The Highlander Takes a Bride (6 page)

“I shall look forward to yer trying,” he said with a grin that made him ridiculously attractive.

Saidh scowled at the man, and then turned her face forward, determined to ignore him.

“Do ye like to dance?” he asked suddenly.

“Nay,” she said succinctly, but wondered why he’d ask such a fool question.

“Do ye sing like a canary?”

“A canary with a broken neck,” she responded.

“Can ye sew a stitch?”

“I sewed me brother up once, but then I was the one who cut him while we were practicing so it seemed only fair,” she informed him with a wolfish smile. The truth was she could sew. She didn’t even mind doing it. Sewing was a soothing activity, a good way to pass the time on a cold winter evening when ye were stuck inside with naught to do.

“Can ye . . .”

“Me laird,” Saidh interrupted dryly.

“Aye?”

“I win,” she announced and urged her mare to a gallop to charge over the drawbridge and through the gate into the bailey first. She heard another burst of laughter from behind her as she steered her mare toward the stables, and found herself smiling at the sound. But then was distracted when the stable master approached her as she reached the stables.

The man took the reins and grinned widely at Saidh as she slid from her mount. “Ye go on in and break yer fast, me lady. I’ll take care o’ yer beast.”

Saidh hesitated, but when she glanced around to see Laird MacDonnell riding into the bailey at a canter, she nodded, murmured her thanks and started across the bailey at a quick clip, eager to get inside and seated before he could. She’d only taken half a dozen steps, however, when she was suddenly caught about the waist and hauled up into the air. Saidh squawked in surprise, and glanced around with amazement at the MacDonnell. She hadn’t even been aware that he’d changed direction and come after her.

“Allow me to escort the winner to the castle door,” he said smoothly against her ear as he settled her in his lap.

Saidh wanted to roar at him to put her down, but didn’t want to draw attention in the busy bailey so almost swallowed her tongue in her determination to still it. She sat unmoving and silent, very aware that his arm clasped her just below her breasts, the top of it rubbing against the bottom of those sensitive globes with every shift of the horse’s hooves. She was also excruciatingly aware of the heat of his chest against her back, and that she seemed enveloped in the clean, male scent of him. She was slower to realize though, that the hardness against her bottom appeared to be growing larger and harder by the moment.

“Me laird?” she asked sweetly.

“Aye?” he growled by her ear, his lips brushing the tender skin and sending a shiver up her back that just annoyed her.

“I think ye might be enjoying this just a tad too much,” she informed him. “That, or I’m sitting on yer sword.”

He chuckled, his breath brushing her ear again. “Yer just sore that I made ye turn away and ye didn’t get to see me tarse as I came out o’ the water.”

Saidh flushed as she recalled the way she’d gawked at him earlier, but merely shook her head and snapped, “Ye’d like to think so.”

“Oh, I know so,” he assured her and then reined in and lifted her down off of his horse at the base of the stairs. He also let his hand slide along the underside of her breasts under cover of releasing her, and Saidh gasped at the sensations the action sent racing through her. It left her weak kneed and unsteady so that she stumbled as she started up the stairs. Managing to keep her feet beneath her, Saidh hurried up the steps and escaped into the great hall with relief.

The MacDonnell had an entirely bewildering effect on her. She had liked looking at him as he’d come out of the water, had told him things she’d told no one else, and yet every time he got near, these odd sensations rose up in her, heat racing through her body in a confusing rush that made her want to punch him. Well, okay, maybe she didn’t really want to punch him, but her feelings were definitely aggressive. It was most bewildering.

“Saidh!”

She glanced around the hall, surprised to note that the room was awash with people. Most of them were seated at the trestle tables, breaking their fast, but several servants were bustling about and Murine was on her feet at the high table, waving her over.

“Thank goodness,” Murine said on a sigh, hugging Saidh when she reached her. “I was beginning to worry we’d leave before ye came to break yer fast. I thought ye were still abed,” she added with a frown as she released her.

“Nay, I didn’t sleep well and woke just as the sun broke so decided to go fer a ride,” Saidh admitted as she settled in the empty space next to her friend. Frowning, she asked, “So yer leaving after ye eat?”

