My Daring Highlander (16 page)

A small frown drew Isobel’s dark brows
together. “He is sleeping now. Earlier, the healer soaked his
injured leg in hot water and various herbs, then she put some kind
of smelly poultice on it. She assured me it would draw the
infection from the wound.”

“Oh, I certainly hope it
does.”

“Aye, indeed. My stomach has been in
knots with worry.”

“He will likely show improvement very
soon.”

The chair next to Seona slid out. She
glanced up to find Keegan taking a seat beside her. She smiled, but
then felt her blasted blush returning. Why could she not stop doing
that? He sent her a wee smile.

Everyone else took their seats at the
high table, including Rebbie and Isobel’s five brothers. She had
met four of them when they’d visited Durness last winter. They were
devilishly dark and attractive men. But none of them captured her
interest the way Keegan did with his tawny hair and blue
eyes.

After grace, the meal was served,
starting with succulent quail and brown crusty bread with butter.
Seona didn’t realize how hungry she was until she started eating.
Never had food tasted this delicious. She barely paid attention to
the conversation going on around her about their journey from
Durness and the attacks. Enjoying Keegan sitting beside her, which
he rarely did, she focused on devouring her food. Though she tried
to mind her manners.

“We would like to stay here until Dirk
is recovered,” Isobel said, drawing Seona’s attention. She would
also like to stay here, or anywhere Keegan was, instead of going
home, but that was impossible.

“Aye. I wouldn’t have it any other
way,” Cyrus said. He had the look of a formidable chief and
warrior, tall and broad of shoulder, with long black hair and
penetrating dark eyes. Seona found him to be an intimidating man.
But when it came to his family, ’twas obvious he cared deeply for
them. After all, he had allowed Isobel to choose her own
husband.

“Dirk was planning to go with the rest
of the men to escort Lady Seona and her aunt home and take her
father a gift,” Isobel said. “But now he won’t be able
to.”

“What gift?” Fraser MacKenzie asked.
Isobel had told her that Fraser was the second youngest brother. He
appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but he had to be younger than
Isobel, who was five-and-twenty. Fraser resembled Cyrus, except he
had blue eyes and his expression was much lighter and carefree. In
fact, almost every time she’d seen him, he’d been grinning or
smirking. And he possessed a leaner build.

“The horse,” Keegan said. “’Tis the
finest ever bred at the MacKay stables.”

Seona felt bad that Chief Dirk had to
give up such a valuable animal because of her. She thought her
father would like the horse, but very few things made him
happy.

“Why is he taking him such an
expensive gift?” Fraser asked.

“Because Lady Seona was not able to
marry the MacKay chief. ’Tis complicated,” Isobel said.

All eyes turned to Seona and she was
glad she didn’t have a mouthful of food at that moment. She blotted
the linen square against her lips.

“You stole her husband to be?” Fraser
asked Isobel with a wide grin, his gaze darting back and forth
between the two women. “I didn’t know that. You kept that quiet
while we were in Durness.”

“Nay,” Seona spoke up. “In truth, I
was never betrothed to Dirk.”

“There was merely an old contract
between Seona’s father and the late MacKay chief,” Isobel
said.

“Dirk’s father?” Dermott
asked.

This was the first time Seona had met
Dermott, Isobel’s second eldest brother, because he hadn’t traveled
with the others to Durness last winter. He appeared to be around
thirty summers. He possessed dark brown hair and green eyes and was
not quite as massive in stature as his oldest brother.

“Aye. He was also Aiden’s and
Haldane’s father. They are Dirk’s half-brothers,” Isobel
said.

“We thought Aiden would be chief and
that I would marry him,” Seona said. “Aiden was chief for about a
month, and then Dirk returned.”

“Since Dirk is the older son and a
stronger leader, the clan agreed that he should be chief. And Dirk
was already in love with me…” Isobel smiled.

“Indeed,” Seona said. “I did not wish
to marry Aiden or Dirk anyway. And especially not their youngest
brother, Haldane.” Seona wanted to make sure those present knew she
held no grudges. “I’m glad Isobel and Dirk found
happiness.”

“So… who will you marry, Lady Seona?”
Fraser asked with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest and
leaning back in his chair.

Seona’s face heated and she forced
herself not to glance at Keegan to gauge his expression. “That
remains to be seen,” she said, staring down at her almost empty
trencher of food. “As you know, very few ladies are permitted to
choose their own husbands.” She hoped they would soon be off the
subject of her marital status.

“’
Haps Keegan would be
interested in the position,” Fraser said.

Chapter Twelve

Keegan glared at Fraser where he sat
at the end of the high table. Aye, Keegan was most definitely
interested in becoming Seona’s husband, but he couldn’t announce it
at a meal.

“Any man who marries Lady Seona will
be fortunate indeed,” Keegan said.

“Don’t be such a beastie,
Fraser, teasing Seona in such a way,” Isobel scolded. She looked as
if she’d box his ears if he were closer. “Why don’t we talk about
who
you’re
going
to marry?”

“No one,” Fraser said, sobering. “And
I meant no harm. Pray pardon, Lady Seona. I agree with Keegan. Any
man who snares you will be lucky.”

Seona’s blush was still bright enough
to light a dim room and Keegan felt bad for her discomfort. Saints,
he wished he could declare his intentions now in front of everyone,
but first, he wanted to ask Seona to marry him. Regardless of what
her father said when Keegan asked for her hand, he wanted to know
if Seona was interested in marrying him. To Keegan, that was the
most important thing.

When should he ask her?

***

The next evening, Dirk was
well enough to join the others in the great hall for supper, and
Keegan was glad of it. He’d hated Dirk’s talk of
if something happens to me
. Dirk was one of the strongest men Keegan knew and he didn’t
want to even imagine him dying. Life was precious and precarious
and Keegan preferred to savor each good moment, as his father had
taught him.

