My Highland Bride (9 page)

Yer a crafty lass, I gi’ ye that.
Colum repressed a smile, politely bowed, then obediently took the seat beside her. Raising a hand to the serving lad across the room, he snapped his fingers once, then nodded toward Kenna. The lad responded with a quick bob of his head, then bolted from the room.

The red-cheeked lad quickly reappeared, bearing an enormous round tray filled with overflowing trenchers, a pair of metal goblets, and a pitcher. He artfully wove his way through the sea of plaids and skirts, then slid the tray to the table. Without saying a word, he efficiently set the contents of the tray in front of Colum and Kenna then bobbed his head and tucked the tray under his arm. His glance flitted across the contents of the table one last time, then he spun about and scurried back out of the room.

Colum filled one of the goblets with the golden liquid from the pitcher.
Mead.
He handed the glass to Kenna, then filled his own. Personally, he preferred ale, but the sweet honeyed wine better suited the lady.

Kenna sat with her mouth clamped tightly shut, a bleak expression on her face as she stared down at the array of meats piled upon the trencher in front of her. Cook had selected the best cuts of roasted boar, mutton, and venison and tucked them among steaming mounds of onions and garlic. She finally inhaled a deep breath and reached across the mound of food to grasp her goblet. “I’m really not that hungry.” She took a sip of wine and swallowed hard, still staring down at the pile of food. She turned to Colum and quickly added, “But everything looks…delicious.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and leaned back in her chair.

“ ’Tis no’ of yer likin’.” Colum downed his goblet of mead, then returned it to the table. “Do ye no’ eat such things where yer from?” He pinched free a succulent morsel of meat and held it out to her.

Kenna stared at the meat as though it were poison. “No thanks. Really. I’m…I’m not hungry.”

He popped the meat into his own mouth instead, chewing slowly as he studied her. The woman had to be hungry. Coira had told the kitchen maids the lass had barely finished half a bannock before she’d collapsed into her bed and slept for nearly two days. The answer finally came to him as though a spirit whispered in his year. “Ye dinna eat meat.” It was no’ a question. He felt certain of the discovery, especially when a hungry growl rumbled up from the fair Lady Kenna’s middle.

Wide-eyed, her cheeks growing rosier by the instant, Kenna pressed both hands across her stomach. “Sorry,” she whispered. She stole a look toward the kitchen, then leaned closer to Colum. As she spoke, her warm breath tickled the skin of his throat, hardening him instantly. “You’re right. I’m a vegetarian, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“Yer a what?” Colum did his best to pay attention to her words but damn, the verra scent of the woman made it a chore to think, much less speak with the slightest bit o’ sense.

Kenna opened her mouth, then just as quickly closed it. With a trembling hand, she took up her goblet and pressed it to her lips, her eyes widening with alarm as her stomach growled again—loudly.

Colum motioned for the kitchen lad and waved him forward. The boy scampered across the room, concern written across his face as he glanced down at Lady Kenna’s untouched plate of food. “Aye, master?”

“Bread for the lady.” Colum cleared his throat to drown out the sound of another of Lady Kenna’s belly rumbles. “Cheese and honey, as well,” he hurried to add.

“Aye, master.” The boy took off at a run.

Kenna folded her arms across her middle and ducked her head. “Sorry,” she whispered—then tittered with a soft giggle.

She peeked up at him with mischief in her eyes, and he thought his heart would surely burst into flame, then melt into a steaming puddle like a poorly fashioned candle.
Lore a’mighty. She’s like no other.

When the boy returned with a platter of bannocks and cheese, Colum removed the meaty trencher from Kenna’s place and nodded to the table. “Set that before the lady and take this away.”

“But tell Cook I’m sure it’s all delicious. I’m just eating light right now.” Kenna leaned forward and smiled, triggering an immediate flush of an even deeper red to the lad’s face.

“Aye, mistress.” The blushing lad stared down at the floor as he backed away from the table, the trencher of meat clutched against his chest. As soon as he’d gotten a few feet away, he turned and bolted for the kitchen.

“Poor lad. Ye’ve charmed him.” Colum proffered the pitcher of mead and waited.

Kenna shook her head and held her hand over the top of her cup. “No more mead, thanks. But I would love a glass of water.”

