Timeless Mist (18 page)

Iain nodded and set the tray on
the table. "Would ye
like
my help?" Now where
had
that
come from?

Kris looked as stunned as Iain
felt by the offer. She shook her head and hesitated a moment before she asked,
"you did
n't
happen…" she looked at her feet then up again, a light blush color
ing
her cheeks. "I
was
quite
drunk last night."

"Aye,
that
ye
were
." Iain agreed.

"I
was
just wonder
ing
,"
Kris blew her hair out of her eyes with a frustrated breath, "um, it
wasn't
you who helped me
undress last night,
was
it?"

Her heart sank and her face felt
as if it
were
sudden
ly
on fire when Iain nodded.

"Ye
were
in no condition to get
that
gown off, lass. It
would ha'e been most uncomfortable to sleep in all
that
material, so aye, 't
was
I who helped ye."

"I wish you
hadn't
." Kris groaned
and sank down into the chair again, her hands cover
ing
her face. "I mean, I'm grateful for
your thoughtfulness, but I wish you'd gotten Elsbeth or one of the other women
to help me."

"To be honest," Iain
shrugged as he set the tray of food on the table. "I dinnae think of it. I
saw it needed to be done, and did it."

He bit back a grin when Kris
raised her head, her already flam
ing
face turn
ing
even
redder. He
was
tru
ly
not
try
ing
to further embarrass her, but the thought struck him
that
she looked
quite
adorable draw
ing
designs in the rug with her toe and examin
ing
them as if they held great interest. And all the while, her face grew a deeper
s
had
e of red.

Final
ly
, he took pity on her, "lass, ye ha'e
not
h
ing
to be ashamed of. Ye
were
close to unconscious
from the amount of spirits ye consumed and I but sought to help ye achieve a
more restful night's sleep. Nay more than
that
,
I promise ye."

"I just feel so
foolish," Kris stood and glanced up at him before look
ing
away again,
"especial
ly
because I
have
a few
rather large gaps in my memories of last night. And, well," she looked at
the floor again, "I do
n't
know you
very
well,
and…"

Iain strode over to her, put a
hand under her chin and gent
ly
lifted her face until their eyes met. "I will no' take insult at what ye
are suggest
ing
, lass. Nay
matter what I may think of a woman, whether I believe her an enemy or no', I
would ne'er take a lass wi' out her full, knowledgeable consent and complete
awareness of what she
was
agree
ing
too."

"Oh, right." Kris
was
fall
ing
into the depths of his
remarkable blue eyes and near
ly
missed what he
had
said. "Of course you would
n't
.
I
hadn't
meant
that
, exact
ly
," she said,
frantical
ly
look
ing
anywhere but into his
eyes again. "I now your
mother
,
and Elsbeth, remember?"

Iain chuckled and released her,
"aye, ye do. And 'tis
like
as
not
my
màthair
would skin me alive
if I'd e'er e'en entertained a thought along those lines."

Kris laughed, the tension leav
ing
her. "I just wanted
to apologize for my behavior," she glanced at him, "gett
ing
so drunk and all, I
mean." She started load
ing
a bowl with food, "about the other, well just forget it. I would never be
sil
ly
enough to think
that
someone who looks
like
you…" She trailed
off and sat down at the table, pretend
ing
great attention to her food. After a quick glance in Iain's direction, she
continued, "I know, I'm babbl
ing
again. My fiancé says I do it all the time. It's one of the many bad habits I
seem to
have
,
that
and pac
ing
." She grimaced, "I
think I'll shut up now."

"Ye are betrothed?" he
struggled to keep an even tone to his voice, too keep the dismay he felt from
show
ing
. He walked
over to the table and took the seat opposite her as nonchalant
ly
as possible. So that was
her betrothed he saw in the portrait of her.

"Oh heaven's no." Kris
looked up, startled, on
ly
just realiz
ing
what
she'd said. "At least
not
any more. I should
have
said my ex-fiancé. He
was
a big jerk."

Iain did
n't
know why he should be relieved
that
she
was
no longer betrothed but
could
n't
shake the
feel
ing
. The thought
of her be
ing
wed to a
not
her
was
more than distasteful
and he could
n't
for
the life of him fathom the why of it. He sought for someth
ing
to divert the subject.

"Do ye think ye are
unattractive, lass?" he asked in a quiet voice. Then silent
ly
cursed at the look she
gave him.

She shrugged, and blushed again,
"my ex always told me I
was
no great beauty. Among the other th
ing
s
he said I needed to fix about myself." Others
had
told her the same th
ing
s, most
ly
her stepfather, she thought, but did
not
say. "I've always known it, actual
ly
,
but it's
not
someth
ing
I think about
very
often. I ca
n't
help how I look. I know
I
have
some
very
annoy
ing
habits, too."

"Is
that
why he broke off his betrothal to ye? Because
he dinnae
like
the
look of ye?" Iain could
n't
keep the shock complete
ly
from his voice.

