In the Heart of the Highlander by Maggie Robinson

on a first-name basis now and he thought she was unhinged. How much easier it would be for him to think he could seduce her.
    Mary hoped she hadn’t overdone it. If he thought she was truly mad, he might think she’d publicly denounce him in a fit of temper. She’d have to be especially tongue-tied this evening and apologize for her uncharacteristic fit of fury. Mary would place the blame all on Lord Raeburn.
    Where it belonged.
    “From here on in, you must stay away from me.
Far
away. If I see you, expect me to faint into Dr. Bauer’s arms. You are now the villain of this piece, which should work in our favor. Let us hope he doesn’t manage to get you thrown out of the hotel before tomorrow night. Bribing the masseuse,” she huffed.
    “Just to talk to you,” Alec repeated. “I wasn’t sure I’d get another opportunity.”
    “A fat lot of talking you did.”
    “I was worried about you, you know. What if Bauer rearranged his appointments with patients and came into the room, with you all naked and alone?”
    “Like you did?” Mary asked, raising her eyebrow.
    The baron soldiered on. “He could have molested you and you’d never have known.”
    “
Exactly
like you did.”
    “’Twasn’t molestation, and well you know it, Mary. I barely touched you.”
    Ha! What would his touches be like if he put some effort into them? She had been more than satisfied. Her neck hadn’t felt this limber in years.
    “Let’s agree not to discuss it further. I must admit I’m annoyed—all the other massage sessions are booked up through Monday. I’ll never know what a proper treatment is like now.”
    “I’ll—I’ll make it up to you. Get you a thorough massage in London when this is all over. Get someone who isn’t susceptible to bribery and lying. That Hedwig looks like a man, anyhow. I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her, which wouldn’t be far.”
    Mary’s lip quirked. She envisioned Hedwig tied to a caber, Lord Raeburn pitching her across a field.
    No more imagining Alec Raeburn and his physical prowess. “You’ve got to leave. Make sure no one sees you.”
    “When will I see you again?”
    “I’ll report to Mrs. Evensong after dinner. I always—that is, since this job began, we’ve been sharing a brandy at the end of the day in her suite.”
    Alec rose, towering over her. “How did you come to work for her?”
    “Oh, you know, the usual way.” Mary shrugged. “I wanted a bit of an adventure after the grocery store.”
    “You seem very comfortable with her, almost as if you’ve been working with her for years. She’s a frightening old lady, you know. Sees right into your soul.”
    Mary decided to feel flattered. She’d always been called old-headed, and following in Aunt Mim’s footsteps had been relatively easy.
    “You look a bit like her. Minus the wrinkles, of course,” Alec went on, staring down at her.
    She could tell him part of the truth, couldn’t she?
    “She actually
is
my Aunt Mim. My father’s sister.”
    “Och, that explains it. No wonder she came along to watch you like a great black hawk. My Lord, she will kill me, won’t she, if she finds out about this afternoon.”
    Mary had no intention of telling her aunt—or worse yet, Oliver—what had transpired in the treatment room. Perhaps someday, when this job was firmly behind them and they could have a good laugh over it.
    Oliver could be invited upstairs now that he knew their secret. Between Aunt Mim and herself, they could keep him out of trouble.
    “You won’t tell her, will you?”
    Imagine, a great big bear of a man like Alec Raeburn being frightened of Aunt Mim—or really
her.
This dual—no, triple—identity of Mary’s was becoming confusing.
    “As you said, she’s an old lady. I would not want to distress her,” Mary evaded.
    “Until later then.” He hesitated at the door. “Don’t let that blackguard Bauer get too familiar tonight.”
    “I assure you my virtue is safe.” For now. Mary