Page 19 of This Laird of Mine

Until then, she would show Jules what a good wife she could be. It was on that thought that Claire released a tired sigh and in no time at all fell into an exhausted slumber.

In the bedchamber farther down the hallway, Jane lay in bed next to her sleeping husband, mulling over the evening’s events. Yesterday, upon their arrival, she had been suspicious of Claire and her motive for attaching herself to Jules. What could the woman possibly gain from marrying the impoverished laird?

Today, seeing the two of them together, Jane had determined that it was not Claire who she was suspicious of, but Jules. Upon their arrival, her friend had seemed so eager to greet his wife. Today his behavior toward Claire had been almost adversarial. Why?

Jane had no doubt that Jules was enchanted by his new wife. More than once during supper she had caught Jules leaning forward when Claire spoke, listening intently to her every word. Yet, he never touched his bride. There was no kiss upon her arrival, no lingering of his fingers as the dishes had passed from his fingers to hers. And not once did his fingers stray toward her as they sat next to each other at the table.

But Jules’s lack of physicality with his wife wasn’t the only thing to give Jane pause. It was also the fact that Claire was a highly educated young woman. Throughout the night, Claire had conversed with authority about academia, astrology, and art. She spoke with the men as an equal and seemed to particularly enjoy debating her own opinions with them.

Neither of those things would have given Jane pause by themselves, but together, they gave her much to contemplate because Claire was not the kind of woman Jules usually sought out. Jane approved of the change. As much as Jules needed a wife, he also needed a challenge—something to live for. Being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit had robbed him of so many things. His strength, his family, and his soul.

Jane had determined, during the last hour of staring at the ceiling, that Claire was the woman to give it all back to him. She was exactly what Jules needed in his life. Her spirit and intelligence would challenge him in ways he had never been challenged by any woman before.

And with those challenges, the two newlyweds would forge a bond—a bond that would see them through the hardships that were no doubt ahead, given the state of Kildare Manor. All that was necessary to start them on that path was time alone. Jane smiled into the darkness of her chamber. She knew exactly how to see that Claire and Jules had the entire day to themselves.

Tomorrow she, Nicholas, Hollister, Margaret, David, and even Fin would head to the village. She and Margaret would interview and select more staff for the manor while the men purchased the necessary amenities that Kildare Manor lacked. Jane knew Jules would protest their spending funds on his behalf, but once she claimed it was their wedding gift to the happy couple, he would not dare argue with her.

His beautiful wife, a day alone, a few challenges, and temptation were all the elements necessary for Jane’s plan to succeed. Finally feeling as though she had come to a viable resolution to the discord between Claire and Jules, Jane drew a deep breath. By the time she exhaled fully, she was happily and deeply asleep.

The next morning, Arthur Cabot watched as the group rode away from Kildare Manor, heading for the village. Should he follow Lord Kildare’s friends into the village to see what they were up to, or should he wait at the Manor and watch the laird as he had been doing for the past several days? Keep your eye on the prize, his own father used to say. But everyone knew Jules MacIntyre was no prize. The man had a title, but nothing else.

Arthur pressed his lips together in thought. His gut told him to stay behind. The others were not his target. His decision made, Arthur headed for the old boathouse, where he had built himself a hideout right under their noses.

Hearing the clatter of hoofbeats on the drive, Claire woke and dressed carefully in a light yellow gown that had a band of gold leaves embroidered at the hem and along the edge of the rounded neckline. The gown was simple, yet elegant, and perfect for creating a new sense of harmony between her husband and herself.

In order to succeed today, she had to take charge of her own emotions and not let them ruffle her as she had last night. Pride was one of the few comforts left to her, and she would not let Jules take that away. From this moment forward, Claire vowed she would be poised, polite, and completely unflappable, no matter how unreasonable he might become. He was testing her. And in those tests she would not fail.

Feeling quite capable of any challenge he might throw her way, she headed downstairs. “Good morning,” she greeted Jules.

He stood in the hallway as though he had been waiting for her, his back to her, his posture rigid.

Claire forced a gracious smile. She would maintain her composure. “Did you sleep well?”

“No,” he said bluntly. He turned around and gazed at her with those pale blue eyes. Despite the bite of his tone, it was not anger but confusion that reflected in his gaze. “Did you tell Jane and the others to leave us alone today?”

“No.” Claire’s smile slipped. “I heard horses. Are they gone?”

“Jane left a note, explaining they had all gone to the village to hire more servants.”

“You cannot blame them for that. Kildare Manor could use—”

“I do not blame them for anything. It is you whom I blame for all this.”

“Jules—”

“Drop the pretense, Claire. We are entirely alone, and so I ask, one more time, why are you here? What could you hope to gain from attaching yourself to me? It is quite obvious the estate is in ruin, and I am no prize among men.” He studied her, his eyes dark with suspicion.

“Is that truly how you see yourself?” she said without thinking. “You are a peer of the realm. You have your youth, your freedom, education, and despite the state of your home, you have so much more than most people could ever hope for.”

To her amazement, something close to admiration brightened his gaze for a moment and he took a step back. “You are right. With all that has happened in the past few weeks, I admit, I have lost sight of many things.” His frown returned. “But that still does not explain how you came to be part of my life, Claire. I had not planned on you.”

“That makes two of us, then,” she agreed. She tried not to explore with her eyes the man who stood before her this morning. He was different than the man last night who had been so elegantly dressed in a dark blue velvet jacket with gold embroidery. This Jules was dressed in a simple muslin shirt hanging open at the neck, with black breeches and boots. The simplicity only accented just how incredibly powerful his body was. Unexpected warmth coiled through her and became a pulsing heat the moment she lifted her gaze to his.

He focused hungrily on her lips, and she saw raw longing in the depth of his blue eyes. His jaw flexed rigidly, as though he were fighting himself.

She pressed her lips together, realizing that despite her vow to stay utterly in control today, she wanted to lose herself and step forward to taste those well-shaped lips. The thought both scared and excited her.

He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his tawny hair. “It is just the two of us today to await Grayson’s arrival.” He turned toward the door. “I am going to cut some wood so we will have a fire tonight. Afterward I am going fishing so we can eat. I suggest you find something to amuse yourself.”