School For Heiresses 3- Beware A Scot's Revenge (16 page)

“Don’t be using that language around your lady wife, you big lout.” Annie made a fuss over settlingVenetia into a comfortable armchair by the fire in her tiny parlor. “I taught you better than that.”

“You’re not listening to me, devil take you!”

“In the morning, you can rent a gig and horses from the inn in Kingussie. That’ll give you some protection from the weather.”

“Annie, I swear to God I am not—”

“You’re outnumbered, laddie, admit it.” She faced him down, every inch the nanny. “You’re staying here tonight, and that’s the end of it. Because if you don’t, I’ll send a letter by express to tell your mother of yer new wife. I’m sure it’ll get there before you. And you don’t want that, do ye?”

He swore under his breath. Mother wasn’t supposed to know aboutVenetia . He’d already planned to stash the lass at the deserted crofter’s cottage in the hills that he’d used as the Scourge. If Annie told his mother about her, Mother would throw herself into his battle with Duncannon, and he couldn’t have that. He glanced from Annie toVenetia . “The two of you are determined to force my hand, are ye?” He stared atVenetia , who looked right pleased with herself. “Very well, we’ll stay.”

A triumphant expression passed over her face, but he didn’t allow her to enjoy it. So she wanted to play his wife, did she? Wreak havoc in his life?

Fine, then play his wife she would. He turned to Annie. “Do you still have that extra bedchamber upstairs?”

“I do indeed.”

Lachlan shotVenetia a mirthless smile. “As I recall, the bed’s not very big.”

He watched her gloating shift to alarm. She hadn’t thought that far, had she? This wasn’tEngland or the loftier home of a Scottish noble, where a lady could expect a room separate from her husband. This was theHighlands , where a man and his wife lay together in perfect matrimonial harmony.

“ ’Tis big enough for two people newly wed,” Annie said with a wink. Venetia’s eyes were huge now, and he was having a damned fine time watching her recognize her mistake.

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“Oh, I’m sure you’re right.” He taunted the lass with a smile. “I’m sure my wife and I can make do.”

Venetialeaped up to head for the door. “You know, Mrs. McCain,Lachlan is right. We probably should go on.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Annie said. “It’s pouring outside. And you mustn’t let the man bully you. Sometimes a woman has to stand strong against the big oafs.”

Lachlanbarely restrained a laugh. Stand strong, eh? Little did Annie know.

“Now, you stay here with yer husband while I fetch you the tea. I’ll be only a minute.” Annie walked out, leaving Venetia toLachlan ’s not-so-tender mercies.

“Might as well sit down and make yerself comfortable, princess,” Lachlan said acidly. “You’ve won this round.”

“Lachlan, we cannot share a room tonight—”

“Oh yes we can.” He approached her slowly, favoring his right leg. “But dinna fash yerself, lassie—after sleeping half the day away, I won’t need much sleep.” He flashed her a rakish grin. She groaned, then headed for the door. “I’ll tell her that I’m not your wife and we’re not staying—”

Lachlanblocked her way. “Ye’ll do no such thing. You made our bed, and now you’ll lie in it. Besides, the night’s rest will do us both some good, and renting the gig is a fine idea. Surely you can pretend to like me for one evening.”

As long as I can pretend not to desire you for one night.

“But try to take my advice for once,” he went on. “Let me do the talking. We don’t want Annie knowing you’re Duncannon’s daughter, or she might take a broom to
you.
”

“Very well.” She twisted to face him. “But why are you sending Jamie away?”

He hesitated, then opted for honesty. “Because he likes you too much.” He searched her face, then cocked one eyebrow. “And because you know it. I can’t have you using his liking of you to manage an escape.”

“Don’t be absurd,” she said bitterly. “The man may have a soft spot for me, but he’s every bit as loyal to you as you said. He’d never help me thwart you.”

“You’d be surprised what a man might do for a woman he fancies, princess.”

The minute the words left his mouth, he regretted them, for her eyes turned the wild green of the lochs and he suddenly became painfully aware of how near she was, how pretty…how irresistible. His head lowered of its own accord as his gaze fixed on that sweet, sensuous mouth of hers—

The door shot open, and Annie trotted in. As they sprang apart, the widow halted, then let out a short bark of laughter.

