Winning the Highlander's Heart (10 page)

“You had another message from the king?”  Anice tried not to sound too curious, but she was dying to know what disturbed Malcolm and his brothers so.

“Nay,” he said, his voice clipped.

Now it was her turn to stare at him in disbelief.  “The vellum that landed in the wash barrel was not from the king?”

“Nay.”  Malcolm’s eyes focused on her veiled hair, then shifted back to her gaze.

She swallowed hard.  Who else would have sent the missive?  “But it was about me.”

Malcolm looked away.  “Aye.”

She didn’t believe him to be the strong silent type.  “And?”

“’Tis no’ important.”

“But it is about me,” she insisted.  And their reactions made her suspect it
was
important.

“I was concerned about you, last eve,” Malcolm said.

All right.  She would play the game for a while.  If Malcolm didn’t tell her what the message said, she’d find a way to sneak a peek at it later.  “I appreciate your concern, but you need not have been troubled over me.”

“His Grace would not force the issue, but he worried you would be in danger at Brecken.”

She gave a ladylike snort under her breath.

Malcolm smiled.  “I believe he thought you felt you would be in less danger at home than at Arundel.”

“He would think right.”

“I worry though.”  He gave her a pointed look.

Malcolm’s thoughts shifted to the blurred missive that he and his brothers had attempted to decipher.  Only three words stood out,
Anice, cursed, betrothals
.  He could only guess what it meant, and though he didn’t believe in curses, Dougald and Angus did.  Was the lady cursed and that’s why some of her clansman had fallen?  But that had nothing to do with betrothals.  As far as he knew, the lady had never been betrothed.  The manner in which the message had been passed to him by a page from some unnamed knight, furthered his disquiet.  Was it a ploy to discredit the lady?

Yet, he’d heard whispered rumors that Lady Anice had strange powers.  He’d attributed it to the Englishwomen not liking that she was Scottish.  Still, the way she appeared in the hall outside her chamber as if something had warned her they’d received the news about her treasurer, seemed odd.

He rubbed his freshly shaved face.  His thoughts switched to the troubles at Brecken.  Though he had worried about them all night, he did not wish to discuss this with Anice.  However, another issue bothered him. 
The kiss
.  Did the lady oft kiss gentlemen?  He would put a stop to it.  Why, after saying he was not the kind of man she would be interested in, kiss him?

The horse’s hooves clopped on the dirt road, the wagon’s wheels squeaking, but nothing garnered his attention like the woman sitting tall in her green woolen gown, a stray lock of hair fluttering over her cheek.  Instantly, he wanted to see her tresses unbound, draping over her shoulders, silky, kissed by the rays of the sun, red and gold combined, tickling her bare breasts.

He leaned away from the pommel of his saddle when his trewes grew taut, nearly strangling him.  The journey would be long indeed, if he couldn’t keep his thoughts about the lady’s shapely attributes under control.

Though he was sure she would not appreciate his bringing up the kiss, he had to ensure she did not avail herself to another gentleman in such a manner.  Furthermore, he had to know
why
she had kissed him.

“About last eve--”

“Aye, I am sorry I fainted again.  ‘Tis good you have a strong back and broad shoulders if you are going to be my steward.”

He smiled.  “’Twas to be expected, milady, considering the ill tidings.  Had not you reacted as you did, I would have found your actions disturbing.”

She turned her head slightly as if conceding a point.  “Aye, as if I were in on the plot.”

“I worry about your safety.  One of my brothers or me will accompany you at all times.”

Her eyes grew round as she faced him.  “Except in my bedchamber.”

 Having already visited her chamber at Arundel Castle twice, the thought struck him as amusing.  “Unless you have need of my services there, milady.”

She tilted her chin down and gave him a look like she thought his proposal indecent, but she seemed more intrigued than bothered by the notion.  “Indeed.”

“As you needed me at Arundel,” he clarified, amused that she’d come to some other conclusion.  The idea he’d carry the lady to her bed, then join her certainly had crossed his mind.  She
was
a lovely lass.  He would not be half a man if he had not given it a thought.  Just seeing her resting in the bed as if she were waiting for her laird husband to attend to her in the manner husbands did their wives.

He shook his head.  Traitorous thoughts such as these, he had no business contemplating.  He would have an English bride and the lass a Norman laird.  ‘Twas better for all concerned.

But her easy manner this morning brought on the treacherous notions.  If she still acted the lioness she had last eve, he might be of another mind.  Her disposition seemed much improved, and ‘twas difficult not to enjoy the lady’s company.  Was it that she had left King Henry behind that pleased her?  If so, Malcolm was glad he had rescued the lady.

Her cheeks wore a bit of color from the frosty bite in the air, and her lips were redder than he remembered.  He forced his thoughts from enjoying her beauty to consider her much improved demeanor.  Mayhap this morning since she seemed a good deal more demure, he could question her about her staff without her being so vague and obstinate.

But first he had to set her straight on kissing other gentlemen.

“Concerning our walk in the gardens last eve, milady, I have a question.”