“Aye. Montrose wants to make an early start. We’ve a long journey ahead o’ us,” Murine added grimly.

Saidh eyed her friend’s pinched face with concern. She knew Murine was not looking forward to living in England with her brother, and could not blame her. She disliked the man a great deal and suspected he would make Murine’s life a misery without even trying. He had already proven himself to be a cold, heartless bastard by not sending for her when her father died so that she could attend the funeral.

That was something Saidh couldn’t even imagine her own brothers doing. And not just because she’d have run her sword through them if they’d dared. They wouldn’t even have considered it themselves. But then her brothers were good men. Montrose just wasn’t, from what she could tell.

“Mayhap you could stay here until I leave,” she said suddenly.

Murine glanced to her with surprise. “What?”

“Well, Lady MacDonnell seems to hate me, but she definitely seemed to like you well enough. Ye could stay and be a buffer between us until . . .” Saidh trailed off, a frown claiming her lips. She didn’t know how to finish that. She had no idea how long she would be staying. Fenella had begged her not to go and she had agreed, but—Saidh suddenly glanced along the table in search of the woman. She’d hoped Fenella would leave her room for meals at least now that she was there. However, there was no sign of her.

“If ’tis your cousin ye’re looking for, I think she took her meal in her room,” Murine said quietly, and then added, “At least I saw a maid slipping into a room with a tray o’ food on me way down. I do no’ ken if ’twas her room, but I ken it was no’ the master bedchamber and since e’eryone else is here it must ha’e been.”

“Oh,” Saidh murmured. She supposed it had been too much to hope that her presence would lure her cousin below. However, if Fenella stayed in her room all the time, why did she want her to stay at all? Cripes, she hoped her cousin wasn’t expecting her to stay stuck up there in her room with her all day long. She couldn’t stand that.

“Thank ye fer the offer,” Murine said suddenly, distracting Saidh from her thoughts. “But I think ’tis better that I just travel on with Montrose.” She smiled wryly and added, “I’m no’ at all sure he’d agree to send an escort back to bring me home later.”

“Me brother would arrange an escort fer ye,” Saidh said solemnly.

“Aye, I ken.” Murine smiled sadly, and then pointed out, “But this is no’ yer home, Saidh. Ye can no’ jest invite me to stay.”

“Oh, aye,” Saidh muttered, peering down at the trencher that had appeared before her between then and the last time she’d looked. The servants here were quick and quiet, she noted.

“Besides, Lady MacDonnell does no’ hate ye. I talked with her last night and explained how sweet and kind ye are.”

“Sweet and kind?” Saidh asked with a wince.

“Ye are,” Murine said firmly. “Why jest look how ye cut yer visit short with Joan to come see that Lady Fenella was all right. And this when ye’d had no idea that she’d e’en married again once, let alone three times. ’Twas sweet and kind,” she insisted, and then added, “And I told Lady MacDonnell that.”

Saidh grimaced at the news.

“I think ye’ll find she looks on ye much more kindly now.”

“Well, that’s something then,” Saidh said with mild amusement, and then glanced sharply toward the door when it opened. She wasn’t surprised when the MacDonnell entered. She
was
surprised, however, by the small storm of reaction that seeing him walking toward her caused in her body. It was like the great hall at Buchanan when she and her brothers had raced through playing one of their games. They had run about madly, jumping and tumbling this way and that, sending things flying and banging about the room like a storm before racing out again with Cook or some other servant chasing after them, shouting their heads off. Her body was presently the great hall and all the liquids in her body were she and her brothers causing an uproar.

“Laird MacDonnell is verra handsome,” Murine said suddenly beside her.

Saidh merely grunted and turned her face down to her trencher as she tried to control her body’s response to him.

“What is his first name, do ye ken?” Murine asked curiously.

Saidh shook her head. She hadn’t a clue.

“ ’Tis Greer.”

Saidh stiffened as the MacDonnell breathed that by her ear. Straightening slowly, she turned to see that he stood directly behind her.

“Rear?” she asked, managing a blank expression. “ ’Tis an odd name to give a boy.”

