Page 37 of Single Desire
“Well, there is that.”
Fluffing her skirts, she sat on a rock shaped rather like a chair. “Is that why you came to the masquerade dressed as a pirate?” she asked daringly.
“Perhaps.” Brazenly, his gaze slid down and settled on her breasts. “Certainly I never expected to find one in kind.”
Maura ignored the jibe—and crossed her arms over her breasts. “It seems the perfect place from which to sail a pirate’s ship. Perhaps one of your ancestors was a pirate?” She held her breath.
“Now there’s a tale I’ve never heard. Though supposedly there’s treasure buried somewhere near Gleneden. Oh, and let me not forget! There are also rumors of a family curse, though I’ve no idea precisely what this curse is supposed to be.”
She gazed at him steadily. “Why aren’t you wary?”
“Of what?”
“A curse should never be taken lightly, Scotsman.”
He didn’t hide his amusement. “Be serious.”
Maura’s lips compressed.
“Good heavens, you are serious.”
She thought of the Circle. “There are things in this world that cannot be explained, sir.”
“Like pixies and faeries and banshees?”
A shiver shot through her. Through the window in her mind, she remembered the moment her father had passed to the afterlife. It wasn’t the cry of a banshee, but the eerie howl of a wolf.
“Next you’ll be telling me you believe in ghosts!” He glanced at her, then laughed outright. “My word, I cannot believe it! Only the Irish would believe in such things!”
Her eyes flashed. “Do not amuse yourself at my expense, Scotsman. And do not insult me or my countrymen.”
He held up both hands, a gesture of defeat. Ha! She suspected Alec McBride was a man who would never admit defeat.
“No insult intended, Maura. But I’ve told you of my family. Now tell me about yours. You said you grew up near the sea.”
“Aye.”
One dark brow quirked up a fraction. “The whole of Ireland is surrounded by the sea, Irish. Where in Ireland did you grow up?”
“Inishowen.”
“And your schooling?”
Maura hesitated. Caution warned that she must be judicious with what she revealed. She didn’t want him looking closer and delving into her background. She knew he already considered her a fortune-hunter. “My father was my tutor.”
“And did you then attend a school for young ladies?”
She shook her head.
Both his brows shot up. “An earl’s daughter? And no finishing school?”
Her chin climbed high. “A title does not always command riches such as yours, your grace,” she said quietly.
Their eyes caught. “I meant no offense,” he said softly.
“None taken.” Nonetheless, her tone remained stiff with pride.
“Any brothers? Sisters?”
