“What the bloody hell were ye thinking?” Callum glared at him as he sat across from him in the privacy of his own room. “Being so rude in front of her family. Our hosts.”

James took a breath before he answered. He hadn’t told Callum about the kiss. It was obvious his friend was interested in Ainsley. Bile rose up in James’ throat. Christ, the woman said his name one time and he’d gone from rational to lunatic. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d been acting crazy before that. Calling her a peacock. “I don’t know. She is making me act strangely.”

“She isn’t doing anything. It’s you...” Callum poked his finger at his friend.

“I know it is. She stood there, all rehearsed and postured, and I got angry. I don’t know why.”

Callum sat back in his chair. “And what happened when she chased you outside?”

“I apologized.” It was true. It omitted a great many details, but it was true.

Callum grunted his approval. “Good.” His friend scratched his head. “She isn’t the first woman ye’ve met who likes to be seen. In fact, she’s far more practical than many I’ve met. She is also sweet and warm, as well as caring. I can’t for the life of me figure out why she irritates ye so.”

James shrugged. Callum, blast the man, was right. There was something so warm and inviting about her that it made him ache. Actually, it made him jealous as hell Callum had noticed her too. What he couldn’t understand and was afraid to delve into was why she unsettled him.

But Callum wasn’t done. “Remember that Russian princess?”

Bullocks, he very nearly had forgotten her. “Aye, I remember.”

“Now there was a peacock. But you seemed to delight in it.” Callum raised an eyebrow.

James glowered at his friend. “The princess was looking for a simple dalliance. Nothing meaningful.”

“And Lady Ainsley? She is meant for something more meaningful?” Callum leaned forward.

James grunted. Damn it all to hell. “She’s a lady and an innocent. Innocents shouldn’t act like that.” He sat back in his chair attempting a casualness he didn’t feel. Callum was poking at feelings he didn’t want to examine. There was something different about Ainsley, he knew that, but he wasn’t ready to delve deeper. “Ainsley has the opportunity to be a real woman of substance, not a simple peacock, if she’d just put her vanity aside.”

“It’s just Ainsley, is it?” One of Callum’s eyebrows rose. “Not Lady Ainsley?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” James knew what Callum implied. “I am not interested in the girl.” He was lying, at least a little. He was more than interested in her but he didn’t actually intend to pursue her. It was too painful, stirred emotions he couldn’t face. And that was not the life he intended to live. When he finally did marry, it would be a woman of less fire and passion. A woman he could maintain a certain distance from for his own protection.

“Then you won’t mind if I pursue her?”

James felt his insides rumble in protest. Bloody hell, he was losing his mental faculties. “Of course not. But you risk having a peacock for a wife.”

Callum waved his hand. “She is only young. Once she becomes a wife and a mother, she will rise to the challenge. You’re right, she has it in her to be a real lady of substance.”

James swallowed hard. For some reason this next question troubled him. “You have feelings for her?”

Shrugging, Callum looked to the floor. “I am not sure I will ever have feelings again. I want to move on, start my life and she is as good as any woman I’ve met.” He looked up at James then. “But I will leave her be if you do feel something?”

James swallowed hard, his mind protesting at what he was about to say. “No, I don’t have feelings for her.”

* * *

Ainsley sat across from Clarissa as her cousin held baby Ava. Agnes sat beside Clarissa, both of them eyeing her with suspicion. No one had spoken for at least a minute. The silence filled the room as surely as noise would have.

“Why did you go chasing after him?” Clarissa’s irritated voice cut through the tension.

Ainsley shrugged, attempting to remain casual. “I wanted an explanation.”

“For what?” Agnes asked sounding equally annoyed.

“How he can be so rude.” Ainsley’s voice was rising, matching their irritation. “Who does he think he is to treat me like that?”

“Did you get one?” Clarissa replied, sounding exasperated as though she already knew the answer.

Ainsley swallowed before she revealed the truth. Well, not all of the truth. She would not tell them about the kiss. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. And I might have gotten an explanation to match if Ewan hadn’t interrupted—”

“As well he should have. You can’t be alone with a man like that. Your reputation—“

“Don’t be ridiculous. I watched you both courting. Neither of you followed any rules at all.”

“This is different,” Agnes crossed over to sit next to her. Her hand reached for Ainsley’s. “Lord Rotheport, he isn’t like Ewan or Keiran. He’s…dangerous.”

“A true rogue. I’m sure of it.” Clarissa leaned forward, Ava snuggled against her.

“You were convinced Ewan was a rogue.” Ainsley didn’t know why she was defending James. They were likely right. But something had shifted tonight. When she’d called out his name, it was almost as though he had lost his faculties. He might have gotten down on his knees and begged, he’d been so vulnerable.

And that vulnerability is what had breached her defenses when she’d been so sure she didn’t like him at all. It’s why she had said yes when he’d asked to kiss her.

Well to be fair, she still didn’t like him, but she had to admit that she found some part of him enticing.

“Ewan didn’t have that smug look that Lord Rotheport—”

Ainsley held up her free hand. The one Agnes wasn’t holding. “Enough. I shouldn’t have said that because for the most part, I agree with you. I will stay away from him.” She looked down at Agnes’ hand joined with hers. “I was just that for a moment tonight, he lost that smugness and he seemed…sad or lonely. It made me forget…”

“What did you forget?” Agnes asked quietly.

Ainsley looked up at her friend, then, her eyes twinkling. “That I hate the sight of him.”

Clarissa and Agnes both laughed softly. Then Clarissa murmured. “Just be careful around him. I know you’re not all that interested in settling down now, but you will be someday and you don’t want to ruin your chances before you’ve even begun. A man like that can ruin a lady.”

“What does that mean? That I don’t want to settle down?” Ainsley’s irritation was rising again.

“Well, darling,” Agnes gave her a kind smile. “You’re simply more interested in being the belle of the ball than spending your time with just one man.”

To be fair, Ainsley likely deserved the comment. But it reminded her too closely of what James thought of her and she bristled. “I have substance too, you know. I don’t just require male attention to entertain me.”

Clarissa did not answer, but her eyebrows had risen to her hairline. Agnes, however, patted her hand. “Of course not.” Then Agnes rose, still holding her hand. “I am exhausted. Shall I walk you to your room?”

Ainsley stood too. “Are you worried I might find trouble if I walk myself?”

“Don’t be silly,” Agnes gave her a bright smile. But she began tugging on her hand to go. “I am sure Clarissa needs her rest. That is all.”

Ainsley let Agnes pull her out the door and down the hall, though she wanted to protest. Part of her now wished she’d talked to at least Agnes about the kiss. Maybe the other woman could help her make sense of it all.

Though she knew one thing for sure. She should have said no instead of yes when he’d asked permission. She absolutely couldn’t allow it to happen again.