“Oh dear,” Lady MacDonnell’s amused voice drew her head around to see the woman approaching the table from the doors leading to the kitchens. “No dear. His name is Greer. Greer. Not rear.”

“Oh.” Saidh smiled apologetically, even blinking her eyelashes innocently as if she’d truly misheard the name. “Well that sounds much better.”

“Aye, it does,” Lady MacDonnell agreed with amusement.

Feeling the heat at her back withdraw, Saidh chanced a glance around at Greer as he moved along the table toward the chair in the center. Much to her irritation, he looked amused rather than offended at her feigned misunderstanding of his name. Really, that smug smile just made her want to punch him . . . or not. She really didn’t understand her reaction to the man.

“Saidh?”

“Hmm?” She turned to peer at Murine questioningly.

“I think ye’d best be careful while here,” Murine said quietly.

“Careful o’ what?” Saidh asked with surprise.

Murine hesitated and then admitted, “I had the oddest sensation along me arm when Laird MacDonnell stood behind ye. It was like there was some kind o’ heat bouncing between ye. I’m thinking mayhap ye’d do best to avoid being alone with him while yer here.”

“Oh.” Saidh waved her concern away. “I’ll be fine.”

Murine looked as if she wanted to say more, but paused and glanced past her as Montrose stood up at the far end of the table. A sigh slipped from her lips, but she forced a smile for Saidh. “It looks as if we are leaving.”

“Oh.” Saidh stood when Murine did and accompanied her along the tables in the hall. They were halfway to the keep doors when Saidh blurted, “Murine, if ye’re e’er in trouble or in need o’ aid, do no’ hesitate to write me at Buchanan or e’en to come there. Ye’ll always be welcome.”

“Thank ye,” Murine said and paused to hug her. “Ye’re a good friend, Saidh, and the same goes fer you. If ye’re e’er in trouble or in need, me door will always be open to ye.”

Saidh hugged her briefly, then stepped back with a smile to walk her outside. She was surprised to step out of the great hall and find the bailey swimming with horses. The stable master had obviously been busy since she’d entered the castle. It made Saidh feel bad that she’d left him to tend to her mount rather than do it herself.

“Mount up, Murine. We do not have all day,” Montrose snapped as he slung himself into his own saddle.

Murine smiled tightly, but moved to do as instructed.

Saidh watched her mount and then moved up beside the horse and rubbed the mare’s muzzle as she commented, “Joan’s tincture must be working, Murine. It seems to me ye’ve no’ fainted once since the babe was born.”

“Aye.” Murine gave her a real smile. “I’ll ha’e to write Joan and thank her.”

Saidh nodded and stepped back. “Safe journey.”

“Safe stay,” Murine said solemnly, and then turned her horse to follow her brother out of the bailey, followed by the soldiers.

“Ye’re worried about her.”

Saidh tore her gaze away from Murine’s stiff back and glanced at Greer as he paused beside her. The man was huge, something she hadn’t really taken note of until now. He made her feel small and dainty in comparison, something even her brothers, who were all large men, had never accomplished.

She turned to peer after the last of the soldiers riding out of the bailey and nodded solemnly. “Her father made no provisions fer Murine in his will. No’ even a dower. She’s dependent on her brother now and I fear he’s no’ the most caring o’ brothers.”

“Was her father no’ Laird Beathan Carmichael?” Greer asked.

“Aye,” she said and noted the frown that pulled at his face.

Greer shook his head. “He did no’ seem the type o’ man to leave his daughter penniless and dependent on a half brother like Montrose Danvries.”

“Ye knew him?” she asked with surprise.

“I worked fer him a time or two,” he admitted.

Saidh’s eyebrows rose at this news. “Worked fer him at what?”

“I was a sword for hire ere Allen died and I inherited the title,” Greer admitted without shame. “Laird Carmichael hired me on a time or two. I liked him,” he added. “And I suspect someone is no’ dealing honestly with Murine if she thinks she was left without resources.”

Saidh frowned at the suggestion and peered back to the now empty drawbridge, thinking that perhaps she should write Murine and tell her what Greer had said. She wouldn’t put it past Montrose to claim there was no dower and gamble it away instead. From what Murine had said, he’d gambled away most of his inheritance from his own father already. The only thing left was Danvries castle and the lands he rented out to farmers as far as she knew.

