but I can’t see how that’s right. It seems to be taking entirely too long.”
“I have to confess my ignorance about labor and birth. However, didn’t you tell me that Lauren’s father hired Mrs. Farmer?”
She nodded.
“Surely he would have selected the best person available?”
She frowned at him. “You’re being entirely too logical.” Her frown melted into a smile. “The woman is annoying and I want to be annoyed at her.”
“You can still think she’s a gorgon. Just a skilled gorgon.”
They smiled at each other.
“Any moment now you’ll get to meet Mr. Campbell. I’m certain that the gorgon sent word to him that his grandchild was about to be born. I only hope that he arrives after Harrison does. Otherwise, there’s bound to be trouble.”
Perhaps it was time someone held Harrison to account. He’d always been treated as if he was better than anyone else. More privileged, more talented, more adept at everything, even though he wasn’t. It had begun back in the schoolroom they’d shared. Their tutor had a tendency to forgive Harrison’s behavior as high spirits. When the man started scoring Harrison’s tests with the same willful disregard for the truth, Gordon realized that the tutor was afraid. Not of Harrison, but of the guardian. Bringing the young heir’s inadequacies to McBain’s attention might cause the tutor to be dismissed. Therefore, Harrison was allowed to get away with a great deal more than Gordon or Jennifer.
The safest way to handle any discussion of Harrison was simply not to say what he thought. His opinion hadn’t changed in the past five years. In fact, he’d grown even more disgusted with Harrison’s behavior, because he had it on good authority that the man wasn’t faithful. The vows he’d taken in a church were simply suggestions for other men. They didn’t apply to him.
Wait until Harrison learned that Gordon wasn’t so lax. He had every intention of demanding payment for the debt Harrison owed him.
Chapter Seventeen
During the second course Gordon told her about some of the people