For The Love Of My Scotsman (Complete!)

Engaged To Lord McCabe

Lottie stood in the middle of Thomas's room, looking around at the sparse furnishings and well-made bed, wondering if he was warm enough down in the dungeons. She had tried to sneak down to see him several times, but there were too many guards. After William had spoken to Thomas, he had refused to see Lottie, saying only that he would continue to investigate the matter.

"It's been two days," she whispered, trailing her fingers across the small writing desk. Two days and still no news.

The house was buzzing with activity as the servants prepared for the Earl's annual Christmas Eve Masquerade Ball, to be held that evening. The countess had attempted to cancel in light of the murders, but gossip of a murderer's arrest in Lambton Castle had only increased interest in the ball. Several ladies from the surrounding towns had already come calling, eager for gossip, despite the mounds of snow left by the blizzard.

In all the commotion, Lottie slipped away and snuck into Thomas's valet quarters, situated near William's in the east wing. Even though he had only acted as a valet for a short time, the room already smelled of leather and juniper.

Lifting the lid on the writing desk, she paused at the sight of a folded letter with Wee Lassie scrawled across the back. Hesitantly, she removed it and broke the wax seal. Perhaps it contained something that could prove his innocence.

My dearest Lottie,

Forgive me, for I find I can no longer keep these words locked inside my heart and must express them, even if it be in a letter that I know I can never deliver.

Ye once said to me that ye do not know what the word 'love' means anymore. In truth, I ken ye despise it, so I will endeavor to express my heart without it.

I shall not swear to love ye. I shall not whisper sweet words that mean nothing to ye.

Should the day come that I can be a man worthy of ye, let these be my vows to ye instead. l swear to be by yer side when the blanket of night enfolds us each evening and watch the light of sunrise shining on yer face each morning.

I swear to watch in deepest adoration as ye experiment and invent things that will change the world; to laugh with ye during the joyful times, hold ye in the sad, and work beside ye through the hard.

I swear to paint yer eyebrows on each day with only a bit of teasing, take yer hand in the quiet hours, and walk beside ye when nightmares keep ye from sleep. To change the nappies when the wee bairns come, play with them in the garden, and hold them as they cry at night.

Although I shall not say I love ye, I shall show it to ye in each action and each moment until we are both grey and old, on until we join together in heaven. Ye shall never be alone, nor shall ye ever need to wonder if my heart is true and honest, for I shall nae leave ye again.

Sincerely,

Yer Scotsman.

Lottie stumbled back a step and sank to the ground, reading the letter over again. "Oh, Thomas," she whispered as tears blurred the scrawling words. How could she have been so blind? How had she never realized how he felt for her?

She shook her head, pushing her blond curls from her face, holding the letter to her chest. She had to see him. She had to tell him—

She raised her gaze and spotted something glinting under the bed. She reached under and slid it out, the metal scraping against the wood with a hiss.

It was the breastplate that he said he would reshape for her so she could use it as protection during her experiments. True to his word, he had cut, welded, and hammered the plate until it fit perfectly over her chest and stomach. Tears finally fell, splashing onto the silvery surface. He had loved her quietly, gently, and without an expectation for anything in return... and she had never noticed.