Aye, she’d write to her, Saidh decided and turned to start back up the stairs. She still hadn’t broken her fast, and then she’d have to check on Fenella before she returned to the loch to cross swords with Greer.

Chapter 4

S
aidh dismounted in the clearing and took a deep breath of fresh air before letting it out on a pleased little sigh. She’d arrived first, which she hadn’t expected as she’d mounted the stairs to check on Fenella. She’d felt sure her cousin would keep her for hours as she cried and moaned about losing Allen . . . and Saidh would have stayed for all of it, doing her best to console the inconsolable woman.

Fortunately, she’d come across Fenella’s maid on the upstairs landing and on hearing that the other woman was bathing, had told the maid she wouldn’t trouble her just then. She’d asked the maid to tell Fenella that she’d come to check on her, and that she would return later, when she was out of her bath. Then she’d hurried to her room to change her gown before almost skipping back downstairs and out to the stables to gather her horse and head to the loch.

Sliding her sword out, Saidh swung it a couple of times to loosen her muscles. She didn’t think she’d have long to wait for Greer. He’d been in the practice area with his men when she’d passed on the way to the stables and she knew he’d seen her. She was quite sure he’d follow when he had the chance. He was the one who had suggested they battle after breaking their fast after all.

Saidh swung her sword again, enjoying the whistle of sound it made as it sliced the air, and then glanced at the water and found herself moving toward it. It was such a pretty spot, it was hard to believe anyone had died here, let alone Fenella’s husband. Thinking about that made her wonder what he had looked like. Had he favored Greer in looks? Had he been tall, and strong and so well put together? She wondered as she recalled Greer rising out of the water as beautiful as some ancient god, water droplets racing down his tanned skin.

Nay, not a god, she thought now. His skin had not been perfect and unblemished. Scars had marred his chest and arms. Probably his back too, she thought. It was not hard to believe he’d earned his living by his sword ere inheriting the title. But he was still beautiful. The scars had added rather than taken away from his looks, to her mind.

“If ye wish a swim instead o’ a fight, I can wait.”

Saidh whirled around with surprise at that comment, startled to find Greer not only there, but off his horse and crossing the clearing toward her. How had he arrived and dismounted without her hearing? The question blazed through her thoughts, but she already knew the answer. She hadn’t really been present in that clearing in that moment, she’d been off in her head in another moment in that clearing and ogling the man’s naked chest in her mind. He was obviously a distracting devil.

“I can swim another time,” she said raising her chin as he drew close enough that she had to do so to meet his gaze, or speak to his chest.

“A shame. I would ha’e enjoyed watching ye strip away yer braies and gown and slip into the water,” he said with a grin.

Saidh blinked at the words, her nipples tightening in response to the thought of removing her clothes under the hot gaze of this man and then letting the cool water soothe the heat his eyes caused. Scowling with irritation at her body’s response, Saidh shook her head. “In yer dreams, me laird.”

“Aye. Ye’ve done that and much more in me dreams,” he admitted and then grinned at the blush that rose up into her cheeks.

Saidh didn’t know quite how to respond to that, so was relieved when he took on a more serious expression and backed away to withdraw his own sword from his sheath. He didn’t raise it though, but arched an eyebrow instead and asked, “Are ye going to fight like that?”

Saidh glanced down at her dress and then raised an eyebrow of her own. “Ye expected me to strip to battle with ye?”

“Jest yer dress. Ye’ve braies under it,” he pointed out.

“Aye,” she agreed, “But braies do no’ cover me duckies.”

“Duckies?” he asked uncertainly.

“ ’Tis what me youngest brother calls me teats,” she explained with amusement and was interested to see the flush that suddenly rose on his cheeks as his gaze dropped to the items in question.

“I do no’ mind if yer duckies are no’ covered,” he said, his voice almost a growl.

Saidh snorted at the claim. “I’m sure ye do no’,” she said dryly and slid her sword back into her sheath, then bent forward and reached between her legs for the back of her gown. Straightening, she pulled the cloth with her and tucked it into the belt that held the sheath at her waist. It probably wasn’t attractive, she acknowledged, but it would keep her skirts out of the way while they fought, yet her legs were decently covered by the braies still.