“Water it is.” Colum stretched to reach one of the jugs of water sitting in the center of the table. “The Lady Trulie prefers water with her meals, so ye’ll always find a fresh urn of Scotland’s sweetest sitting at the table.”

“These are…” Kenna licked her lips as she chewed, then shivered in her seat.

“…freaking awesome.” She took another bite of the bannock and closed her eyes with a contented smile.

“Ye look like yer grandmother’s wicked cat Kismet after she’s licked the cream pans clean.” Colum refilled his own goblet with mead, then relaxed back in his chair. He’d eat later. He’d much rather spend his time taking in the wonder of the beguiling woman before him.

“So, I take it you’re not a fan of Kismet?” Mischief continued to dance in Kenna’s gaze as she watched him over the rim of her cup.

“I canna believe yer no’ offerin’ the chieftain’s own good sister a thing better than a bit o’ stale bannock and spring water,” Diarmuid said as he planted himself in front of their table with a grin so conniving Colum wanted to knock it off his face. “Diarmuid McCann at yer service, good lady. Yer arrival gives our chief and his lovely wife even more cause to celebrate this fine time. Allow me to get wi’ the kitchen lads and see to it yer offered somethin’ more fittin’ and proper to yer station.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McCann, and let me assure you, Colum’s seeing to my needs just fine.” The Lady Kenna leaned a bit closer to Colum, and while her words had been quite polite, her tone had turned suitably colder.

Colum sat a bit taller in his seat and glared across the table at Diarmuid.
Have ye a bit o’ that, ye sneaky bastard.

Diarmuid took a long slow sip from his cup and quietly snickered before turning his attention back to Colum. “By the by, my newest bow is quite the addition to my collection. Would ye no’ agree?” With a satisfied smirk, he turned back to the Lady Kenna. “Yer chief’s fine man-at-arms here is quite the archer. None in the clan are better. Ye’ve chosen yer champion well, m’lady, except for the fact he gambled away his best bow in quite the foolish wager.” Diarmuid leaned in a bit closer and winked. “But ne’er ye fear, I’ll be more than happy to protect ye.”

Damn ye, Diarmuid.
Colum gritted his teeth and never uttered a word. Diarmuid knew he couldna verra well explain the terms of their wager to the fair Lady Kenna. No matter how Colum chose to explain his behavior, he’d appear in a less-than-savory light. Lady Kenna would surely deem him either a gambling fool or a heartless cur.

A cold shiver shot through Colum as he realized just how poorly his past behavior would be viewed through the Lady’s eyes.
By hell’s demons
. Soon, Lady Kenna would know the verra truth of it—he
was
a gambling, wenching fool.

Colum sagged back in his chair with a defeated huff. Lady Kenna turned to him. Her deep green eyes narrowed the slightest bit as she studied his face. Colum struggled not to shy away from her scrutiny. Damned if he didna despise the verra sight of himself currently mirrored in her eyes.

The Lady Kenna’s mouth tightened and her eyes narrowed even more. Without breaking her study of his features, she lightly trailed her fingertips from the inner crook of his elbow down to the center of his palm. Colum shivered beneath the eroticism of the lady’s slow, exploring touch. A strange tingling zipped up the back of his neck—a warmth that could only be explained by the presence of the fair lady’s cool fingers upon him.
Lore, I must have her for me own. Must make m’self worthy of her station.
If she e’er deems me fit t’take her, I’ll ne’er let her go.

Kenna’s face smoothed to an unreadable mask as she turned her attention back to Diarmuid. Completely ignoring his earlier remark about the bow, she lightly rested her fingertips atop his extended palm. “Excuse us, Mr….” Kenna frowned as she moved to stand, shoving her chair back before Colum could pull it away. “I’m sorry. I seem to have forgotten your name.” She shrugged, then rudely flipped her hand as though dismissing him from her midst. “Well…anyway. It doesn’t really matter. Now, if you’ll excuse us…” She nodded to Colum, a coy smile lighting up her face. “I’d really love some fresh air to properly top off my delightful meal, and perhaps…” Kenna paused, took a long slow look around the hall, then shyly tucked her chin. “…we could find a little privacy for a nice long chat? My sister says MacKenna keep has a very nice garden.”

“Aye, m’lady.” Colum none too gently bumped Diarmuid out of the way as he led his precious charge toward the double arch leading to the inner courtyard. He must remember to properly thank Mother Sinclair for assigning him to this task. This responsibility had turned out to be quite promising indeed.