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“None of that now, you two.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Plenty of time for that later.”

That was exactly what he was afraid of. Holy Christ, it was going to be a long night. He wasn’t sure who he wanted to throttle more—Annie, for being her motherly self, orVenetia , for being so damned alluring that he had to tuck his tongue between his teeth just to keep from panting after her like a randy hound.

Following them to the kitchen, he ignored the throbbing pain in his leg. He ought to be glad of a night’s respite, but in truth he’d prefer the torture of travel to being alone in the dark withVenetia . If he made it through
that,
it would be a miracle.

Thank God Annie was eager to hear the gossip from Ross-shire or he would never even have survived tea. As Jamie joined them and Annie prepared a large dinner of bridies, cold ham, herrings in oatmeal, and cock-a-leekie soup, he was able to control the conversation by feeding her tidbits about the Ross clan. It kept the nosy female from finding out that she had Duncannon’s child in her kitchen. Now he only had to refrain from callingVenetia by her Christian name. He couldn’t take the chance that Annie might remember it.

But he was glad they’d stayed. Sitting in the soft lantern light of Annie’s kitchen made him realize how bone-weary he was. And how hungry. He devoured everything she put in front of him, and so didVenetia

, although she still kept up her laughably prim table manners.

After they’d eaten their fill, Annie held out a platter. “Will you have the last bridie,Lachlan ?”

“You trying to fatten me up?” he teased as he took it. “Because you’re going about it right, to be sure.”

With a frown, Annie brought the platter to the sink. “I wish I could. You’re not looking so well, lad.”

WhenVenetia seemed startled by that comment, Annie told her, as if in confidence, “He hasn’t completely wasted away, mind you—he’s still got the shoulders and that brawny build—but he looks thinner and a good deal paler. He never had that stiffness in his limbs before, neither.”

“The war was hard on him, no doubt,”Venetia said.

“The war!” Annie snorted. “T’ain’t the war that’s done that, my lady. I saw him less than a year ago, and he was hale and hearty—”

“Jamie, me boy, why are you dawdling around here?”Lachlan broke in. “Ye’ve got to head out while the rain has let up.”

“Aye, sir.” Jamie rose from the table with a nod of understanding. “Will ye pack me up some food for later, Annie?”

With a quick glance atLachlan , Annie reluctantly shifted her attention to Jamie. “I’ll pack ye anything ye want, lad.”

The young man rubbed his belly. “Well then, I could use some of yer fine oatcakes. Never could get enough of them.”

“I can see that,” Annie retorted, with a pointed look at the plate he’d wiped clean with one. “Don’t you
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worry—I’ve got plenty more. You go fetch the laird’s bags from the coach, and I’ll make up a basket.”

Jamie left as she bustled about the kitchen. When he returned with justLachlan ’s knapsack, she stared oddly at him. “Where’s the rest?”

“That’s all,”Lachlan put in. “My wife and I eloped, remember? No time for her to pack, and I wasn’t expecting to stop anywhere before we got home.”

Annie looked outraged as she handed Jamie a basket of food. “So you’ve forced the poor woman to wear the same gown for days? That’s downright cruel, especially for a fine lady like her.”

“You have no idea,”Venetia muttered under her breath.

“Well, there’s nothing for it but to wash her clothes tonight and dry them for the morrow.” Annie went to the door and called for Sally, then hurried to the back kitchen door and dragged in a large pot full of rainwater. “Meantime, I think Sally probably has a shift the lass can wear tonight.”

Venetiablushed a thousand shades of red as she jumped to her feet. “Really, you mustn’t go to any bother—”

“No bother, dearie,” she said with a wave of her hand. After hanging the pot on the massive hook above the roaring fire, she headed back to the door leading into the hall. “Sally! Sally? Oh, where has that girl got off to?”

“Shall I fetch her?”Venetia put in.

Lachlansnorted at that blatant attempt to get out of the room and away from her captors. “Sit down, lass. She’ll be along soon enough.”

Venetiatook her chair, avoiding his eyes. As if he didn’t already know what she was thinking—that she’d rather be wandering fully dressed throughScotland than trapped in a room with him for the night, half naked.

Not that he could blame her—the thought of sharing a room with her wearing only a shift was sending his blood into a stampede.

