“Yes, I heard she’d done well.” Eleanor rose on her tiptoes and gave Mac another kiss on the cheek. “That’s for Isabella. And Aimee, Eileen, and Robert.” Kiss, kiss, kiss. Mac absorbed it all with an idiotic smile, damn him.
Hart leaned on the landing’s railing. “Are we going to come to this proposition sometime today?”
“Proposition?” Mac asked, eyes lighting. “Now, that sounds interesting.”
“Shut it, Mac,” Hart said.
Mac opened his mouth to ask more questions, but just then screaming erupted from on high—shrill, desperate, Armageddon-has-come screaming.
Mac grinned and jogged back up the stairs. “Papa’s on his way, hellions. If you’re good, you can have sweets and Auntie Eleanor for tea.”
The shrieking continued, unabated, until Mac reached the top floor, dodged into the room from whence it issued, and slammed the door. The noise instantly died, though they could still hear Mac’s rumble.
Eleanor sighed a pleased sigh. “I always knew Mac would make a good father. Shall we?”
She turned and headed up to the next floor and the study without waiting for Hart. At one time, she’d become well acquainted with the rooms in his house, and she apparently hadn’t forgotten her way around.
The study hadn’t changed at all, Eleanor noted when she entered. The same warm paneling covered the walls, books still filled bookcases that climbed to the high ceiling, and the huge desk that had belonged to Hart’s father reposed in the middle.
The same carpet covered the floor, though a different hound dozed by the fire. This was Ben, if she remembered correctly, a son of Hart’s old dog Beatrix, who’d passed on a few months after Eleanor had ended the engagement. The news of Beatrix’s death had nearly broken her heart.
Ben didn’t open his eyes as they entered, and his gentle snore blended with the crackle of the fire on the hearth.
Hart touched her elbow to guide her across the room. She wished he hadn’t, because the steel strength of his fingers made her want to melt.
If all went well today, she’d not have to be close to him again, but she needed to make the first approach in private. A letter could too easily go astray or be dismissed by his secretary or be burned unread by Hart.
Hart dragged an armchair close to his desk, moving it as though it weighed nothing. Eleanor knew better, though, as she sat. The heavily carved chair was as solid as a boulder.
Hart took the desk chair, his kilt moving as he sat, showing sinewy strength above his woolen socks. Anyone believing a kilt unmanly had never seen Hart in one.
Eleanor touched the desk’s smooth top. “You know, Hart, if you plan to be the first minister of the country, you might give a thought to at least changing the furniture. It’s a bit out of date.”
Hart didn’t give a damn about the furniture, and Eleanor knew it. “Mrs. Mayhew will be arranging tea. Whatever you have to say to me, say it quickly.”
“It’s nothing I want to say, really; rather, a favor to ask.” Eleanor drew a breath, looked Hart fully in the eyes, and said, “I’d like you to give me a job.”
Not what he was expecting. Hart’s eyes flickered in surprise; then the eagle gaze fixed on her again. “A job? Why?”
“The usual sort of reason. I need the blunt. Father is dear to me, but a wee bit impractical, as you know. He believes we still pay the staff wages, but truth to tell they stay and look after us because they feel sorry for us. Our food comes from their families’ gardens or out of charity from the villagers. They think I don’t know.”
Hart listened with his usual assessing look, the one that knew everything without being told. “Eleanor, if you need money, I’ll give it to you.” His voice was deep, rumbling, a man who was in the habit of fixing other people’s problems. “I’ll buy your house if you want, to save your pride.”
“Father would never let go of the house. It’s been in the family for centuries. Never mind that every bit of land that can be sold has.”
“That wreck of a house is going to tumble down one of these days and bury you both under rubble.”
“Yes, but it will be our rubble. Call me an assistant to a secretary or some such. I’m sure you have several of those.”
“I do. But what do you think the world will say when they find out I employ you? My former fiancée, a lady of the Scottish nobility, now assistant to one of my secretaries?”
“You don’t have to tell anyone. I don’t believe you’ll wish to when I explain the sort of job I have in mind.”
“What sort of job do you have in mind?” he asked, the question slow and careful.
Eleanor dug into a pocket on the inside of her coat and withdrew a large envelope. “I don’t believe there’s a name for such a job. Well, there might be, but I don’t know what it is. I want you to pay me to help you find out about this.”
She pulled a folded card from the envelope, laid the card on the desk in front of him, and opened it.
Hart went still.
The object inside the card was a photograph. It was a full-length photo of a younger Hart, shot in profile. Hart’s body was a little slimmer than it was now, but still well muscled. In the photograph, he rested his buttocks against the edge of a desk, bracing himself on it with a sinewy hand. He was studying something on the floor that lay out of the frame, his head bent.
The pose, though perhaps a bit unusual, was not the unique thing about the photograph. The most interesting aspect of this portrait was that, in it, Hart Mackenzie was quite, quite naked.
Praise for
“I adore this noveclass="underline" It’s heartrending, funny, honest, and true. I want to know the hero—no, I want to marry the hero!”
—Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author
“Skillfully nuanced characterization and an abundance of steamy sensuality give Ashley’s latest impeccably crafted historical its irresistible literary flavor.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Readers rejoice! The Mackenzie brothers return as Ashley works her magic to create a unique love story brimming over with depth of emotion, unforgettable characters, sizzling passion, mystery, and a story that reaches out and grabs your heart. Brava!”
—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)
“A heartfelt, emotional historical romance with danger and intrigue around every corner . . . A great read!”
—Fresh Fiction
“A wonderful novel filled with sweet, tender love that has long been denied, fiery passion, and a good dash of witty humor . . . For a rollicking good time, sexy Highland heroes, and touching romances, you just can’t beat Jennifer Ashley’s novels!”
—Night Owl Romance
“You can’t help but fall in love with the Mackenzie brothers.”
—Loves Romances and More
“I really think this series is a must read for all historical romance fans.”
—Smexy Books
“I’m a big fan of Jennifer Ashley’s, whose characters are always fantastic and well written . . . The cat and mouse game between Mac and Isabella is deliciously fun.”
—All About Romance
“Since this is the first book I’d ever read by Ashley, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The buzz about The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie made me think I wouldn’t be disappointed, however, and I was right.”