Satisfied, she withdrew her sword again and faced him. “Come on then. ’Tis time I trounced ye.”

“Ah lass,” he said with a slow smile. “I made me living wielding me sword. ’Tis you I fear is about to be trounced.”

“We shall see,” Saidh said, unintimidated, and lunged at him, swinging.

Greer met her sword with his own, his eyes wide with surprise at the attack. He fended another swing easily, but said, “Mayhap we should be using wooden swords fer this. I’d no wish to see ye hurt.”

“Or mayhap yer afraid yer the one who will get hurt,” she suggested, swinging again. As their swords met, she added, “But ye’ll not. I ken how to control me sword, and this is just fer play, no’ to injure ye.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Greer said with amusement, getting in a couple of swings of his own that she had to block. Saidh fended him off easily enough and was winding up to swing at him again when her skirt suddenly came unraveled and tangled around her legs.

Startled, she stumbled back to avoid hitting Greer in an uncontrolled swing as she struggled to maintain her balance, and then gasped with surprise as cold water rushed over her foot one moment before she tumbled back into the lake. Saidh landed on her bottom, her head and chest briefly falling backward under the water. She gulped a mouthful of the stuff as she cried out in surprise, and then quickly pushed herself into a sitting position so that her head and neck, at least, were out of the water.

Spitting out more curses than water, Saidh floundered briefly and flailed about with both hands, slapping her sword wildly about as she tried to maintain some balance and keep from falling back in the water again. Then she stabbed her sword into the wet dirt beside her and clung to it to get to her knees as the loch tried to wash her out and away from shore.

Pausing on her knees, Saidh released the sword with one hand to push her hair off her face and scowled around until she found Greer standing several feet back, his chin hanging down onto his chest and his eyes as wide as chicken eggs in his head.

“Well?” she growled, glaring at him. “Are ye going to help me or no’?”

Greer’s mouth snapped closed and he smiled that infuriating smile of his. “I’m no’ sure. Are ye done waving yer sword about like a madwoman?”

“Ye can see ’tis buried in the dirt,” she growled furiously.

“Aye. And tis a piss-poor way to treat such a fine weapon,” he said at once.

“I shall clean and sharpen it when I get back to the castle,” Saidh said grimly, frowning at the hilt of her sword now. Truly, thrusting it into the ground was no way to treat a sword as fine as hers, but she’d been desperate. She still was. Her gown was heavy, and the braies underneath were just weighing her down more. Aside from that, it felt like the waves washing around her were trying to take her out to the middle of the loch with them as they rolled away from her.

“Do ye ken the proper way to clean and sharpen a blade?” Greer asked with interest.

Saidh didn’t bother to respond but simply shook her head and staggered to her feet in the water. It was much harder than one would think. The ground was soft beneath her, shifting with her movement and her gown was hampering her horribly. But she got upright and immediately pulled her sword from the ground. The moment she’d returned it to its sheath, Greer was there, scooping her up into his arms.

“I can walk,” she said with irritation as he turned to carry her back out of the water.

“It did no’ look that way to me,” Greer said with amusement. He set her on her feet on dry land and then stepped back to look her over, before meeting her gaze and arching an eyebrow. “I think this means I trounced ye.”

“Ye did no’,” she argued at once. “Me gown unraveled and tripped me.”

“I tugged yer gown from its mooring so that it would trip ye,” he countered with not an iota of shame. When she gaped at him, he shrugged. “All’s fair in battle, love. Ye use what’s available to ye.”

Saidh let loose with a string of curses that would have made even her brothers blush, though they were the ones she’d learned them from.

Greer, however, merely smiled more widely, shook his head, and murmured, “That mouth o’ yers, lass.”

“What about it?” Saidh barked, glowering at the man.

“I like it,” he said so softly she almost missed the words.

Saidh stared at him with bewilderment. She was wet and cold, but for some reason his words and his expression sent a warm shiver through her body, and she was aware of the rise of those bewildering sensations that only he seemed to raise in her. A strange want and need that culminated in frustration and aggressive action. Responding to it, she reached for him.