Life was especially grand at the
moment, for he again found an empty seat at the high table right
beside Lady Seona.

“Good evening, m’lady.”

“Good evening, Keegan.” The shy,
intimate smile that he relished peeked out. He loved it because
’twas a smile she only bestowed on him. Sure, she smiled at the
others, the ladies mostly, but it was not the same smile. And the
way she said his name heated him from the inside out.

“How is Lady Patience feeling
today?”

“She is not yet fully recovered from
the seasickness, although ’tis not as severe as yesterday. Her
ankle is still sore. This whole journey has worn her
out.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” He truly was,
but he was glad Lady Patience’s hawkish glare was not pinned on him
this evening. He and Seona might actually get some time alone to
talk or…’haps he might steal another kiss.

He had been reliving the kisses they’d
shared and was yearning for another. He was a rogue, he knew, but
he could not stop thinking about her and imagining what it might be
like to touch her in ways he shouldn’t.

He also had to ask her if
she would marry him… if he could get her father to agree. ’Haps he
should speak to Dirk about it first to get advice on what to do if
Chief Murray refused his suit. The last thing Dirk or Keegan wanted
was a clan war. And yet, Keegan could not accept a
nay
from her
father.

After Fraser had embarrassed her the
night before, she’d soon excused herself, pleading exhaustion, and
retreated to her room. He was certain it wasn’t simply an excuse.
She had to be tired from all the traveling. He was glad to see she
was in fine spirits this evening.

After the meal, the music and dancing
started. Seona could not believe her good fortune in being allowed
to sit by Keegan again this evening. Although she was not happy
about her aunt’s illness, she was glad to have a bit of freedom. In
fact, she liked it so much she was determined to get out from under
her aunt’s thumb permanently. But how would she ever escape her
father’s heavy hand?

Beside her, Keegan leaned in. “Would
you like to dance, Lady Seona?”

She flushed, feeling as if she’d been
drenched in hot bathwater, but an icy chill quickly followed.
Indeed, she would love to dance with him, but she recalled the last
time she’d danced with a man. Her father had ordered him tossed out
and severely beaten. She remembered the horror of seeing him the
next day, his face covered in bruises, his lip split. “Oh… nay,
Keegan. I don’t think I should.”

“And why not?” He sent her the devil’s
own grin, full of mischief and daring. She had to force her gaze
away so she wouldn’t get pulled into his charm.

Indeed, half the men who’d been
sitting at the high table were now on the floor. Even Isobel was
dancing with one of her brothers, since Dirk was unable. He had
encouraged it since he knew how much she enjoyed
dancing.

Seona could not think of a good reason
to avoid the dance floor. Her father was not here and her aunt
wasn’t watching. Likely no one present would care if she danced
with Keegan. But what if one of them told her aunt, or what if the
servants gossiped?

Her father, and therefore by
extension, his sister, Aunt Patience, would only allow her to
associate with certain types of men—those who were titled and
wealthy, and who would make husbands they’d approve of. All others
were off limits. To their way of thinking, there was no reason to
dance with a man if she couldn’t eventually marry him.

But… she glanced back at
Keegan. He lifted a brow and held out his hand. She could not
resist taking it and delighting in his warm skin, roughened from
handling a sword and being out in the cold wind so much. He lowered
their hands, his thumb stroking her sensitive palm and sending
shivers up her arm to her breasts.
Heavens!
What a sinful sensation he
sent through her body with no more than a light touch to her hand.
She bit her lip and forced herself not to look at him.

“Seona?” he whispered, her
name more intimate without the formal title of
Lady
attached to it.

She dared to glance up at him and
found that his light and playful gaze had changed to midnight
blue.

“Aye. I would like to dance,” she said
to cover her true feelings, which were far grander than simply
wanting a dance. She did not understand the enormity of the
emotions and yearnings that came over her. She had never
experienced anything of the like before.

Keegan led her to the dance floor
where they joined the two dozen other couples, most of whom
belonged to the MacKenzie clan. She felt more comfortable dancing
among strangers. She could be herself and not worry about anyone
telling her aunt or her father she was doing something they
wouldn’t approve of.

She imagined for a brief time that the
man touching her and holding her hands was the one she would marry.
Wouldn’t that be a blissful paradise?

They danced for two more songs, until
Seona was out of breath and sweating.

“I think that is all I can take for
the moment,” she told Keegan.

As he escorted her back to the table,
he leaned over and murmured close to her ear, “Meet me in that
alcove just beyond your chamber?”

What?
Was he mad?

He pulled out her chair and she sat
down. Glancing up at him, she took in his dark blue eyes and
intense expression.

He dropped into the chair beside hers
and pretended to watch the dancing couples, but she felt his
attention on her.

Seona sucked in a sharp breath. Had he
meant it? And if so, could she slip from the room without anyone
noticing, or suspecting they were meeting? What would he say to her
and, more importantly, what would he do in the dark alcove? How did
he know where her chamber was? Was his chamber off the same
corridor? A shiver of anticipation passed over her skin.

She glanced aside to find Keegan’s
gaze steady upon her.

Of course, she would love a stolen
moment in private with him, but what would the cost be? What if
someone saw them?

“I must speak to the guards. A good
evening to you, Lady Seona.” Keegan bowed over her hand, kissed it,
and left the table. He then said a few quiet words to the two
guards who stood behind Dirk. Seona watched Keegan carefully to see
what he was up to. After speaking to Dirk, he moved toward the exit
and talked to one of the MacKay guards stationed there. Then, he
circled back, his gaze scanning the room, and went up the stairs.
Was he going to the alcove he’d mentioned?