Page 108 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
Edmund Norton had always had a nose for such things, and the last thing Marian wanted today was for him to discover or even suspect a scandal.
Heavens help me.
She walked carefully to the receiving chamber, making sure to keep her hands neatly folded and her chin high.
Her mind was flooded with memories of her and Lachlan yet again, and her cheeks reddened.
‘Are ye still leavin’?’
Marian shook her head slightly at the question.
She could not deal with this right now. Not with the imminent threat of her uncle’s presence in the castle. She forced thoughts of Lachlan out of her head for a moment, clearing her throat lightly.
She stopped outside the door and raised her hand. Her fingers paused midair, hovering over the knob for a moment before she finally pushed it open.
She exhaled, and her spine straightened instinctively as she stepped into the receiving chamber, where her uncle waited. Her fingers shook slightly, and her heart skipped a beat as the door closed behind her with a final click.
He truly is here.
Her breath caught as the man turned around, his blue eyes falling on her with that cold, ever-assessing look she had grown up to recognize as normal.
Lord Edmund Norton was just as he had always been. He stood as he always had—immaculate, composed, every inch the English aristocrat.
His dark coat was perfectly tailored, with not a single crease in sight. Its color contrasted perfectly with his silver-streaked hair. His gloved hands rested neatly atop the head of his cane, and his eyes swept slowly over her.
He frowned, clearly dissatisfied with her appearance.
“Marian,” he said, inclining his head just slightly.
“Uncle,” she replied, matching the formality, though her fingers curled at her sides.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Outside the castle walls, dusk had begun to settle over the glen. The fading light slipped through the narrow window, painting the room in long shadows that perfectly depicted her mood.
Edmund removed his gloves slowly, studying her with the same calculating calm he had always worn when it came to family matters.
“I came as soon as I received the letter from Edinburgh,” he said smoothly. “It seems your little Highland adventure has reached its conclusion.”
Marian kept her chin high. His words twisted her heart painfully, but she did not show it. She couldn’t dare to.
Her stay in Glen Carrick was truly over.
She had tried to prolong it, refusing to come to terms with reality for as long as she could after Lachlan’s kisses. But now that Edmund had come to collect her, she had no choice but to accept it.
“The matter has been decided,” she said quietly, the words bitter on her tongue. “I shall leave at first light.”
The decision felt wrong in the face of everything she knew. But it had to be made, and she had already chosen.
It is the right thing to do.
She looked away from her uncle, refusing to acknowledge his scrutinizing gaze.
Edmund laughed quietly, and she froze, her breath stuttering.
Does he know?
She returned her gaze to him slowly, her stomach churning with horror. He had a smile on his face, only for a moment, before his expression turned cold again.
