The blonde glanced across at them.
Miranda read the bruised hurt in Petra’s pale eyes as she took in their interlinked fingers. For Petra it had never been about business interests. The woman really had loved Callum, she realized. Then her gaze shifted to the man seated beside Petra at the breakfast table. She took in Gordon Harris’s tight lips. For Petra’s father it had been about business. And he looked none too pleased.
Hunter greeted them first. “We started without you. Mother decided you two must’ve gone for a walk again and lost track of time.”
Miranda felt herself grow red. Thankfully Pauline wasn’t in the dining room, and she didn’t have to answer any polite questions about how their walk had gone. She didn’t dare look at Callum as he held a chair out for her before sliding into the empty seat at her side.
“I promised to take Lindsey down to the craft fair in the village.” Jack rose to his feet.
“Can we go, too?” Anna turned to Hunter. “Please?”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “What have you got me into?” he demanded of his brother as he pushed his chair back.
Within minutes the dining room had emptied. Only the Harrises-and Fraser-remained.
“Gordon wants to schedule some time with you this morning, Callum,” Fraser told his brother as he, too, got to his feet.
“We can talk after breakfast,” replied Callum, lifting a pot of aromatic coffee. After Petra had refused the offer of a cup, he said, “Coffee, Miranda? Or would you prefer tea?”
Or me?
Miranda could’ve sworn the invitation was in his wickedly glinting eyes. “Coffee,” she said huskily, all too conscious of the effect he had on her as he filled first her cup then his.
Gordon’s mouth was suddenly grim. “After breakfast will do. I was starting to think you might be otherwise occupied.” He glanced meaningfully at Miranda.
Callum stilled, then carefully set the coffeepot down.
Petra put a hand on her father’s arm. “Daddy-”
“No, Petra.” Gordon shook his daughter’s hand off. He turned in his seat. “Callum, I had hoped the relationship between our families would be more than business. I had hoped…” He paused.
“Daddy, please.”
Petra looked mortified. A shaft of pity for the other woman pierced Miranda. Wasn’t it enough that she was hurting already? Did her father have to humiliate her, too?
She shot Callum a pleading look. Couldn’t he do anything to stop this? His arm came across the back of her chair, and his hand rested possessively on her shoulders. “Gordon, I think-”
“Petra would make you a very suitable wife. Much better than she ever would.”
The anger in his gaze stupefied Miranda.
“I can’t believe that you broke it off with Petra for her. Think whose daughter she is. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the vine. Will you ever be able to trust her?”
“Daddy!”
Callum’s body had coiled tight, and Miranda could feel the tension radiating from him. Suddenly she felt decidedly ill.
“Yes, I can trust her,” Callum bit out.
Oh, heavens. Miranda grew cold. Trust her?
Callum’s free fist hit the edge of the table with a loud bang. Both Miranda and Petra jumped. Callum glared at Gordon. “Frankly, I wasn’t intending to spend the morning closeted in meetings. And, yes, I had intended to spend the day with Miranda, who is one of the nicest women I’ve ever had the fortune of dating.”
Miranda sighed. Poor Petra.
“So you can be the first to congratulate us, Gordon.”
“First to congratulate you?”
Gordon’s shocked expression echoed Miranda’s own shock.
Callum’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “We’re getting married.”
“Married?” A gasp of delight came from the door.
Miranda closed her eyes as Pauline hurled herself across the room.
“Oh, Callum, I heard a thump and thought something must have broken. But this is wonderful. Just wait until I tell your father.”
Oh, help. What in heaven’s name had Callum done?
As Callum closed the door of the study behind them ten minutes later, Miranda wrenched herself out of his hold. “What possessed you to say such a dumb thing to Gordon in there? I feel like such a fool.”
“Hey, it’s not that bad,” he said, the protective streak that he hadn’t known existed still strong as he crossed the room to stand beside her. “I-”
“I told you that I didn’t want to lie any further to your family.” She covered her face with her hands and her curls bobbed. “Now your parents think we’re getting married. At least your brothers haven’t heard. You can tell them it’s a stupid misunderstanding.”
“Why?” Callum could see his bald question had thrown her.
She dropped her hands and stared at him. “Your parents like me. Once they hear that you only said it to protect me from Gordon’s nastiness, they’ll understand.” Then her mouth formed an O. “Of course, you can’t do that, can you? Gordon is an important shareholder. That’s the whole reason your brought me along this weekend-to stop exactly the kind of scenario that just occurred in the dining room from taking place.”
Callum crossed the distance between them in two long strides. Catching her by her shoulders, he growled down at her. “Listen to me. I wouldn’t allow anyone to talk to you like that-and I don’t care that he’s a shareholder.”
She tipped her head back. “That’s very noble, but-”
“It’s not noble. I-”
He stilled. He’d almost said, I want to marry you.
Callum froze. He couldn’t propose marriage just to stop Miranda feeling humiliated by Gordon’s attack-even though he’d been tempted to punch the man in the jaw instead of banging the table.
Yet in the past he’d asked her to marry him to be his hostess…
That reason was no better. Damn it, he wanted her to marry him for himself.
The bombshell thought shocked him rigid.
Why?
Because she was special. Like no other woman he’d ever met.
“Of course it was noble.” She was looking at him like he’d done something heroic.
He shook his head to clear it. “I was angry. He was insulting you.”
“No one has ever defended me like that before.”
He didn’t suppose they had. Miranda had always protected her mother and brother. There’d been no one to protect her. His chest expanded with emotion. “That’s about to change.”
She laughed, and the bittersweet sound caught at his gut.
“Callum, he didn’t say anything that both you and I know isn’t true. Petra would make you a fabulous wife. And given the fact that my father stole from you, then committed suicide, it’s true that will make me a scandalous girlfriend.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter.” Her eyes had gone dark. “And how can you trust me?”
“Miranda-”
A knock sounded on the door.
Callum marched over and yanked it open. “What?” he demanded of Fraser.
“Have you seen Petra?”
“No,” he snapped, and started to close the door in Fraser’s face.
His brother stuck a foot in the crack. “You let me believe she broke it off with you.”
“Not now.” He glared at this brother. “Leave us in peace.”
Fraser removed his foot, and this time Callum closed the door with a determined thud.
Miranda had moved to the window. She stood looking at the view over Lake Windermere down at the bottom of the property, the sag of her shoulders revealing how troubled she was.
Tenderness filled him. “Stop fretting.”
She turned to meet his gaze over her shoulder. “Trust me, I have reason to fret. Every single thing that Gordon said was true.” She shook her head as she started to object. “I like your parents so much. I was looking forward to coming back with you, riding the horses.” She gestured at the paddocks visible to one side of the house.