In the Heat of the Bite (40 page)

“Something I clearly lack.” Maddie smoothed her skirts out in front of her. “What is so important at Eynsford Park?”

Only Sorcha’s future. “I just want ta visit my old friend.”

Maddie leaned in conspiratorially. “For years,” she whispered, “the villagers swore a monster resided at Eynsford Park. Did you know?”

Sorcha knew all about that particular monster. And she could hardly wait to lay eyes on his half brothers, especially as the monster, or Lycan, in question was married to her coven sister and dear friend.

“Monster?” she giggled, determined never to give the secret away. “Cait, I mean, Lady Eynsford, would no’ put up with a monster on her grounds.”

Maddie giggled then too. “I can’t imagine the marchioness scaring a monster away. She seems of the sweetest disposition.”

“Ye’ve never seen Cait in a temper.” Sorcha nudged her new friend’s shoulder with her own. “Ye can take my word for it, Maddie. A monster would no’ wish ta make her angry.” Cait in a temper was a force to be reckoned with. Any self-respecting monster would steer clear of her wrath. That was what her husband did, after all.

“She sounds like Grandmamma.”

The two were a bit alike with their commanding presence, now that Sorcha thought about it. “And would a monster
dare
enter Castle Hythe?”

Maddie laughed again. “Not if he had any idea of the dressing down he’d receive. ‘How dare you trod upon my roses!’” She mocked her grandmother’s imperious tone. “‘Did you just eat my footman? Out with you, and don’t come back until you learn some manners.’”

Sorcha could well imagine her coven sister barking in just that same manner at her wolfish husband. “Well, there ye have it. If a monster couldna dwell here at the castle, it couldna dwell at Eynsford Park either, if it ever did. Would ye like ta ride over there with me?”

She wouldn’t be able to speak freely with Maddie about, but she hated to leave her behind. The English girl was terribly timid when left alone.

Her friend sighed. “I would love to, but Grandmamma would have a fit of apoplexy if I did. She’s expecting more of
those
gentlemen to arrive, and she’ll expect me to be there to greet them.”

Ah,
those
gentlemen. Men of privilege the Duchess of Hythe had handpicked as acceptable matches for Maddie, men she might want to choose for a husband during her first season. This house party was an opportunity for her friend to see which men she might fancy ahead of time. It also would allow the duchess to investigate their character more closely and determine if a match might be made.

Sorcha had a reasonably sized dowry, one that would be considered large at home in Edinburgh, but it didn’t compare to the fortune attached to Lady Madeline Hayburn. Hopefully, the gentlemen present would see more than pound signs when they looked at Maddie. She was the sweetest girl and deserved a gentleman who appreciated all her good qualities.

If more of
those
gentlemen were arriving today, Sorcha’s excursion to Eynsford Park would have to be put off. She wouldn’t throw Maddie to the wolves. That made her giggle.
She
was the one looking for a Lycan, after all.

“We doona have ta go as far as the Park. We could just ride around the castle grounds. I’ll send Lady Eynsford a note askin’ her ta come visit me instead.”

If only there was a way to beg Cait to bring some of Eynsford’s Lycan relations with her, but her coven sister was adamant that a beast was
not
in Sorcha’s future, so the odds of that happening were slim, to say the least.

Maddie’s green eyes twinkled almost as brightly as her smile. “Let me go get my habit, and I’ll meet you in the east drawing room.”

After changing into her riding habit, Sorcha penned a note to Caitrin Eynsford. That took a little longer than she had expected as she tried to find the right words to entice her coven sister to bring along her pack. Finally, note in hand, Sorcha left her chambers and made her way through the twisting and turning corridors that made up Castle Hythe. Once on the main level, she handed her note to the Hythes’ stoic butler with directions that it be delivered to the Park at once.

She smoothed her sapphire riding habit into place and frowned. It was a bit long. She’d have to fix that later when no one was watching. Magic spells tended to make most people a little squeamish. Looking at her feet to make sure the hem didn’t touch the ground, Sorcha started toward the east drawing room without even glancing up and promptly ran headfirst into an immovable object that blocked her path.

“Ouch!” Her head shot up. As she reached for the injury, she looked right into the black-as-night eyes of an old friend. Tall and handsome as ever, he was a friendly face in this English world, and she’d never been so happy to see him.

“Alec!” she gushed. “I had no idea ye would be here.”