“What about you, Jamie?” Annie asked. “Have you fresh clothing?”

“He’ll be fine,”Lachlan cut in. Thankfully Jamie hadn’t heard the part about Lachlan and Venetia sharing a room, but if the boy didn’t leave soon, he’d figure it out, and thenLachlan would never be rid of him.

“You’d best be going, lad.”

“Aye.” Jamie castVenetia a helpless glance. “I’ll see you both at Rosscraig soon. And if you need anything before I leave, milady—”

“She doesn’t,”Lachlan bit out. “Now go on with you.”
Before the lass has you down on one knee,
begging to be her knight-errant and save her from meself.
Which might just prove necessary if Annie kept trying to undress them both. Within moments Annie had the boy out the door and off, then returned to the table. Just whenLachlan
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was congratulating himself on having dodged a bullet by sending Jamie off successfully, she sat down across from him with a frown. “You’ll need fresh clothing as well, lad.”

“I don’t need anything.”

“My late husband was about the size you’ve become.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Which reminds me, you still haven’t told me why you look so ill.”

He groaned. He should have known Annie wouldn’t let it go.

“I think I can guess why. It’s because of that fight you had with the Scourge, ain’t it?” With a cluck of her tongue, she eyed him balefully. “You shouldn’t have tangled with him. They always said he was a right fierce fellow.”

Lachlanbit back a smile. “Well, I survived the encounter and he didn’t, so who turned out to be fiercest in the end?”

She shook her head. “Fierce or no, it was foolish. And what possessed you to go against Duncannon’s enemy, anyway? You of all people, who hates the earl as much as me. You should have let the Scourge alone. He wasn’t hurting nobody.”

“What?” Venetia cried, ignoringLachlan when he kicked her beneath the table. “The man preyed on innocent travelers! How is that not hurting anyone?”

“Those weren’t innocent travelers,” Annie countered. “They were Duncannon’s friends, and probably every one just like him, turning their land over to sheep and forcing their crofters out.”

Venetiablinked. “What do you mean? How could they force the crofters out? Don’t the tenants have leases?”

“Aye, but they’re yearly. Once the time was up, Duncannon kicked them out of their homes so he could use their land for sheep pasture.”

Lachlan silently watched to see howVenetia would react. He’d assumed that she knew of her father’s tactics, but perhaps that was a hasty assumption, like all the others he’d made about her. She looked downright ill. “But inLondon , they talk of how sheep will save theHighlands . How the improvements on the land will—”

“Improvements!” Annie snorted. “That’s a fancy word for eviction, my lady.” She turned toLachlan .

“Have ye not explained to her what’s going on up here in the north? How the lairds can make twice the money with sheep, so they don’t need their crofters? How land that used to support twenty people now supports a hundred sheep and one shepherd? How people are fleeing the Highlands forAmerica by the shipload?”

“I think you’re explaining it pretty well,”Lachlan said softly. Venetiaglanced from him to Annie, her face pale as ash. “I—I didn’t know. They never said what happened to the crofters. I just assumed—”

“That they found work elsewhere?” Annie set her lips in a thin line. “Aye, they did. InAmerica ,
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inCanada . It was either leave or starve. My husband and I were lucky to stay inScotland after he was turned off by the earl.” She leaned back in her chair with a sour frown. “But I still say it’s what killed him—not having work, and not wanting to emigrate.”

“Annie’s husband was the earl’s factor,”Lachlan explained. “They lived near Braidmuir for some years, until her husband spoke out against the sheep farming and how it was displacing the crofters. That’s when the earl had his steward dismiss him and hire that devil McKinley instead.”

“That’s horrible,”Venetia whispered.

Did she mean it? Or was she just trying to soften him up again by seeming to sympathize with his friends?

“My poor love tried his hand at this and that,” Annie said, “but nothing much suited him. Got drunk one night, fell off his horse, and broke his neck, he did.” She shook her head dolefully. “If I hadn’t had an uncle to leave me this lovely house and a wee bit of money, I’d be inAmerica right now meself. Ain’t no place for a woman like me in theHighlands anymore.”

“Don’t be daft, love,”Lachlan said, reaching over to pat her hand. “There’s always a place for you in theHighlands . I’ll make sure of that.”