Earl of Exile (Lords of Scandal 3)

She shook her head. “I’m three and twenty now. All my friends have married.”

The butler appeared behind her. “My lord, I’ve shown your other guests to the sitting room just down the hall.”

“Other guests?” the woman asked. “Are ye having a party?”

“Not precisely,” he said, then his chest squeezed tight. Diana appeared just behind the butler.

She caught Exile’s eye. “I know I’m supposed to wait with the others, but I wanted to see you before…oh!” She caught sight of the lady, “I’m interrupting. My apologies.” Diana gave a large smile. “Is this a relation of yours?”

His tongue tied in his

mouth and he could say not a word as the other woman turned to Diana.

“I’m Fiona MacFarland. His fiancée.”

Diana’s face went pale as a sheet as her eyes flew to his. Her mouth opened and then closed again. “I…I see.”

Fiona turned back to him. “I came here to tell ye in person that yer aunt has passed away. She had a disease of the lung over the winter from which she never recovered.”

Callum shook his head. His aunt is gone? “I didnae ken.”

“My fault,” Fiona said. “I couldn’t tell ye in a letter.”

Diana stared at them both, visibly shaking. He wanted to go to her but he wasn’t sure he should. Fiona stole his attention again.

“I didnae ken how to write to the man who hadn’t bothered to meet me in the three years we’d been promised to one another that his relation had passed,” she said.

“Never met,” Diana whispered. He wouldn’t have heard her at all but he could see her lips moving.

“I’m sorry. Fiona.” Then he looked at Diana. “Diana, ye dinnae look well. Come here.”

“I don’t think so,” she answered, spinning around and leaving the room.

He started after her, but as he reached the doorway, Fiona grabbed his arm. “I never wanted to marry ye.”

He stopped. “I didnae want to marry ye either.”

She nodded. “That does make this easier.”

“What’s that?” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he tried to keep up.

She notched her chin. “I wanted to tell ye about yer aunt in person and say to ye that I’ve married another. With your aunt gone, I no longer feel responsible for fulfilling the match she set forth.”

He blinked. “Wait. I thought I was marrying ye for yer benefit. She said…”

Fiona started then snapped her chin. “I don’t need a man who loves England more than his home country.”

Part of him wanted to laugh. This had all been a mistake. But another part looked down the hall to where Diana had disappeared. Would she ever forgive him?

Diana had found a door to the courtyard where she’d tossed herself on the ground and, for the first time in months, allowed herself to cry. They were tears that she’d held in for such a long time. Her worry over Charles, Emily’s disappearance, her own fears from the last several days. But as she wept out all her worries, strong hands lifted her and silently settled her into his lap.

When she’d been wrung dry, she lifted her face, likely red and puffy beyond all recognition and said, “You’re marrying her, aren’t you?”

Callum looked softly down at her. “No, lass. If ye’ll still have me, I’m marrying ye.”

She shook her head. “But she’s your fiancée.”

“So are ye,” he answered, raising his brows.