Greer’s eyes widened and he reached for her too, then released a startled curse when she suddenly hooked her foot behind his ankle and pushed with her hands to send him crashing onto his back on the ground. At least that was her intention. However, Greer had already caught her arms when she pushed and rather than just send him to the ground, she was dragged down with him.

Saidh landed on his chest with a grunt of surprise and then pushed herself up to glare at him, her damp hair hanging down, a dark curtain around their faces. But then she just lay there staring at him. She should be pummeling him with fists and words, berating him for cheating and making her trip and fall in the lake. Or alternatively, she should be getting up and leaving him lying there in the dirt while she rode back to the castle. Instead, she just lay there, staring into his beautiful dark eyes, her upper body half raised and her lower body flat against him, feeling every inch of heated flesh through their clothes.

Greer stared back briefly, but then his gaze dropped and she gave a start as he ran a finger lightly along the neckline of her gown.

“Ye must be cold,” he growled.

“Aye,” she agreed, surprised to find herself sounding breathless.

“I’ll warm ye.”

“Aye,” Saidh murmured as his hand moved up to cup her head and draw her face down to his. His lips were warm and soft yet firm as they brushed over hers, and she held her breath at his first touch. When his tongue slid out to run along the seam where her lips met, she made a startled sound, her mouth opening involuntarily, and then gasped when his tongue immediately slipped past the open gates to explore her depths.

This was uncharted territory for Saidh. She had grown up with seven bossy, nosy brothers who seemed to follow her everywhere. No boy or man had ever dared to even try to kiss her ere this. It left her feeling awkward and uncertain now as to how to respond. Should she suck on his tongue as she suddenly wanted to, or was she supposed to stick her tongue in his mouth too? Saidh didn’t have a clue, so did neither and simply held herself still above him until her arms began to tremble.

Greer suddenly broke the kiss and shifted, turning them both until she lay on her back on the ground and he rested on his side. He didn’t go back to kissing her though. Instead, his gaze drifted down her body. Saidh watched his face, but then glanced down with surprise when he pinched one nipple through the wet cloth of her gown.

The material was old, which was why she’d changed into it. She hadn’t minded if it got damaged during their battle. But, she saw now that the cloth was thin with wear and rather sheer when wet, she noted as she saw the dusky rose of her nipple through the material. Before she could be embarrassed by that, Greer ducked his head and covered the nipple with his mouth.

Saidh sucked in a deep breath, her back arching in response as heat encompassed the sensitive nib. She then moaned, and clasped his head with some vague intent of pushing him away when he began to suckle her through the material. Instead of push at him, though, she found her fingers tangling in his hair and clasping him closer, urging him on. She even moaned her disappointment when he broke off the caress and raised his head, but she relaxed and wound her arms around him when he kissed her again instead.

This time she did suck on his tongue when it invaded her. She simply couldn’t resist it, and he did not seem to mind. At least, he didn’t stop kissing her. Instead, they became more demanding, almost violent as he slanted his head over hers and thrust his tongue in and out and in and out. Saidh was so consumed by his kisses that she wasn’t even aware that his hand was working busily at the neckline of her gown until he suddenly broke their kiss and shifted to close his mouth over her breast again, this time without the cloth there between them.

Saidh cried out at the rush of excitement shooting through her and curled around his head, her legs squeezing together as the heat hit her there. She felt his hand on her leg and then clasping her bottom, squeezing, but didn’t care. And then he tore his mouth from her breast and kissed her again as his hand slid around to cup her between the legs and Saidh cried out into his mouth. Her legs clenched around his fingers, squeezing even as her hips shifted in response, and then that strange want, need, frustration welled up inside her like a cyclone and she was moved to violence again.

Catching Greer by surprise, she thrust him onto his back and quickly scrambled to straddle him and then simply stared down at him, bewildered as to what to do next. Saidh knew she definitely didn’t want to punch him and suspected she never had, but she had no clue what she should do instead. So simply sat there on him, her hair a tangled mess around her shoulders and her breasts bared by her open gown.

Greer watched her expression warily for a moment, and then offered her a crooked smile. “I surrender. Do with me what ye will.”