They strolled down the broad stone steps and entered the moss-covered path of the first maze of deep green hedges. Colum drew in a relaxing, deep breath.
Aye and for sure. This day holds great promise.

The demure Lady Kenna suddenly made a sound that could only be described as an infuriated growl. She ripped her hand free of Colum’s grasp and spun around in front of him. Green eyes flashing, she jabbed an accusing finger toward the center of his chest and poked him hard. “Why in the world would you want to be friends with that asshole? And why in the hell would you
ever
behave just like him? I could tell you thought a lot of yourself when I first met you, but I didn’t think you were as bad as that shifty little womanizer.”

Colum swallowed hard and backed up a step. How the blazes did the Lady go from purring like a wee tamed cat to yowlin’ like an enraged lynx? He eased back another pace, both hands raised in the air. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Kenna charged forward and jabbed his breastbone again.

“You’ve slept with every single one of them? You haven’t missed a single woman between the ages of eighteen and…and…who knows what? Forty, maybe?” Kenna flipped a hand back toward the stone archway they’d just passed through. “There’s not a female in this entire keep you haven’t had in your bed? Have you never heard of STDs?” She took a step back and wiped both hands against her skirts as though they were badly soiled. With an irritated growl, she turned and stomped off deeper into the green sanctuary of hawthorn and ivy, muttering words Colum was certain he’d never heard a woman use before.

“How did ye…” Colum raked both hands across the braids knotted at his temples. “Who told…” Colum slammed his mouth shut and stared down at the ground. He swallowed hard against the verra bitter realization that the Lady Kenna had somehow gained quite a few intimate details of what went on in his bed…and anywhere else he had coaxed a lass into sharing her sweet warmth. She’d no’ been at the keep verra long. How could she ken so much so soon?

He shook a fist at the shaking bushes marking Lady Kenna’s progress through the garden. “I ne’er took a forty-year-old woman ta m’bed!” Somehow, shouting that tidbit of information did verra little to make him feel better.

How the hell did the woman know so much about him? It had to be one of the serving girls.
Aye.
That was it. One of the girls he’d cast aside must ha’ taken it upon herself to give Lady Kenna his detailed history while helping her settle in her rooms.
Damnation
. It had no’ taken someone verra long to spread their tales. Well, ’twas no’ exactly the spreadin’ of tales but nonetheless, whoever had taken it upon themselves to do such a thing had wasted no time in the tellin’ of it.

Colum shoved his way through the shrubbery. The stone path could just be damned. He had to catch up with the unreasonable woman and plead his side of this dark issue.

“Don’t think you’re going to stomp through here like some bull in heat and convince me none of it’s true.” Kenna’s warning rang out loud and clear from the circle of yews three paths over.

Colum ignored thorns and snapping branches as they ripped across his arms. He didna care if he shredded his flesh to a bloody mess—this woman would damn well hear him out. He’d no’ be condemned in Lady Kenna’s eyes by the waggin’ of servants’ tongues. “Where the hell are ye?” He yanked the bushes aside and stretched as far as he could see, watching for any sign of movement.

“What the hell do you care?” Kenna’s voice came from the left. “What’s the matter, Colum? Are you tired of all the currently available pieces in this keep? What happened? Did you run out of new ones? Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy. This piece isn’t up for grabs by just anyone who comes along. The only man good enough to get between my legs is gonna be the man I decide to call husband!”

Colum ripped through the final leafy barrier and grabbed hold of Kenna’s wrist just as she turned away. He yanked her back hard against his chest and snaked an arm around her waist. “I dinna ken how ye discovered all that ye have but I swear to ye…” Colum froze. The pounding of his heart drowned out all other sound from his consciousness as he fell into the depths of the Lady Kenna’s angry gaze. “I swear to ye…” Colum’s gaze lowered to her mouth.

“You swear what?” Kenna hissed the words from between clenched teeth, her arm tensed and pulling against his hold.

Colum barely shook his head as it all became clear.
Damnation. It canna be so.
Colum jerked his head sideways again.
Aye. ’Tis verra much so.
This woman had to belong to him. None other. She was meant for him alone. He cupped Kenna’s cheek in one hand and bent closer. “I swear t’ye on all that’s holy and cherished, I’ll be makin’ ye mine.”