She didn’t look in his direction, but her cheeks grew more flushed, and her lips curved up.  She seemed to know what he wanted to ask and she did not appear to be bothered by it, amused mayhap, but not irritated.  ‘Twas a good start.

 “About the kiss...,” he began cautiously.  ‘Twas not that he couldn’t handle an outburst, but ‘twas a delicate subject to discuss with the lady he had to serve.

“Aye.  ’Twas a sisterly peck, naught more.”

Nothing about the kiss had he found sisterly.  The fact she had such a quick response proved she had given the matter some thought if he asked.  He intended to put a stop to such rash behavior.  “Do all the men you kiss in such a
sisterly
fashion react the way I did?”

She looked at him, her eyes shining with amusement, her smile broadened.  “I have not done so before, but when I do it again—”

“Only pray do such a thing with me, as a gentleman who is kissed by you nay doubt will not resist as I did.”

“Aye.”  She turned to watch Dougald’s horse plodding in front.

“I mean it, milady,” Malcolm said firmly.

“Aye.”  She answered so abruptly he was not sure she got his point.

“Any other man might take advantage of the situation and want more.”

“Aye.”

“
Lady Anice
,” he said, no longer able to contain his temper.

She faced him, innocent as a baby bird in its nest.  “Milaird?”

“You cannot kiss any man.”

 “You did not want me to kiss you?”

Was the woman daft?  Of course, he wanted her to kiss him, as much as he wanted to press his mouth against her silken lips and deepen the touch.  Nearly every waking moment, he had thought of that unimposing kiss and wanted more than anything to reenact the moment to allow him time to respond.  But he had also worried why she had done such a thing and if she would do so again with some other gentleman who had no business touching her. 

Not that he should either.  ‘Twas only that he wished to show her she was not so immune to liking him as she espoused.

“You have naught to worry about with me, milady.  ‘Tis other gentlemen who concern me who will nay doubt get the wrong impression.”

“Because you are like kin to me?”

He wanted to groan out loud.  No way did he want her to consider him like kin.  Certainly, he saw her as a woman he would happily tangle with under the sheets—or without—not as a sister or any other relation, but as a bonny lass who he would love to bury himself in.  Och, even now the thought of being with her naked in her bed filled him with a craving he couldn’t douse.  “I will not take advantage of you, is my meaning,” he said hoarsely.

She gave him a strange look.  “Then you will not mind if I kiss you again?”

‘Twas his most fervent desire, yet he stared at her not understanding.  He was not sure why she wished to, unless she wanted him for her husband.  King Henry would not be pleased when he was sending Norman lairds to court her.  Still, she did express an interest in Highland lairds over Norman ones.  Mayhap she liked that Malcolm had a strong back and broad shoulders and could carry her to her chambers whenever she became indisposed.  Mayhap she wished he would tarry longer the next time.  And damned if he didn’t want to oblige.

Before he could ask why she kissed him, she said, “I had to thank you for taking care of me earlier.  After last eve, I fancied I would have to thank you again.  But if you are not agreeable…”

“You honor me, milady.”  Why the hell had he said those words?  He could not bring himself to tell her otherwise, though he knew he should have said she ought not kiss any but the man she wed.  Dougald was the perfectly practiced man of words and actions when it came to dealing with a lady.  Malcolm felt out of his league.

“I did not mean to shock you last eve,” Anice said softly. 

“My brothers ribbed me about it.”

“Mai scolded me...five times.”

Malcolm chuckled.  “Nay doubt you told her it was just a sisterly kiss though.”

When Anice did not answer, he looked at her.

She ran her reins through her fingers, her cheeks cherry, her eyes averted.  Vixen.  ‘Twas no more a sisterly kiss than he thought.  She did care something for him as he suspected.

She took a heavy breath.  “I know you are trying to talk to me about things that will not alarm me, but we must speak of the happenings at my castle.”

He did not wish to distress her and risk having her faint while riding her mount.  The notion flashed across his mind that she could ride upon his horse with his arms wrapped around her, nestled between his legs.  His shaft stiffened.

He squirmed in the saddle to attempt to relieve the building tension in his groin, yet, he still didn’t wish to discuss the problems at Brecken, not until they stopped for the eve.  “I would not wish to upset you, milady.”

“I only wish to discuss what might be the problem.  Though ‘tis difficult to say without checking the books and the like.  Still, mayhap something I might think of could shed a light.”

He moved his horse closer to hers.  “In case you are feeling faint, milady.  I would catch you before you fall.  Or mayhap you wish to ride with me a spell.”

Her eyes sparkled in the dim light.  “I do not think that necessary.”

“Aye, go on,” he prompted, but watched her carefully for signs of distress.

“Shortly before I was summoned by the king, I’d heard raised words between my uncle’s treasurer, Laird Thompson, and his steward, Laird MacKnight.  I assumed ‘twas another of their rows.  Each had beseeched my uncle to get rid of the other.  Both were agreeable men except when it came to dealing with each other.  I could not understand the animosity betwixt the two.”

“Did you overhear what was said?”