"Oh, he did
n't
. I mean I broke up with
him. He got mad when I would
n't
let him go further than kiss me. I'm glad I put my foot down on
that
matter. He told me I
was
be
ing
old-fashioned before he
stormed out. A couple of weeks later, I found him in bed with a
not
her woman," her eyes
sparked with anger, "twice. I broke off the engagement because of it and
he told me to stop liv
ing
in the Middle Ages." She shrugged, "maybe I
was
old-fashioned by modern standards, but I
think one girlfriend at a time should be enough for any guy, especial
ly
when
that
guy is your
fiancé."

"Aye, lass. Men are wont to
bed women wi'out think
ing
on it, but they dinnae appreciate it when their betrothed
has
done the same." Iain
nodded in understand
ing
.
"Dinnae let some fool tell ye are annoy
ing
or old-fashioned because ye would nay bed him before ye
had
a r
ing
on your f
ing
er,
Kristianna. And ye are no' annoy
ing
either, lass. Ye are a love
ly
woman, and the mon
was
a fool to treat ye thus
ly
."

 "Thank you." Kris'
blush deepened again and she lo
were
d
her head.

"And ye shouldnae be so
foolish as to think ye arenae attractive. Ye are. I find ye verra strik
ing
and desirable."

Kris looked around as she sought
for someth
ing
to say. "Elsbeth
told me to pick out a gown. And no, I do
n't
think you can help me dress." She did
n't
want to be, but she found herself drawn to this man. She rose from her chair
and strode to the wardrobe.

Iain looked startled by her
abrupt change of subject.

"I
was
answer
ing
your earlier question about help
ing
me."

"I can offer ye my services
in pick
ing
out someth
ing
to wear, if ye'd
like
."

Kris looked up, astonished by his
soft laughter. It made his eyes twinkle and transformed his face into someth
ing
gentler and more
approachable. She returned his smile.

"You should smile more often."
She said without think
ing
.

Now it
was
Iain's turn to be surprised. He realized he
hadn't
smiled
very
much in the past few
years, most
ly
because
there
hadn't
been much
for him to smile about. Liv
ing
in the highlands could be hard and harsh. It
wasn't
for the faint of heart. And recent
ly
,
well smil
ing
was
not
someth
ing
he thought on often.

"I shall take your
suggestion to heart, lass and see what I can do about it." He gave her a
small bow.

Kris giggled when he gave her an
exaggerated grin.

"Anyway, I still
have
to find someth
ing
to wear besides
that
dress." She
gestured to the chair
that
held the soiled gown. "I
really
hope I
haven't
ruined
it with the ham glaze I spilt on it."

"I'm sure 'tis someth
ing
Elsbeth can fix. She is
a wonder when it comes to such th
ing
s.
As is my
màthair
."
He went to stand beside her at the wardrobe. "If I might offer my opinion
in choos
ing
someth
ing
for to wear?"

"Sure, why
not
. I
have
no ideas at the
moment."

"I suggest ye wear someth
ing
ye will be comfortable
in."

"Oh and why is
that
?"

Iain cleared his throat and
hesitated a moment, "because," he paused,
not
believ
ing
his
màthair
had
blackmailed him this
way, "my
màthair
wishes me to show ye about. She informs me
that
ye
ha'e
been cooped up
in this room for too many days, and 'tis time I let ye out. She tells me some
fresh air will serve ye well."

Kris stifled a giggle at the look
on his face. He looked
like
a small boy who'd been told to do someth
ing
he would
really
rather
not
do.

"I'm glad to know your
mother
has
some sense. She's right,
you know. I
was
about
to go stir crazy be
ing
shut up in this room with
not
h
ing
to do."

Iain thought over her words a
moment. When he'd gone to speak with his
màthair
ear
ly
this morn, she'd
said near
ly
the same
words. She refused to speak to him about anyth
ing
else, clamp
ing
her
lips shut tight and then lock
ing
herself in her bedchamber. He'd told her he
had
questions for her, but she shook her head, refus
ing
to e'en hear them until she got what she wanted. "When ye take Kristianna
out of
that
room,
spend a bit of time wi' her, let her get some fresh air, then I will speak wi'
ye. The poor lass must be go
ing
nigh onto stir crazy in
that
room by now."

"I will leave ye to dress
then." He made her a small, but formal bow and strode to the door where he
turned to look at her again, "I shall return in an hour if
that
will suit ye."

Kris smiled and nodded at him. An
hour should be plenty of time. Maybe she could convince Elsbeth to filch her a
pair of pants. Depend
ing
on what Iain wanted to do, and where he planned to take her, pants would be the
most comfortable for her to wear. Although it might earn her more trouble than
she needed at the moment.

Kris
was
so excited she mere
ly
stared at the contents of the closet. What
she would
n't
give for
a cup of coffee right now.

Elsbeth arrived a short time
later, a lass of about twelve in tow.

"This is Margaret, lady
Kristianna. She will assist ye in bath
ing
and dress
ing
."

"
Very
nice
to meet you, Margaret." Kris offered the girl a friend
ly
smile and extended her
hand. "I'm Kris."