The Passion of London [Highlander's Love #1]

Chapter 11

Dinner was an informal affair that night, with no designated seats, Connor somehow found himself at the end of the table next to his laird, eyes never wandering far from the lush figure of his desires. Evie had entered the dining hall in a vivacious ice blue dress that flared from her waist, but clung to every curve upwards. Her eyes sparkle, but no matter how much Connor tried to get to her, it seemed she was always one step away. To a point that he was beginning if she was intentionally avoiding him. Even when he tried to make his way to a seat next to her for dinner, somehow the Rothesay son was seated there already, his sister's quick to corral around them until he ended up with Hammond.

"Don't look so dour would ye, friend. You're spoiling me appetite." Hammond admonished in his ear, a voice that Connor only scowled at, and returned to picking at his roasted fish with a fork. Hearing her laughter and not knowing who or what caused it was torturous enough for him.

"If you want her so badly, why don't you just go to her father and ask?"

"She's a lady, Hammond. Or have you not realized?"

"I have. But you're a capable man. Plus, you're my captain, I think that's good enough isn't it?"

Connor wondered why and how could his laird be so impossibly optimistic, dark looks clouding his eyes as he looked up at her for the millionth time. With hair piled up in a loose chignon, free locks tumbled down, catching the light of flickering candles and illuminating her features, making her green eyes sparkle like emeralds. Her bubbly personality seemed to light up even more. Could anyone else be as enchanting as her? He was in a sorry state, but somehow Connor couldn't get rid of the rolling gut feeling inside of him that something was going to go wrong.

All throughout the main course, he strained to listen to conversation up the table, distracted by every sound, movement and action by Evie. His grip tightened however, when the viscount suddenly tapped his glass to call for everyone's attention, and Connor's stomach lurched when he saw the male he knew as Fabian look expectantly up.

"It's a very small gathering, almost family here so I think it's safe for me to make the announcement here. I'd like to announce that Fabian has-"

"No Father!"

"Evie?" Fabian's surprised and rather clueless voice came to question, catching Evie's horrified face. She had spent the evening all through the meal wracking her brain in ways she could come up with to convince Fabian to not go through with this farce of a reason to wed her. From what she's known of her best friend's brother, he was resourceful and capable, and in Evie's mind there was no need to resort to the most underhanded way to get money!

"I mean... I've grown up with Mother's stories for a very long time. I would like to be given at least one chance to visit Scotland, the Highlands, before... just once."

Fabian glanced at the bride he had picked for himself curiously. While he felt no great affection for Evie, nor as passionate as the love his parents displayed, Fabian had a strong sense of responsibility. He has taken on the mantle of saving the Avondale estates, and Evie's inheritance had given him hope. While Fabian had given up on finding love quite some time ago, assuming that the love his parents shared was something rare, he had wanted at least a friendship between him and his wife.

But was he right to do so without even asking her permission? Technically, he knew a girl deserved the right to be courted as well, and he did nothing of that sort.

As such, when she sputtered out her request, Fabian was quick to notice her rather hopeful but mildly scared look, and he turned to look at the mutinous looking Viscount, before quickly stepping in just before her father spoke. "Anyone would be a cad to deny Evie of something she had shared with her Mother. Wouldn't you think so, Father, Lord Verrick?"